Royal India-2013 to showcase 'luxury' facet of India to Emiratis, Arabs & Asians

• Emphasis on luxury servicesin travel, hospitality& lifestyle.
• 21,000 square feet exhibition space at Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
• Dubai commands 60 % of UAE's luxury market.

Dubai, October 23, 2013:The 'luxury' facet of India in tourism, hospitality, holidays, shopping, lifestyle, and other domains is being brought to the Arab world, perhaps for the first time, through a unique three-day show in Dubai from October 26 to 28, offering insights into resplendent and splendid India for the wealthy and luxury-lovers visitors.

The by-invitation event,offering niche luxury products, destinations and services from India, will be launched at a gala ceremony at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the presence of wealthy group of people looking for exclusivity, luxury and style.

Royal India-2013is to be heldunder the patronage of the Indian Ambassador to the UAE and India Tourism Office, with Gitanjali Group as Presenting Sponsor and Century Financial Brokers as the title sponsor. The Show is taking place daily from 10 am to 6pm.

With a total exhibition space of 21,000 square feet, the show brings together 30 hand-picked exhibitors from India. Over 100 CEOs of reputed organisations from various economic sectors will be attending to explore business opportunities and corporate tie-ups.

The exhibitors will have fully-furnished Luxury Stand with a built-up space of 25 square metres -by far the largest space provided to exhibitors in Dubai, offering them the opportunity to create better representation of their luxury and style offerings in their own way.

The Indian Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency M.K. Lokesh, in a message, said: 'The Arab world constitutes an integral part of India's extended neighborhood and is a region of critical importance to India in political, strategic, security and economic terms. Travel between the two countries was driven by necessity such as business, work, education and medical treatment. Now 'Luxury' has added a new dimension to this relationship.'

He said the show will endorse our global vision to showcase India as a world-class platform in areas of tourism, travel, hospitality, infrastructure, technology, and service industry sectors such as healthcare, wellness and education.

Mr. Parvez Dewan, Secretary at the India's Ministry of Tourism, messaged: 'There is a great scope for promoting Indian luxury tourism in the UAE market due to historic and cultural ties the countries share together. Royal India Luxury Show, we hope, will create conducive environment that further enhances the luxury tourism sector in India at a global marketplace and Middle East, particularly the UAE.'

Addressing a Press conference organized to announce details of the debut Royal India Luxury Show, Mr. Paras Shahdadpuri, President of Indian Business and Professionals Council (IBPC), said such an exclusive show would go a long way towards marketing, promoting and branding India's portfolio of luxury products and services.

The IBPC is the only recognised representative organisation of Indian business and professionals in Dubai under the auspices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry with about 1000 members hailing from the UAE's largest expatriate community.

India should not only intensify its marketing and promotional efforts, but the Indian luxury market stakeholders should also take measures to maintain credibility all along having the visibility in the right places and also placing emphasis on research and development, said the renowned Indian businessman.

In today's business environment, it was not just enough to have a good luxury product or service, but also these need to be marketed, branded and promoted well to the wider world audiences, he said.

Mr. Shahdadpuri said the UAE-India bilateral trade accounts for US$75 billion and the UAE offers immense growth opportunities for Indian businesses which needs to be channelized and tapped by the players of the high-yield luxury market.   India's luxury segment needs to be marketed to the world in an aggressive manner and the organisers of Royal India-2013 show and their participants and supporters need to be appreciated in taking the first steps towards this long journey, he said.

Ms. Gayathri Elayath Bhardwaj, Chief Event Organiser at Globuzz Events Management, said: 'Royal India-2013 is a more result-oriented approach in engaging a premium, unique group in a people-to-people format in meeting their needs and expectations about the luxury and class out of India. This show will truly fulfill their aspirations.'

Through its unrivaled emphasis on the distinguishable and regal insights intothe luxury products and services in travel, hospitality, retail and other sectors in India, she said the show will be a unique opportunity to network with those who have both the means and the desire to buy the ultimate in luxury.

According to market studies, Dubai commands 30 per cent of the Middle East luxury market and around 60 per cent of the UAE's.

Mr. Dion Lilywhite, Vice President-Timepieces at Gitanjali Group, said: 'Gitanjali Group is an integral part of the world of luxury and offers connoisseurs a number of high-end luxury brands and exclusive watches. It is a great honour to be associated with a platform like this which celebrates luxury, opulence and the hi-life.'

He said the Bollywood diva Bipasha Basu, the brand ambassador of Gili, India's first diamond jewellery brand, will be attending the show.

Mr. Shaheen Akbari, Head of Retail Sales, Century Financial Brokers, said: 'Royal India 2013 is a pioneering event as such a show has never been organized or held anywhere in the world. This event promises to strengthen the ties between India and UAE and provide an excellent platform to showcase the luxuries our great country has to offer to the world.'

Satya Paul,one of India's famous fashion designers, will be participating in the show. Among the other exhibitors areSahara Star, Aamby Valley City- Independent India's first planned hill city, fashion designers Rohit Verma and Rocky S, Maharaja Express, owners and operators of the best Luxury Train in India, and  Soukya, the first holistic healing centre of its kind in the world.

At the show will be attended by experts from India's national and regional tourism organisations, luxury travel and tourism companies, luxury properties, luxury hotels and resorts, luxury healthcare and wellness, fashion designers and luxury fashion brands promoters, and representatives of educational institutions designed for high-end students.

On the inaugural day, top-brass of India's Ministry of Tourism and the UAE and industry's leading figure heads will share their insights into the high-end travel industry. There is an impressive line-up of keynote speakers and panelists, including high-profile socialites and CEOs.