There was a definite gap in the market for articulation and visibility of small, owner-run hotels and lodges, thoughtfully designed, efficient in service and operations, right there RARE India’s blueprint was laid in the first few years by the strong community of hoteliers who came on board. With no background in management or business, Shoba stuck to what she knew and learnt what she did not, at every instance. Meeting people from diverse backgrounds and all her travels, places she lived in as the daughter of a Railway officer, cultures that brushed against her, landscapes and stories embedded in her like seeds thrown around randomly into her subconscious. She finally understood that business was ‘about people’.
RARE India, today, is well past its tumultuous teens. It completes its second identity stimulation or branding, simplifying its value proposition and envisioning the big picture through the pandemic, learning valuable lessons of survival, growth and continuity. RARE 2.0’s vision for the future, unveiled recently, is contained in the delicate veins of the stylised leaf of the Gingko biloba - to put the planet and people first. In the process of creating a tribe of followers and change-makers, gathering a team of talent, nudging them along through the rough waters of the pandemic, addressing issues of finances and health while fighting inner battles. It took grit, faith and focus to move into 2021 with hope and gratitude. And none of this is possible without the community, friends, family and the tribe that Shoba and co-created as they sailed, hiked, flew and chugged along. Brahmins can do business!
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