Bang & Olufsen hits the right note in India

Gaganmeet Singh, managing director, BeoWorld

Danish high-end sound systems manufacturer Bang & Olufsen’s first India store opened in February 2015 in Delhi’s DLF Emporio Mall. Prior to 2013, the brand was in India through multiple individual importers and sellers, it's for the first time that the brand has entered into India directly now. And India has already emerged as the best-selling market for its BeoPlay A2 Bluetooth speaker, which costs about Rs 23,000, says the company.

When B&O decided to come to India, it had zeroed in on Delhi as an ideal gateway. “Delhi was our first preference for the launch before we progressed to other metros due to its cosmopolitan shopping trends and luxury brand portfolio mix,” says Gaganmeet Singh, managing director, BeoWorld, which is B&O’s India partner. He believes that Delhi spells power and opulence. It is here that luxury consumers value the history and heritage of a brand such as Bang & Olufsen.

The exclusiveness of B&O’s electronics goods comes from its unique and simple designs, which are inspired by Germany’s Bauhaus School of Art. The design principle is based on simple geometric shapes. And, in the 90 years of its existence, B&O has followed the Bauhaus philosophy without any change.

 
(The writer visited Bang & Olufsen’s Copenhagen facility at the invitation of the company)

Correction: This article has been updated. Bang & Olufsen was earlier present in India indirectly, now it has a direct presence.