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Product innovation crucial to brand survival: Lakme Fashion Week seminar
MUMBAI:The last seminar organised by the Fashion Design Council of India at the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002 stressed the importance for product inovation.
Chairperson Anokhi John Singh spoke about the creation and evolution of the label Anokhi: “Brand alone does not keep you in business. Quality and consistent investment in product innovation are essential. They help tide over the ups and downs of demand fluctuations.”
Singh said that India’s strengths lay in commitment to traditional crafts and the craftsmen as they were nearly impossible to replicate elsewhere. Anokhi he said did not start as a purely commercial venture. Saving the dying art of block printing had been the driving force. Candidly admitting that the initial intention was never to create a designer label Singh spoke of the initial ups and downs, teething problems, hard work and grind that had gone into creating it. “We started with a handful of workers, few colours and basic skills and have now a vast worker base, developed a multitude of colours and effects and pioneered many developments in block printing.” He further added.
Commenting on the developments in the market, Singh negated the need to follow set trends to be successful labels. Anokhi did not follow any trends, he said. “People like our work and their acceptance makes it fashionable.” The consumer, he further said, was bound to get fed up with mass produced stuff and turn to designs, combinations and blends that simply appealed to their senses in a unique way.
Finally speaking of lessons that could be drawn from the “Anokhi Story”, Singh said that brand alone could not sustain the business. Quality, successful use of design and innovation of the same core medium or skill to create variety in a product range was essential to insulate it from the ups and downs of demand
In its third year, the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002 was held from 2-8 August at the Taj Palace Convention Centre in New Delhi.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
