Work by local artisans and craftsmen displayed

Ahmedabad, April 14, 2009: Ethnicity, a store that celebrates everything Indian, a part of the Future Group, today showcased skills of local artisans and craftsmen through live model displays, as a part of 'Aari Ane Karigari' festival running at the store until May 17, 2009. 'Aari ane Karigari' festival is a special thread festival, which celebrates the craft of embroidery and embellishment.

Clothes and accessories featuring embroidery and embellishments by the craftsmen Warli paintings, Madhubani paintings, pottery, paper mache work, etc was also on display, with the craftsmen showcasing their skills. Customers also got a chance to interact with artisans and craftsmen, see their skills, hear their stories and learn about how their craft has been passed from generation to generation.

During this festival, customers will also get an opportunity to embellish garments that they buy, with Rabari embroidery, sequin work, stone work, bead work, zari work, gota work, mirror work, etc.

Spread across 25,000 sq.ft., Ethnicity store located at Gulmohar Park, Satellite road, offers the widest collection of ethnic and fusion wear, jewellery, handicrafts, home décor, beauty products, accessories and gifts. The store has six sections, namely – Rani Market – a collection of sarees, bridal wear, salwar kameez, designer wear, fusion wear, party wear, dupattas, mojris and chappals, embroidered bags, miz n match, dress material and unstitched suits; Raja Market – a collection of sherwanis, churidar sets, pathan sets, jodhpuris, party suits, party shirts, casual kurtas, accessories, mojris and chappals; Chota India – a collection of kids ethnic wear, party wear and accessories; Sona Chandi - a collection of costume jewellery fashion jewellery and semi precious jewellery; Ghar Aangan - a collection of home decor products including bed and linen, gift items, toys, utensil, handicrafts, etc; and Thoda Aur – including books and CDs, stationery, fragrances, aromatherapy, candles, incense, ayurveda and natural products. Ethnicity will feature a number of leading brands such as Ritu Kumar, Span, Blue Mantra, Global Desi, Kurta Company, W – Womens Wear, Manyawar, Manish, Mykraft, touchstone, Hansiba, Industree, Depot, etc.

Said Hemang Savla, Concept Head – Ethnicity, “Ethnicity stands out as a uniquely Indian cultural experience that can be enjoyed by people of every community and age. Aari Ane Karigari festival is our effort to enable our customers, to reconnect with India’s rich cultural heritage, its colours, its arts and craftsmanship, its festivals, its fabrics and handicrafts.”

About Future Group
Future Group, led by its founder and Group CEO, Mr. Kishore Biyani, is one of India’s leading business houses with multiple businesses spanning across the consumption space. While retail forms the core business activity of Future Group, group subsidiaries are present in consumer finance, capital, insurance, leisure and entertainment, brand development, retail real estate development, retail media and logistics.

Led by its flagship enterprise, Pantaloon Retail, the group operates over 12 million square feet of retail space in over 63 cities and towns and 65 rural locations across India. Headquartered in Mumbai (Bombay), Pantaloon Retail employs around 30,000 people and is listed on the Indian stock exchanges. The company follows a multi-format retail strategy that captures almost the entire consumption basket of Indian customers. In the lifestyle segment, the group operates Pantaloons, a fashion retail chain and Central, a chain of seamless malls. In the value segment, its marquee brand, Big Bazaar is a hypermarket format that combines the look, touch and feel of Indian bazaars with the choice and convenience of modern retail. The group’s speciality retail formats include- books and music chain - Depot; sportswear retailer - Planet Sports; electronics retailer - eZone; home improvement chain - HomeTown; and rural retail chain - Aadhar; among others. It also operates the popular shopping portal, www.futurebazaar.com.

Future Capital Holdings, the group’s financial arm provides investment advisory to assets worth over $1 billion that are being invested in consumer brands and companies, real estate, hotels and logistics. It also operates a consumer finance arm with branches in 150 locations. Other group companies include, Future Generali, the group’s insurance venture in partnership with Italy’s Generali Group, Future Brands, a brand development and IPR company, Future Logistics, providing logistics and distribution solutions to group companies and business partners and Future Media, a retail media initiative. The group’s presence in Leisure & Entertainment segment is led through, Mumbai-based listed company Galaxy Entertainment Limited. Galaxy includes leading leisure chains, Sports Bar and Bowling Co. and family entertainment centres, F123. Through its partner company, Blue Foods, the group operates around 100 restaurants and food courts through brands like Bombay Blue, Spaghetti Kitchen, Noodle Bar, The Spoon, Copper Chimney and Gelato. Future Group’s joint venture partners include -US-based stationery products retailers - Staples; French lingerie retailer - Etam; Middle East-based Axiom Communications and India-based Blue Foods, Liberty Shoes, Talwalkars’ and Asian Electronics.

Future Group believes in developing strong insights on Indian consumers and building businesses based on Indian ideas, as espoused in the group’s core value of ‘Indianness.’ The group’s corporate credo is, ‘Rewrite rules, Retain values.’

For further information please contact
Mr. Atul Takle
Head - Corporate Communications
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited
Email: mediarelations@futuregroup.in
Website: www.pantaloonretail.in