Candida Moraes

Revathi Kant, head of Titan Design Studio, aspires to make the studio an independent business unit in the next two years

'Just do it' and 'Nothing is impossible' are her favourite motivating statements. Optimism, out-of-the-box thinking, risk taking and persistence are her key traits. Be it at work where she has her hands full managing her team of young and vibrant designers or at home where her seven-year-old son claims all her attention, Revathi Kant, head of Titan Design Studio, wears her various caps with élan.

Elegance personified, she seems a perfect model for Titan watches as she puts on some of her favourite designs and poses for our photographer. "Today a watch is no longer a mere time keeping device," states Kant. "The challenge is to design a timepiece that looks stylish, is unique and eye catching."

Kant has been with Titan for the last 15 years. She joined the marketing research team of the company in 1990. Four years later, she moved to international operations and then onto Dubai. A ten-year stint as marketing head for west Asia and African region honed her skills in branding and understanding of consumer segments, and gave her a good knowledge of the global watch industry. Now back in Bangalore, Kant is relishing the challenge of taking the Titan Design Studio into the future.

Multitasking is a way of life for her and she has learned to juggle the many responsibilities that she has both at home and at work. As the design head, she ensures that an innovative and creative work culture prevails in the studio. She admits that it is quite a challenge managing her team and has to walk a tightrope balancing between creativity and processes.

The Titan Design Studio is a testimonial to the creative and innovative spirit of Titan Industries and is a cross-disciplinary amalgam of some of the most respected and skilled designers from across the country. In the last two years, Kant has successfully guided her team and has managed to carve a niche for Titan with watch designs that are elegant and yet dainty, affordable yet reliable. Kant spends a great deal of time on market research, trying to get a feel of the customers' pulse and to understand fashion trends. "Insight mining and concept generation are key parts of the design process," she says.

Watches are not the only things that Kant and her team work on. The studio has established a mean reputation for designing trophies and mementos not only for Tata companies but also for other corporations. The prestigious JRD QV trophy is one of the many elegant trophies it has designed.

"Design has always been a very important part of the company's business and our products have been greatly appreciated. Only by pushing boundaries can we be the best in the country. The boundary lies only where we draw it," observes Kant. "What helps is the fact that we have a young and talented team. Innovation and creativity are not just buzzwords here," she adds.

Kant understands that creativity needs to be nurtured and that her team needs to be charged and motivated for high performance. "The open culture at Titan gives them a lot of freedom to express creativity. The opportunity to design for external clients gives them an exposure that goes beyond watch designs." The Innodesign competition allows designers to showcase their creativity and the successful designs are acknowledged within the organisation. "All this helps to keep the competitive and creative spirit alive," says Kant.

It's not easy being in a competitive arena. "I really enjoy the professional side of my life," smiles Kant. "Though there are times when I do wish that I found some more time just for my self. Better time management, I guess!"

But despite a bulging briefcase, Kant does find time to curl up with a book or listen to music. She is fond of reading John Grisham and enjoys his fast-paced legal intrigues; and loves listening to old Bollywood classics. She also looks forward to the evenings when she can spend time with her son. "After a busy day, chatting with Anmol is very therapeutic," says Kant softly.

Her special areas of interest are people and their behaviour, metaphysics, spirituality and alternate healing. She spends time on the internet learning more about each of them. This has helped her to look at things in a holistic manner and to apply it to her everyday professional life — giving her direction to come up with solutions to various problems. "I have just scraped the surface and I would like to find the time to learn and practise a few of them," she says. Kant is especially passionate about alternate healing.

She loves life for what it offers and begins each day with enthusiasm and zest. "Every aspect of life interests me and I put in effort to understand the complexities in various facets of our life," she says.

With Titan watches being sported globally, travelling is an integral part of her job. But this busy lady doesn't mind. "I love travelling and make it a point to visit the local market and pick up the local stuff, whether in India or abroad." Her attention to market research includes collecting information about the places she visits. She also loves to experiment with local cuisines though being a vegetarian makes it difficult to do so at times.

Though it has been a long journey from her roots in Nagpur, Kant is content and raring to go still further. As the phone buzzes to announce her next appointment, Kant gathers herself to get back to business as usual. "It's time to work now," she smiles as we take leave of a serene, Zen-like Kant amidst the cheerful chaos of the Titan Design Studio.

Uploaded on March 21, 2007