The Bar Collective co-founders, Binoy and Tejal Dharia, explain how they forecast demand for design-specific glassware by leveraging cultural insight, high-intent digital behavior, and global design intelligence, moving far beyond basic sales trends. They rely on the proven legacy of their international partners for stringent quality control and ethical sourcing. While not planning a proprietary line, TBC’s marketing successfully captures the “statement space” buyer by building a rich narrative around craftsmanship and design heritage.
How do you forecast demand for highly seasonal and design-specific glassware in India, beyond general consumption data?
At The Bar Collective, our forecasting goes beyond sales trends and relies on cultural insight, behavioural signals, and global design intelligence.
We analyse:
- High-intent digital behaviour such as wishlist trends, product saves, and engagement on specific styles.
- Seasonal gifting patterns around weddings, festivals, and year-end celebrations strongly shape demand.
- Insights from hospitality experts, stylists, and collectors, who often spot design movements earlier than mainstream consumers.
- Sell-through data from our partners to understand what’s emerging as a future favourite.
- We also work closely with our partners to track sell-through data and identify what’s emerging as a future favourite. And as spirit preferences shift across the country, we ensure we’re curating the right glassware to match those evolving trends.
This holistic approach enables us to accurately map what India’s design-focused consumer will want next.
How do you ensure global brands maintain quality control and ethical sourcing as you scale orders?
Quality control isn’t a concern for us because we work only with global brands that have a proven legacy and a strong reputation in the industry. These are established, high-end manufacturers who already operate with stringent quality and ethical sourcing standards. That’s precisely why we choose to partner with them.
Everything from their raw material sourcing to production, finishing, packaging, and shipping follows processes that are internationally audited and benchmarked. Their consistency is the reason they occupy the positions they do in the global barware and glassware space.
As we scale orders, we continue to rely on their existing systems, while maintaining close communication and regular checks from our end to ensure that every product delivered in India meets the standards The Bar Collective stands for.
What marketing/digital strategy do you use to capture the “statement space” buyer who values design over cost?
We focus on building a rich narrative around barware by integrating storytelling that highlights the craftsmanship, heritage, and design philosophy behind every piece. This helps consumers appreciate not just the product, but the artistry and cultural value it represents.
Our visual identity is intentionally minimal and editorial, designed to resonate with aesthetically driven buyers who value clean, modern design. Each visual touchpoint, from product photography to layout, reinforces a premium, design-first brand experience.
TBC’s content strategy is rooted in trend-focused insights that position us as thought leaders in India’s evolving bar culture. By covering global influences, emerging hosting trends, and modern design movements, we ensure our community stays inspired and informed.
We also collaborate with mixologists, interior stylists, and luxury hosts to demonstrate real-world, elevated use cases. These partnerships help show how premium glassware can transform both the drink and the ambience, giving viewers aspirational ideas for their own homes.
Additionally, we create content centred on aspirational hosting and tablescaping, emphasizing how premium glassware enhances modern home experiences. From festive gatherings to everyday rituals, we showcase how the right design can elevate any moment.
We’ve been actively building out our blog section with informative, value-driven content designed to help readers understand the world of home bartering in a simple, engaging way. From guides on designing a stylish home bar to deep dives into glassware, mixology tools, bar essentials, and modern cocktail trends, our blog aims to educate users, not just on what to buy, but why it matters.
What is the long-term risk of relying on curated international brands? Are you planning a proprietary line?
Relying solely on international brands does come with challenges, such as:
- Currency-linked price fluctuations
- Longer import timelines and restock delays
- Limited control over design exclusivity
- Occasional supply constraints during peak demand
We’re not planning to build our own proprietary line at this stage. The Bar Collective was created to champion age-old craftsmanship from around the world, especially in categories where India is still evolving. Glassware, for example, is a major part of the bar industry, and Europe has been a global leader for generations because of its skilled artisans and deeply rooted heritage, much like India’s own strength in textiles and cotton.
When it comes to barware, especially stainless-steel products, India does have strong manufacturing capability. However, the sector is still largely unorganised and geared more toward working with big international brands and export markets, rather than building design-led products for the Indian consumer.
Our focus is on curating the best from global specialists while giving them a strong presence in India. In the long run, this model allows us to maintain quality, authenticity, and access to craftsmanship that would be difficult to replicate locally today.
