After launching specialist units such as Water (brand strategy and design consultancy), Terra (integrated rural solutions) and Celsius (event solutions), Mudra has formed a joint venture for yet another specialist unit which deals in the retail space.
Mudra Group and UK’s Portland Design have come together to form a joint venture that targets the retail, leisure and travel sectors in India. The joint venture, called Portland Mudra, will start its operations from July 2009 from Mudra’s office in Mumbai. Mudra Max already has three offerings in the retail space, which includes Prime Consult (outdoor environment consulting), Prime Retail (retail and visual strategy) and Prime Wayfinding (navigation solutions).
A new team of designers will be set up to deliver work in India for Portland Mudra. A programme of design exchanges between India and UK will be initiated as well. In an official press statement, Lewis Allen, director, Portland, says, “With our design team, we will be able to offer vertically integrated brand design, seamlessly delivered across all consumer touch points – from retail and environmental design to print, digital and beyond.”
Pratap Bose, COO, Mudra Group, said that a team of specialists will be staying in Mumbai for a period of six to nine months to train the team in Mumbai. “This will be done to ensure that the DNA of Portland remains intact as they have expertise in this sector,” he says.