It could be Dilip Chhabria creating an exclusive design for your car or an apparel or jewellery designer making a one-of-its-kind piece for you or an ice cream or homemade chocolate made to suit your taste, there is a personal touch for which one would not mind paying more.

The Indian luxury market is witnessing an increase in custom-made products and services. Though bespoke or customised or tailor-made solutions are coming up in selective categories, they would become an integral part of luxury tomorrow.

“In a way, bespoke has made a comeback. In yesteryears, we had family tailors, family jewellers and family furniture makers who used to make products as per your choice. But they were essentially low-value products and largely unorganised. The need for better and standardised quality led to the evolution towards branded products and services and the next level is bespoke-high quality, high-value and customised offerings,” said Purnendu Kumar, vice-president, retail, Technopak.

Customised products, services and assets would account for 10 per cent of the luxury market in India. The market is expected to grow to $8 billion this year, according to a report by AT Kearney. Kumar expects the apparel segment to see the highest growth among bespoke services. Every top city now can claim a handful of top-level apparel designers. They have a loyal clientele comprising the who’s who of the city. For the middle class customers too, wedding or any such important event is an occasion to have a designer outfit.

“A typical bespoke customer is rich, up-market, refined, well-travelled and informed, but not necessarily a brand maniac,” said Amit Gugnani, VP - apparel operations, Technopak. In jewellery, people used to trust the family jeweller, but with the emergence of organised stores, the branded jewellery segment started witnessing a good growth. However, Bangalore-based C Krishniah Chetty and Sons, the official jeweller of the erstwhile Mysore royalty, still has a loyal clientele who get customised jewellery made and delivered anywhere in India.

According to Poonam Soni, a known name in bespoke jewellery designing, finds the market “very happening”. “I had started designing bespoke jewellery way back in 1989. Now there are many jewellery designers in India. In the past few years, there has been a significant rise in demand for bespoke jewellery. My customers include film stars, socialites, wives of industrialists and politicians, and women entrepreneurs. Personalised high-quality product or service makes the rich feel pampered,” she said.

In customising and remodelling of mid- and high-end vehicles, Dilip Chhabria is a known name. He has ‘created’ over 550 designs and has showrooms in Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon.

In a way, ‘Pride of Cows’ launched by Parag Milk Foods for the upmarket neighbourhood of south Mumbai, too, is a personalised service woven around a premium product. “It is a high-end milk untouched by human hand from milking to pasteurisation till delivery at home. The typical customer of this Rs 75 per litre loose milk is one who is concerned about adulterated or days’ old pouch milk and for whom price is not a deterrent. The milk is delivered to 2,000 households in south Mumbai within eight hours of milking,” said Rahul Akkara, VP - marketing, Parag Milk Foods.

From making presentations at the customer’s place, free sampling, arranging farm visits to greeting the customer on important days like birthday and anniversary, the company is trying personalised care in milk retailing. “There is a cost, specialised service and logistics involved in this and such a personalised service intends to categorise a mass-market product like milk for the luxury segment. And the rich is ready to pay a premium for the customised service,” said Chitrangada Singh, FMCG analyst, Angel Broking.

Geneva-based Global Franchise Architects is in the process of opening Cream and Fudge Factory outlets in select cities. “The outlet offers super premium ice-cream made fresh on-site. After the customer selects the flavours, the ice-cream is hand folded on a frozen marble slab with the customer's selection of mix-ins of nuts, fruits, candies, cookies and fudge. It allows people to create their own combinations,” said Joseph Cherian, CEO of GFA.

Even homemade chocolates, like those from Ooty, are available at a premium compared with the branded ones found on the retail shelves. Mumbai-based Delicious and Delightful Chocolates supplies vegetarian homemade chocolates to specific communities.