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Deepak Whorra
Managing & Marketing Director @ Kollage& Episode Silver | Driving Retail Growth
Deepak Whorra comes from a prestigious family lineage with a background of over 100 years in Silverware, where he has ventured into a business focused on design and utility in Silver and other metals.
With a strong reputation for creating design-centric products, Deepak's business has gained recognition among buyers in Europe and the USA.
In the Indian market, his brand Episode targets the high-end segment, known for its design-driven offerings suitable for corporate gifting and personal gifts.
Deepak Whorra holds an impressive educational background with a Post Graduate degree in Business Management and Marketing from FMS Business School, a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Management and Marketing from the University of Delhi, and a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Delhi University.
He also pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (Hons) from Shri Ram College of Commerce and completed his high school education in Commerce at St. Columbas School in New Delhi.
With a wealth of experience, Deepak has held various key roles in organizations, including Managing & Marketing Director at Kollage & Episodesilver, former Marketing Director at EPISODE SILVER, Managing Partner at EPISODE SILVER, and Owner of Whorra Enterprises and Whorra Enterprises LLP.
Highlights
Malpractices in Silverware.
Due their very value, precious metals induce many malpractices. Being an authority on Silverware and a veteran of this trade, I have seen and observed many malpractices by unscrupulous manufacturers / traders looking for the 'quick buck' through unfair means. By itself , Silver is a very soft metal and thus, in order to make a silver product , pure silver is alloyed with other metals like Copper or cadmium to make a product hard enough to be useable. Thus an alloy of 92.5% Silver + 7,5% copper is often used to make Silverware , technically known as 'Sterling Silver'. And herein lies the crux of the matter :
- Many reputed manufacturers fabricate in an alloy containing 80% Silver( at times even less) and 20% Copper and still stamp Sterling silver or with 75% silver and still stamp 'Silver'. Thus the consumer is misled completely
- Often Silver plated products are sold as real Silver products. They look the same and the consumer cannot make out the difference. There are many such stories circulating in the market.
- Often some very innovative techniques are employed to mislead the consumer. Some manufacturers sell under brands called Sterling Silver or 925 Silver. Now the brand could be stamped on the article thus making the consumer presume that the product composition is that of real silver. There are SilverPLATED products which are stamped with brand names like 'Sterling Silver' or a Brand name like 925 Silver. The consumer then presumes that the stamp of the brand name of '925 Silver' refers to the purity of the silver content whereas the manufacturer has simply stamped his brand name
- Most non destructive testing of Silver purity is on machines that can test the silver purity only on the surface of the article or to a depth of 40 microns below the surface on an article where the sheet thickness maybe 800 or 900 microns, Thus many manufacturers do silverplating on Brass or Resin articles with a plating thickness of more that 40 microns and thus laboratory testing too fails to detect the fraud perpetuated on consumers. Unfortunately the consumer does not want to destroy an article in order to get accurate results and the fraud goes undetected.
- For centuries Silverware is made in traditional designs. But Contemporary Silverware has seen the introduction of several new designs/concepts in form, textures, usage methods, etc. Thus it is a wise policy to ask the seller to provide a copy of the design registration or a declaration stating that this is their design.
In most cases the consumer stands to lose due to the manipulations of some unscrupulous Silverware manufacturers . And there is very little recourse . Perhaps the only solution is to buy from reputed and trusted manufacturers and ask for a written guarantee of purity /design ownership. Sometimes experts can make out the the purity of the silver content by a detailed examination but there are times when that too is left to 'guesstimates'
Luxury in Silver ware
Whilst there is no precise definition of luxury products, a few parameters apply across industries :.This applies to both perception and physical reality :
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Luxury products are influenced by the history of a brand. The longer a company is into manufacturing a product the more is the opportunity to be classified as a manufacturer of luxury products. Typical examples in the Silverware Industry are brands like Christofle or Hermes.
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A longer history normally implies a large repertoire of designs which can be suitably modified with time . It goes without saying that designs have to be oriented towards current market conditions. Thus the earlier food warming serving dishes which had a liquid fuel burner to keep the food hot are now replaced by electric energy to keep the serving warm whilst still retaining the aesthetics , look and glamour of centuries gone by. Or the heavily engraved trays/Bowls are now replaced by clean straight lines as is the contemporary trend. But the form and shape is still classical . And companies with a long history are more suitable to catering to this luxury market. Of course innovation is very important but the foundation is already there .
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Perfection in quality : There is no compromise on quality . Thus statements such as :"This minor aberration is acceptable in the back surface of a tray " are not in the dictionary of Luxury brands. They do not compromise on quality at any level. This is absolute and not relative.
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Price : Luxury products are , normally more expensive than similar products that come into the market. This is because of the higher input costs , use of the best raw materials, no compromise or short cuts in manufacturing techniques , small production quantities and not mass production runs . These products positioned for very up end market that wants the best. So besides reality , perception also plays a role. Higher costs then translate to 'Snob pricing '
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Most luxury silverware has a signature characteristic. This could be in the form of a pattern or form or usage convenience. Thus a teapot from a luxury brand will necessarily have insulated handles to prevent heat injury, or a Christofle Silverplated product will have a minimum thickness of Silverplating to last a lifetime, an Episode Ganesha will have some value added characteristic like a semi precious stone, etc. Different designs to identify a luxury brand are the norm and, even though copying of designs is rampant , it is also a fact that a copy will never be the same in its minor details. We have to see the 100 year old designs of Jensen of Denmark for their uniqueness despite being copied for generations.
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Super packaging that enhances the gifting experience is an essential element of luxury Silverware.
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Aspirational is a key word. In China, women used to save for months just to buy a Hermes handbag.
Luxury is defined by several characteristics and not necessarily only by its price.
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
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Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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