Business India, The Magazine Of The Corporate Word - December 31, 2006

Businessmen In The News

The time is right, says Rajan Navani of his decision to launch its ‘Big Time’ chain of retail wristwatch stores in India. “We were waiting to enter the Indian market,” says Navani, managing director of the Thailand-based Jetline group.” We are happy to have come full circle since the foundation of our family business with retail in the 1930s.”Jetline, which has been manufacturing the Charles Delon range of watches and watch-centric gift-sets -with matching jewellery and accessories- for the past 25 years and established it in 66 countries around the world, has now brought it to India through an exclusive brand outlet (EBO) in Gurgaon and a kiosk in Pune.”We plan to have at least 50 such EBOs and kiosks in all major cities by end-2007,” says Rakesh Navani, joint managing director.” We will also explore the franchisee option to expand.” By 2010, the group will invest Rs 15 crore in ‘Big Time’. And this, the Navani brothers say, is just” the entry point into the vast Indian consumer market”: the aim is to bring in various other international brands, too.