A quaint little French café, displaying the most decadent of world-class macarons, nestled amidst stores like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany’s, and Prada… Are we in the Champs-Élysées? No, it’s just Ladurée India’s flagship store at Mumbai’s BKC.
Just as I start to feel overwhelmed by the luxury and grandeur of the Jio World Plaza, I spot Chandini Nath Israni, Co-Founder of CK Israni Group and the promoter of Ladurée in India. My anxiety is quickly washed away by her bubbly charm. I sat next to her as she sipped on her cappuccino.
“You must try our coffee,” she insists—a cold coffee served in silverware with Ladurée’s iconic ‘L’ delicately dusted in cocoa powder on top. I couldn’t miss taking a picture.
### A Journey Rooted in Passion and Perseverance
Chandini shares that she has always loved work. After years of being known merely as “someone’s daughter, wife, or mother,” she decided to start something of her own. “I went around looking for brands to bring into India and experienced quite a lot of rejection.”
Many doubted her ability to scale a brand due to her lack of prior experience in specific industries like food and fashion—the sectors that truly caught her interest. But Chandini was determined to prove them wrong.
### A Rocky Road to Success
When Ladurée set its eyes on expanding into the Indian market, Chandini saw a perfect opportunity. She emailed the company, and at her first meeting with then Managing Director David Holder, he was immediately impressed by her vision and ability to scale their business in India.
However, the journey was anything but smooth. They obtained their license to operate in May 2020, and just as operations were beginning, the nationwide lockdown was announced.
“I was the first franchise owner in the history of Ladurée to e-sign my papers!” Chandini recalls.
Despite the challenges, the allure of Ladurée already existed among India’s affluent and well-traveled clientele. Orders for big wedding parties, birthday celebrations, and more started pouring in. The iconic macarons—whose recipe remains a well-kept secret—were flown in from the headquarters in Paris.
At the same time, a central kitchen was set up at Jio Plaza in BKC to handle other production. “We only use Valor chocolate, and the butter sheets for our croissants are flown in from the Paris HQ,” Chandini emphasizes. For such an iconic brand, finesse is not an option—it’s a necessity.
### Does Luxury Taste Find a Place in India?
The truth is, the Indian market is no stranger to luxury. Ladurée’s menu, laden with rose cakes, pistachio macarons, and chocolate French toasts, includes flavours familiar to Indian palates. What makes Ladurée’s proposition unique is their commitment to quality—top-of-the-class ingredients and macarons that have only about 60 calories each.
“All the colours we use are natural,” Chandini points out. “Even if you eat 20 of our rose-petal macarons, you won’t end up with a bright pink-coloured mouth.”
Notably, Indian consumers haven’t always had the best experiences with macarons available locally, often finding their flavours, textures, and overall quality lacking. Building a category like this takes time, but Chandini is in it for the long haul.
### Expanding Thoughtfully: The Pilot “Ladurée Carts”
To expand into new cities, Ladurée has introduced small-scale pilot projects—Ladurée carts. These are placed in popular, upscale hotels or malls to gauge consumer sentiment before deciding whether a full café is viable.
“Tier-two and tier-three cities are where some of our biggest orders come from,” Chandini reveals. Whether it’s Bareilly, Meerut, or Indore, consumers across India understand quality—and they’re willing to pay extra for the best.
“I approach the brand the same way I approach being a mother. If I wouldn’t give something to my kids because it’s not good quality or not good for them, I wouldn’t give it to my customers either,” she says.
### Growing Indian Palates and Local Adaptations
With India’s rapid development and massive exposure to global culture, consumers no longer experience imposter syndrome when interacting with foreign luxury brands. Instead, curiosity and experimentation have taken its place.
“Flavours like arugula salads or orange blossom macarons, popular in the West, aren’t to everyone’s taste—and that’s something we accept. As Indians, we have our own preferences,” Chandini explains.
To cater better to Indian tastes, Chandini and her team are working closely with Ladurée global’s head chefs to curate dishes that integrate Indian flavours. Conversations around ‘chicken tikka sandwiches’ and ‘kaju katli macarons’ are already in advanced stages.
Chandini envisions Ladurée as the ‘café next door’ for the well-traveled Indian who enjoys global culture.
### Marketing Through Experience and Authenticity
When it comes to marketing, Ladurée India prefers an approach rooted in experience and word-of-mouth rather than loud campaigns.
“When you taste what we have to offer, you’ll feel the difference,” Chandini promises.
As part of a brand that is 163 years old, she is not interested in short-lived hype or aggressive marketing tactics. Instead, the focus is on cultivating genuine loyalty and love from customers—a timeless approach that matches Ladurée’s enduring legacy.
—
From a dream to reality amidst the challenges of a pandemic, Chandini Nath Israni’s leadership is crafting a new chapter for Ladurée in India—one that marries French elegance with Indian tastes, offering an exquisite café experience unlike any other.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/brandsutra/macaron-omics-a-look-at-ladure-indias-compelling-marketing-strategy
