Diptyque candles light up India

Fashion designer John Galliano is said to have created his own signature scents for this candle brand. Actress Catherine Deneuve and hip-hop singer P Diddy are its great fans. Candle brand Diptyque, popular among celebrities, is now in India.

Moon River Design Ltd has signed an exclusive contract with the 40-year-old French, premium perfumed candle company to stock the products at its two lifestyle stores -- The Courtyard in Mumbai and 1 MG Road in Delhi.

"Diptyque is for those who want the best and who desire to create an atmosphere around them," says Mohit Gupta, promoter of Moon River Design Ltd. The company was hived off from the Rs 68-crore (Rs 680 million) M G Industries, an auto parts firm based in Delhi.

With an assortment of 50 fragrances, from garden geranium to mountain pine, the hand-poured designer candles seem to be the ultimate way to flaunt one's status. But at Rs 1,900 for a lump of wax the size of a whisky tumbler, it does not exactly come for a song, though the aromatic candle burns for 50 hours at a stretch.

But Gupta is not worried about sales, as Indians are already familiar with the product and lug it home all the way from Europe. In the first year, the company hopes to sell between 500 and 1,000 candles and push sales in hotels and as corporate gifts.

Meanwhile, Moon River plans to open five more stores, two in Delhi and one each in Mumbai, Bangalore and Ludhiana. The store also stocks glassware like Moser and LSA, tie brands like Ferre and Celine and the cuff links brand Robert Tateossian. The company clocked a turnover of Rs 8 crore (Rs 80 million) last year.

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