In Aurangabad, 150 Mercs were sold in one month. The exposure about this large volume car transaction has enhanced real estate values in Aurangabad. It has also created significantly high interest from investors, many of whom are now actively contemplating entry into this city.

Posh carmaker Bentley has launched two Bentley models this year-the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Continental Supersports. The response has been overwhelming and there has been more demand than the number of units designated to India.

BMW is on a fast track as well. India is a building block in our global market offensive.

If carmakers like BMW, Audi, Volvo and Jaguar have exceeded expectations, Indians are taking to private jets for both holidays and business fervently. Religare Voyages, an integrated air charter and travel company, has a fleet of private jets, turbo props and helicopters.

A customised package can include a flight to a remote private island for a day, complete with a hospitality partner.

Post depression, fashion trends are out of the blues and colours are the new black.  Summer was a burst of colours, floral, flirty feminine dresses.

Short is in and hemlines are going up. Formals consisted of long dresses and smart jackets like the Bar Jacket from Dior which goes from day to night. This season will also see Prada “Made in India” offering exclusive handcrafted chikan garments and multi-coloured ballerina flats, sandals and handbags made by traditional weavers.

Mont Blanc offers the Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 241, 18-carat gold pen that celebrates the Dandi March and sells for around Rs 10 lakh.

German airline Lufthansa’s Flavours of India contest invites innovative and exotic Indian recipes from foreigners; the grand prize is two round-trip tickets to India along with a three-day, two-night stay at any of the Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

The fabric of the year is leather and the garment of the moment is the leather T-shirt-Phoebe Philo’s tees, Phillip Lim’s butterscotch cropped super-fine leather tees and black leather button shirt.

Louis Vuitton, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, all offer below the knee, leather skirts inspired by the decade. Gucci hit back with asymmetrical nappa leather skirts, while Fendi’s pencil suede skirts are curves-friendly. Valentino’s short, red-ruffled leather versions are an instant hit.

For winter, the plain black leather jacket has been hijacked by bolder and brighter-coloured ones. Burberry sent down neon green biker jackets, while Balenciaga had it in bright red. y.

Wrist wear style is a melange of the classical, exotic and chic. Vacheron Constantin’s La Symbolique des Laques collection is inspired by the ancient Japanese technique maki-e which literally means sprinkled picture.

Oenophiles and malt drinkers can look forward to spirited times. The wine with a papal history, the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc favoured by John XXII (1321), is made from 80 per cent Roussanne and 20 per cent Grenache Blanc grapes plucked from 10-14 years old vines to give the wine smooth hints of acacia and honey.

Eco-friendly luxury and highly individualistic styles in furniture continue to rule with some adaptations. Antique accessories retain their cachet and antique lighting is a trend to watch for.

Home decor becomes eclectic incorporating multi-cultural styles, while the overall theme will be modular-clean lines and basic geometrics which accompany comfort, luxury and style. With art being part of wall decor, new investment trend- photography- is the new Raza.

In Chennai, the Eden Park project occupying around 100 acres on the old Mahabalipuram Road have announced a new concept-villa apartments, which combine the luxury and privacy of an independent villa with the convenience, maintenance and security of an apartment. Lavasa India’s first hill city built after 1947 is spread over 25,000 acres and resembles a ClubMed resort. For the cool stuff, the heat is on.