Collaborating closely with Rahul Bhatia (founder, IndiGo) and his startup team, Motherland’s founders worked on a comprehensive list of passenger and employee touchpoints to create a slick, functional and engaging interface for frequent and first-time fliers. The design process ranged from cabin specification visits to the Airbus factory to sandwich formulation and testing at the Delhi airport kitchen. Layered over a corporate organisation that is renowned for operational and fiscal excellence, this customer experience blueprint rapidly helped establish IndiGo as the largest, most profitable and most user-friendly airline in India – and soon, the world.

Incredible India was the first marketing initiative of its kind. We conceptualised this path-breaking campaign in 2002 with Amitabh Kant, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism. The primary objective of this exercise was to create a fresh, distinctive identity for the country, something that could capture the imagination of high-end tourists. This resulted in the iconic ‘Incredible !ndia’ logo. The exclamation mark was used to great effect as a slick and extremely memorable branding device across all communications. The campaign successfully established India as an upscale tourist destination, generating a 16% increase in tourist traffic in the first year.

ITB Berlin

In March 2007, the global India brand campaign was extended to the Internationale Tourismus Bourse (ITB) Berlin – the world's largest travel and tourism show – where India was participating as the Partner Country. The campaign used the entire city as a canvas, covering it with large billboards, branding on taxis and buses, vibrant graphic art and 3D installations. Signalling a new level of sophistication in India's branding strategy, the ITB campaign was a huge hit with international media and trade. By this time, we had become adept at planning city-wide aesthetic and cultural experiences that immersed people in the brand far more effectively than conventional marketing campaigns.

India 60

The year 2007 not only marked the 60th year of independence for India but also celebrated the arrival of India on the global platform. The Incredible India@60 campaign was launched in New York from 23rd-26th September, 2007 to coincide with the UN General Assembly session. The combination of the 4-day event and the General Assembly created the perfect opportunity to showcase the best of India to world leaders, top international business moguls and the public. Incredible India@60 took India’s extraordinary energy and cultural diversity to the watching world. Billboards at Times Square, taxis, buses, bus shelters, TV and radio, announced the arrival of a brand new India. With 8 ministries, 8 overseas partners and 41 events – including 4 gala dinners, 13 conferences and panel discussions, 9 cultural shows, 7 receptions and 8 ongoing events – it was a grand show that maximised India’s presence and visibility to the world.

India Now, London 2007

L.A. 2009

We translated this reinvented brand vibe across all touchpoints including store design, tank badges and model names, community messaging and merchandise. The new positioning helped boost sales by 6x in 5 years and put Royal Enfield firmly back on the road to recovery. We subsequently worked with Siddhartha Lal on the global launches of the Café Racer and the Himalayan, by which time the world had acknowledged that Royal Enfield was back in top form and more relevant than ever.

A small multi-disciplinary team consisting of strategists, experience designers, journalists, economists and social media experts were selected for this formidable task.

First, we worked on the inspirational elements. The clichéd phrase ‘Made in India’ was deftly transformed into a powerful call to action reflective of modern India – ‘Make in India’. For the iconography, we turned to India’s national emblem for inspiration. The prowling lion stands for strength, courage, tenacity and wisdom – values that are every bit as Indian today as they have ever been. Next, we created a platform that would help spread the message globally: a world-class brand experience was developed and the program was officially launched by the Prime Minister in an event that was orchestrated to perfection. The result: Make in India trended worldwide for one hour on the day of the launch.

Make in India/Hannover

In April 2015, India took centre stage as partner country at Hannover Messe, Germany, the world’s largest industrial fair. Our mission was to make India’s presence felt. We took over the city of Hannover and made sure the lion was impossible to miss. Starting with buses, trains, trams, billboards and digital screens across airports in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, and moving to ubiquitous branding across all parts of Hannover. We also designed a state-of-the-art India pavilion in partnership with the best architect- ural companies from India and Germany. Rooted in India’s profound traditions, the pavilion was a showcase of India’s manufacturing capabilities across core sectors of the Indian economy through larger than life graphics, art installations and events. The huge success of this participation led to a positive image change and a stronger partnership between India and Germany.

Make in India Week, Mumbai

Much like the earlier Incredible India city takeovers, this was another example of our signature approach to national brand-building. The Make in India Week, a 5-day event hosted in Mumbai, showcased the potential of design, innovation and sustainability across India’s key focus sectors through a series of outreach initiatives. From industry leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs to government officials, academics and the press, the world’s finest minds converged during the Make in India Week and deliberated on key policies, practices and reforms that can facilitate a progressive industrial environment. The event was focused around a 2.5 million sq. ft. exhibition – the Make in India Centre, that showcased innovative products and manufacturing processes developed across India. Built from the ground up at MMRDA Grounds, the official headquarters of Make in India Week was an avantgarde statement in design – merging traditional craft aesthetics with a futuristic vision. The iconic Make in India lions adorned the hall walls, representing each of India's key focus sectors; the nation's proudest economic achievements were displayed all around the Make in India Centre. The result: an impressive structure that distilled India’s past, highlighted its present capabilities and projected its promising future.

