68 asiaSpa India January-February 2018
BRAND
MASTER
Darpan Sanghvi,
MD, Sanghvi Brands
talks about how he
brought the globe to
the Indian beauty and
wellness scene
How did the idea to collaborating
with international beauty and
wellness brands strike you?
The beauty and wellness industries
are growing at a rapid pace in India.
People are paying more attention
to how they look and are taking
more initiatives to enhancing their
appearance and pampering themselves
in luxurious environments. Plus,
the amount of money Indians have
started to spend on their appearances
intrigued me and made me venture
into the wellness and beauty segments.
What were the challenges you
faced in the process?
It was difficult to convince the Indian
consumer that we offer the same
international standards of wellness,
beauty and fitness in India as is
available around the world and also
acclimatise consumers to the above-
par benchmark we are setting.
Tell us about the brands
under the banner?
Sanghvi Brands has been constantly
expanding its footprint in India and
around the world. We have over 50
signed locations that are either under
development or operational. Besides
brands such as Spa L’OCCITANE,
ELLE Spa & Salon, Rossano Ferretti
Hair Spa, Spa by CLARINS and
Warren Tricomi Salon, we have
recently launched the British anti-
ageing brand ELEMIS. We are also
expanding our presence globally
with Spa L’OCCITANE – the spa at
The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco
is already operational and those in
Fujairah UAE and The Galle Face
Hotel in Colombo will open soon.
In the fitness segment, we have
introduced MyHome Fitness by
Ramona Braganza, which brings
Hollywood celebrity endorsed fitness
programmes to the consumer’s
doorstep. We’ve also just launched
the European-styled makeup line
MyGlamm in India.What are your views on the
wellness and beauty industries
in India?
There is just no doubt that the beauty
and wellness industries are growing
by leaps and bounds. The growth of
Sanghvi Brands is a testament of that.
When I started in 2010, only expats
would come to my spas, but now90 per cent of my guests are Indian.
Consumers are getting more and more
educated about what they want and
what they don’t. They are extremely
smart and savvy and are aware of
what’s happening in the world.Tell us about your journey as an
entrepreneur and what it is like
to run a start-up in India?
My mantra of entrepreneurship is to
stay in the game for as long as it is
needed. The life of an entrepreneur is
exciting and filled with highs and lows.
Sometimes things happen the way you
plan them, sometimes they don’t. You
will often meet people who will tell you
that it won’t work. And when it won’t
work, they will discourage you. But,
unless you believe in your vision and
project, and live, breathe, sleep your
dream, you will not succeed. Remember,
to be successful, you will have fight
all the external factors and work
consistently towards your goal.I
IN SESSION