A FICCI concierge service for women

A society can be measured by the manner in which it treats its women. And an economy can be gauged by the ease with which business is conducted. The second measurement actually goes beyond the narrow confines of what really is the business of doing business. Ease of conducting business should be measured by how a society facilitates its high net-worth women (HNWW), whether businesswomen themselves; partners, even widows of businessmen; or mothers and daughters of women and men in business. For this purpose, there should be a single window for assistance encompassing multiple requirements. Enter, the concierge service.

Hotels, airlines, financial institutions, not to mention the luxury, fashion and art industries, have been offering bespoke services to their most-valued customers for ages. The hospitality and airlines industries are increasingly finding a niche in providing services to women of wealth. In 2021, the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), part of the Tata Group, launched the all-women-managed luxury residences, Taj Wellington Mews, in Chennai to provide extra ease and reassurance for women guests. The Tata-operated Vistara airline, too, offers its ‘WomanFlyer‘ concierge service that, among other exclusive facilities, provides complimentary service for female customers travelling alone or with children.

As a trade association and advocacy group, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) provides much value to its select members. It would serve the brand greatly if Ficci Ladies Organisation (FLO), its women’s wing, introduces a concierge service. This would be a one-stop solution and EoDB window for HNWW, a true marker of a mature economy’s societal value.