Conglomerate-owned

What Fastrack actually costs in India, why its MRP is close to fiction, who owns it and where the brand is genuinely worth buying. An honest brand audit.

Xylys sells genuinely Swiss-made watches for less than Tissot, under a name nobody recognises. What it costs in India, who owns it, and whether that trade is worth making.

Titan Eye+ has 838 stores to Lenskart’s 2,137, and margins going the wrong way. What that means for what you pay, and when it is still the better place to buy glasses.

Red Chief belongs to the Kanpur family behind Ghadi detergent, and it is not Red Tape. What its leather shoes really sell for, and why the company is shrinking.

Skechers is India’s fourth-largest sportswear brand and now privately owned. The 40 million dollar toning settlement, and why nobody pays its MRP.

Converse revenue has halved in three years and its operating profit is down 97%. What a Chuck Taylor really costs in India, why it is cheaper here than in America, and why a Bata Power canvas shoe is not a fake.

Vans revenue has fallen from $4.16 billion to $2.15 billion in four years against a $5 billion target. Who actually holds the India licence, why there is no official Vans India site, and what an Old Skool really costs here.

adidas paid €3.1 billion for Reebok and sold it for less. Who actually runs Reebok in India now, why the shoes are made here rather than imported, and why the 38.5% import duty is not in the price.

Tanishq built its name on letting you verify gold purity. It still will not tell you its making charge. What that costs you, and when the premium is worth paying.