What do The Beatles, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Elizabeth Gilbert have in common?
They all went to India seeking spiritual enlightenment.
I went because I was running campaigns for Rado during Diwali and realised I knew nothing about the country I was targeting.
I found something else entirely.
After spending time in China, I wanted to see another fast-growing market. So I booked a trip.
I fell in love with India, especially Bangalore.
Growing up on the Silicon Valley dream, Bangalore felt familiar. It's known as the Silicon Valley of India. But you don't really get it until you're there. I worked remotely for a few weeks. Met developers, entrepreneurs, founders. The energy is different. Everyone is building something.
China showed me what fast growth looks like. India showed me what's next.
This is not the India Europeans imagine. Not just the poverty and chaos. There's a city where startups are everywhere and ambition is the default. Quality of life is actually good.
And for luxury brands? India is the opportunity most are sleeping on. Rado, Longines, Hublot are seeing early success. A market that's not yet saturated. With a booming middle class and HNWI. The brands that figure out India now will win the next decade.
(I did read Eat Pray Love while I was there. And happened to do the eating, the praying, and the loving part.)
I'll be back.