A vibrant new energy spread across Mumbai during the Make in India Week. Iconic lion installations, street art and 150 events spread across Mumbai’s museums, galleries and theaters added an element of cultural buzz while lighting up the city.

Social Media

Pop Culture

Working closely with OYO’s rapid transformation team, Motherland discarded the wasteful conventions of the hospitality industry and developed a product design and customer experience from scratch. Every single element – right from furniture ergonomics to the breakfast menu – was re-engineered to deliver higher quality and better value. Even locations were carefully selected so that they complemented the neighbourhood, in addition to which we developed a host of amenities and offers geared to the needs of local residents. OYO Townhouse was an instant hit in India, and Motherland worked with OYO's global teams to ensure quick and high-quality expansion of the Townhouse brand into international markets such as the UK. This category reinvention has resulted in a new kind of hotel that is optimised for comfort, efficiency, convenience and affordability – which is why we call it ‘your friendly neighbourhood hotel’.

Motherland commissioned renowned artist Rod Hunt to bring OYO’s product and service portfolio to life in vibrant pop art, while also highlighting the significant milestones in their amazing growth journey. His signature illustrations for OYO were extended to the OYO user manual and wall murals across OYO properties, beautifully differentiating the brand in the eyes of customers (and competitors!).

This focus on blending culture and customer experiences led Motherland to conceptualise the Gary Mehigan x Nicobar collaboration, a range of high quality products infused with design and craft. In addition to conceptual and branding guidance, Motherland was instrumental in showcasing this initiative at the Australian government’s OZ Fest in India program – a textbook example of cultural and commercial integration.

Co-founded by Motherland and the RAAS Group, JDH is an Urban Regeneration Project that is restoring the Walled City of Jodhpur to its former glory, breathing new life into its invaluable landmarks and livelihoods. The creative forces of design, technology, fashion and culture have begun to converge on Jodhpur’s ancient and hallowed ground, revitalising its atmospheric gullies, havelis and bazaars. This transformation is being driven by local insights and expertise, as well as the injection of new ideas, infrastructure and influences from all over the world. The result: a living, breathing work of art in progress.

JDH is a part of Blue City Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. It is not a conventional business model, rather, it is a social enterprise that aims to preserve Jodhpur’s historical traditions and legacies. JDH is a privately funded company with investments from H.H. Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur, Jonathan Boyer & Nicholas Allan (investors in the RAAS group of hotels), Anita Lal of Good Earth, and Alexander Wade.

Project Inception: The Stepwell (Toorji Ka Jhalra) Restoration

Established in January 2015, JDH used private investment and ideas to clean up public spaces which were no longer viable due to congestion, litter and neglect. A Public-Private model was used to integrate a set of investors, the state government and a highly supportive local community. By July 2017, a small section of the Walled City was completely transformed. At its epicentre was ‘Toorji Ka Jhalra’ – a public stepwell that was restored to its original state. Over 300 tractor-trolley loads of debris were removed, and extensive sandblasting and oxygenation was carried out under the guidance of a team of restoration experts. The public responded by thronging to the area and making it the second most popular spot for locals and tourists in Jodhpur, as ranked by Trip Advisor.

This small step was the starting point of a much more important movement. JDH began to create ‘zones of renewal’ throughout the city and map them on an axis of regeneration. These zones are a mix of project-supported, locally-owned, project-owned, project-leased and government-owned. The project continues to expand, but the fundamental mission remains the same – renewing the Walled City, while protecting the rich history and heritage of Jodhpur.

Stepwell Square – Retail, F&B and Public Spaces

The Stepwell Square in the Walled City is the first of JDH’s zones of renewal. With the restoration of the Stepwell at the epicenter, JDH added a new commercial layer to this part of the Walled City. By placing some of India's finest fashion and lifestyle brands and creating a hub of eateries, the Stepwell Square has quickly evolved into a profitable business ecosystem and a melting pot of culture for tourists and locals alike.

The Maharaja Sumer Grain Market (WIP)

A few minutes away from the Stepwell Square is a 19th century ‘Bourse’ that is still operative. This vital part of Jodhpur’s heritage is set to be converted into a fully functioning farmer’s market that will support local producers, complemented by an Art Deco restaurant, cafés and local street food vendors that will bring in visitors and additional revenue streams.

Gulab Sagar Ki Haveli

Part of JDH’s expansion plan, this site borders the Gulab Sagar lake, which is presently undergoing restoration. A yoga studio started operations in late 2018, and more activities will follow in 2020.

Highlights 2019