EP 145 . 16 Oct 19
Importance of hand made tiles
With Firdaus Variava
In the episode
- Can you start by sharing the brief history of BFT? How did it start and what were the ups and downs during second world war? I was reading about how Pherozeshah Sidhwa and his nephew Rustom Sidhwa was approached by Jamshed Nusserwanji Mehta, to start an enterprise to boost India’s economic freedom at that time?
- It seems Pherozesha was very particular about the quality that he dumped the first batch of white and black tiles worth 50,000 (in 1922) into the ocean because he didn’t like the output. Can you share his vision and how he and his team saw it through. Some other notable names in building the brand?
- Handmade cement tiles are unique and are expected to have slight imperfections which give them their inherent depth and character. Can you set the context by telling us, what is so unique and valuable about handmade tiles generally? I believe it also lends it’s nature to Wabi-Sabi form. Can you tell us more about it?
- How are tiles made at Bharat Flooring? Back when you guys started, you had 10 colours. Today BFT has more than 28 colours. Why and what was the journey like? What is the process of introducing colours? How do you decide which colour will work for your expected TG?
- You have been working with few contemporary artists to bring variety in your catalogue. What is the thought behind that?
- Which characteristic of BFT transpires across which makes it cater to such a wide range of clientele? Age-old buildings like The Bombay Central Station, Reserve Bank of India, Mantralaya, Breach Candy hospital, Santa Cruz Airport, Express Towers, Air India and LIC buildings, as well as the Bombay Gymkhana Club to new age places like Smoke House Deli, Socials and more…?
- What are few design or branding guidelines which you are adhering to, to keep it Indian yet contemporary?
About Firdaus Variava
Firdaus Variava, Vice Chairman of BFT with us on Audiogyan. He has worked in diverse fields such as telecom, trading, and market research before joining Bharat Floorings. Firdaus is responsible for the sales team and all activities related to marketing. Also, he is responsible for the creation of new products to cater to specific market segments and needs and for strategic planning. You can expect him to partly host and partly guest in the upcoming episode of this series.
