The Man of Pondicherry’ has a superhero ring to it, but that is how locals have playfully tagged Dilip Kapur, who may or may not be aware of this title. There is a certain rooted self-assurance that gives out the vibe that Kapur is very comfortable in his zone. Symbols representing his local empire (stores, properties, brand advertisements) dot the former French colony. Evidently, his achievements are many. Razor sharp business acumen is balanced by a lighthearted, infectious calm typical of Auroville residents. Travel is frequent, but home is not a suitcase. “I have grown up here, spent my life here. This place is very personal to me.”

Kapur is keen to take me through a typical day, to offer a slice of his Pondicherry life. Our early morning meeting is scheduled at his boutique hotel, Le Dupleix, in the French part of the sea-side town. (Pondicherry has French and Tamil sides, divided by a canal. There were very strict demarcations earlier.) The Man arrives energetic and smiling after a session of yoga, with a bag of freshly baked croissants, “from the best bakery in this town”. We take a tour of his pet property (he has another hotel called The Promenade, on the waterfront). It is not a swanky 5-star, but a more intimately luxurious space that exudes quaint charm. The halls, corridors and rooms each have a different story to tell through furniture pieces, accessories, colours and architectural elements. There is an actual gold leaf mirror frame, walls plastered with yoghurt and sea-shells (“see that subtle lustre”), dark wood beams and pillars lifted from ancient dilapidated buildings, stained glass lending a Southern European charm, and most interestingly – lofts. Pieces have been lovingly accumulated – purchased, sourced and even shifted from Kapur’s own home. Framed embroideries adorn walls, “loaned” by Kapur’s esteemed friend and world renowned textile creator, Jean François Lesage. “The whole place used to be one big mansion, belonging to a local family,” he points at the adjoining house beyond the boundary wall. “It got divided between the brothers; one of them did not want to sell.” Someday, probably, Le Dupleix will expand.

We head to the factory for Kapur’s leather label, Hidesign, about 30 minutes outside Pondicherry. It is a large building nestled among trees and surrounded by open spaces – Kapur’s vision of industry and nature in coexistence. The conference hall showcases the entire product range for the current season – handbags, luggage, jackets and other accessories – crafted in leather and suede, in an array of textures and colours. Hidesign takes an eco undertone (through taglines and product descriptions), and I quiz Kapur about this. “We don’t use hides of animals which are slaughtered only for their skins,” he says. “The curing, staining and ageing techniques use natural materials and hand treatments, in-house, though we do use some chemical dyes for our brighter colours. Pieces are hand-cut and finished, which controls machinery usage and power consumption. We minimise wastage by utilising scraps for smaller parts, and the rest are given to small scale industries who work on products like patchwork bags, making use of the tiny bits.” How does he procure his raw material? “We don’t slaughter ourselves. We buy skins from trusted vendors – from Africa, Europe or South America. But some of our best hides come from the cows in South India or Bengal. The grass over there is supple; therefore the skins are too.”

He brings to me a large piece of leather, which appears rather weathered. “Does this look battered and useless to you?” he asks me. I uneasily nod. “You can see the grain, feel the texture, or check the malleability. But the ultimate test of quality is in the sound.” He holds the skin close to my ear and rubs it against itself, producing squeaks, like drawing a finger on a smooth, clean glass table. “That’s music to my ears – the sound of a good piece,” he enlightens me. “That is the best quality hide that I have.” Lesson – do not judge a book by its leather-bound cover.

Lunch is under an old giant banyan tree, with the youngsters that make up Kapur’s design team. He has brought for us a “simple menu” comprising about 20 items – all home cooked. Informal banter sets a very relaxed ambience. “Why wasn’t I invited to your party last night?” Kapur teases a young employee. “Is it because I am too old?” This picnic is an everyday affair for the office.

A tour of the production floor brings to my notice that it is an almost all-female workforce, clad in pleated blue saris, with fragrant gajras in their hair. Why this ‘ladies only’ policy? “Their hands,” Kapur says. “They can do delicate work. Women have better discipline. They are clean, polite and diligent. I respect that.” Most of them are trained at the factory itself – on a grade based system – before being recruited. “If someone isn’t performing well, we send them for re-training; then they rejoin.” Between cutting, sewing and finishing, there are rigorous stage-by-stage quality check processes. Wrong grain, a scar mark or a tiny puncture are all flaws, and pieces having these are discarded. It is this ‘stickler for quality’ ethos that has earned them a manufacturing partnership with the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton – the only Indian brand so far. How does Hidesign benefit from this collaboration? “We only get better, with stricter parameters, and learn about the latest technology.”

Hidesign has also launched Holii, an independent brand of handbags as a joint venture with the Future Group. Holii’s “very evidently Indian” aesthetic differs from Hidesign’s ‘classic’ ethos. There is another collaboration with master couturier Rohit Bal for a premium collection, which is still in the design and production process, and Kapur hopes to release the range within a short span of time. Then there are the family undertakings. Wife Jaqueline owns Pondicherry’s largest multi-brand store Casablanca, and they are building a larger cousin named Galleria close by. His son is now involved with the Louis Vuitton aspect of his company. And then there is teenage daughter (of Black fame) Ayesha’s eponymous accessories brand with nationwide distribution. Busy, indeed.

The Man’s plate is full, or is there room for more? Kapur walks me through the lush, grassy expanses of his factory’s premises, past groves of bamboo and other trees, and we step over a winding stream that is actually a water recycling system, with mini rock waterfalls. I hear birds and insects and imagine lurking snakes, before arriving at a secluded, pretty cottage. He lets the silence have its desired effect. “This is my sanctuary, where I relax in solitude and recharge. As long as I’m refreshed, I’m always ready to go.”

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