Porsche Design enters Indian market with celebration of the 100th store
First Porsche Design Store in New Delhi

New Delhi, February 06, 2010: The Porsche Design Group (Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG), Stuttgart, opened its first Porsche Design store in India. The new 44 square meter store symbolises the company’s expansion strategy as it is the 100th Porsche Design store in the world. It is located in the Emporio Mall, India’s most luxurious shopping location. The franchise partner is the Bird Group.

“In the recent past, Bird Group has taken bold steps in increasing its value offering and broadening business horizons with new ventures”, says Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director of Bird Group. “Our association with Porsche Design, a leading luxury brand in men’s accessories, is a step towards bringing high end luxury products to India. With the set up of the 100th Porsche Design Store in New Delhi, we are pleased to announce the commencement of our luxury retail operations in India.”

“The opening of our 100th store is a highlight in the history of Porsche Design. And we are delighted that the celebration coincides with the launch of our luxury brand in India”, says Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of Porsche Design Group. “We are looking forward to build up Porsche Design in this exciting market and strongly believe that our product range will complement the offer of the men luxury products. Therefore we are very optimistic about India and pleased to share the uncompromising Porsche Design essence with the Indian customers: passion, performance, purism and precision. Those characteristics are on demand all around the world. And in our products they are combined in a very unique way.”

The new store in New Delhi offers the complete range of Porsche Design products, from luggage and eyewear to fashion, watches, jewellery, smoking accessories and writing tools. Highlights are the award-winning mobile phones, the brand new men’s shoe collection and the renowned sunglasses. Not only do the products captivate with their classic design but with top quality materials and innovative functionality.

Dr. Juergen Gessler: “As a luxury brand with particular focus on technically inspired products, our items are designed to be a lifetime companion and to encompass our customers in their career, in their spare time at home and away as well as in the office or during sport. Our products are purist, functional and timeless. Trends come and go - Porsche Design lasts.”

One of the most impressive examples are the P’8478 sunglasses: In 1978, Porsche Design presented the so-called Exclusive Sunglasses, which became one of the most successful sunglasses in the world. With the interchangeable lenses they are distinctive and synonymous with the Porsche Design style. Another legendary vintage classic is the P’8479 in a sporty 80ies look. The shield sunglasses that Yoko Ono wore in 1979 have been reproduced in a true to the original shape.

The shop design supports the premium products by Porsche Design in their functional essence and communicates the idea and philosophy of the brand. There are contrasts through the combination of natural materials like smoked oak and innovative high-tech materials. Plasma monitors screen short films showcasing Porsche Design products and craftsmanship, helping to bring the brand to life.

About Bird Group
The Bird Group was founded in 1971 with the incorporation of Bird Travels. Today, with over 40 years of experience and more than 40 offices supported by over 5500 well trained staff and an impressive clientele of over 500 top corporates, Bird Group can claim to be one of the largest and most diversified entities within the industry in the Indian subcontinent. With businesses as diverse as pioneering back-office processing to being the representative for many of the world’s leading airlines; from managing the backbone of the technological framework for airline IT and distribution to managing crucial relationships of international service providers, Bird Group has ensured that a comprehensive portfolio of service offering has been created to add value to an extensive client base and add new potential customers. And in recent months, Bird Group has taken bold steps to increasing the value offering while broadening business horizons with new ventures. Today Bird Group’s core business includes Travel Technology, Comprehensive Airline Representation & Management, Hospitality, Passenger Aviation Services & Ground Handling, Cargo Management, Education & Training, Business Consultancy & Luxury Retail. Together, the various companies within these verticals generate direct revenue in excess of USD 100 Million.

For more information, visit the Bird Group website www.bird.in

About Porsche Design
Porsche Design is a luxury brand with particular focus on technically inspired products. The brand was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and since then its products have stood for functional, timeless and purist design. The product portfolio includes classic men’s accessories, a sport and fashion collection as well as electronic products and a men’s fragrance range. The products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See (Austria) and sold worldwide in own stores, shop-in-shops, high quality department stores and exclusive retail outlets.

For more information, visit the website www.porsche-design.com