In the old days, people used to risk their lives in India or in the Americas in order to bring back products which now seem to us to have been of comically little worth.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
India now has serious fashion consumers who do not think twice before splurging on an expensive luxury product.
Prior to 2001, hardly any company in North America or Europe would buy from India.
I saw a lot of people have success handed to them that then exploited it. They didn't protect it or cherish it.
As a traditionally risk-averse nation, India has rarely been at the forefront of innovation. Indian companies have mostly imitated others and became very good at it.
India profoundly changed my outlook on life because you see how people can be content and very happy with little or even no possessions. It's the reverse of the West.
One of Britain's big problems throughout history has been that we lust after consumer goods from elsewhere, but our friends overseas have been less enthusiastic about buying things we produce.
I noted that people are happy here in India. When I went back home, people had everything in the materialistic sense and were surrounded with abundance, but they were not happy.
When India got independence, entrepreneurs were seen as a bad lot, as people who would exploit.
The combination of a brand like Cartier and the immense heritage that India holds can go places.
India is still considered a preferred destination for many multinationals to manufacture cost-competitive high-technology products for domestic consumption as well as for global demand.