Balke & Partners is one of the world's leading Mining & Value add Consulting firms with a network of professionals spanning 6 continents committed to our clients, our excellence in delivering and our innovative offerings. While the firm is over 30 years old & commenced advisory services in the natural stone business today our offerings cover the entire gamut of the Mining, Minerals & Metals industry:(i) Business planning & Organizational development(ii) Operational Management of Mines(iii) Mine Valuation & Business Feasibility(iv) Investment Facilitation (v) Mine Acquisition(vi) Geological Assessment & Reporting(vii) Product R&D and Innovation(viii) Global Sales & Distribution(ix) Branding & Marketing (x) Mineral, Metal & Stone Procurement & TradingFor further information you can write to me at josephsam@balkepartners.com

"CRAFTING PRODUCTS for the 21st CENTURY" I've returned to STUDIO WRAP Art & Design after a decade as it's Chief Executive Officer. I've had the pleasure of working with it's founder & creative wiz Gunjan Gupta and the team to build it up as a World Class Design Studio for Interiors, Product & Furniture in the past. Our current vision is to build it into a world class design group collaborating with like minded experts, firms and creative/ business professionals to resonate, inculcate & proliferate the essence & power of Indian craftmanship in the world's "Creative Economy".Also building IKKIS, India's leading luxury product & lifestyle design brand Classical forms find expression as 21st-century design objects. Embedded in indigenous craft and materiality and offered in two collections – Unlimited and Limited – each evoke a memory or ritual iconic to India. Aesthetics and utility reinterpret classical Indian forms, distinguished by craftsmanship and collaboration. Working with makers of regional craft creates a precious flow of provenance and skill. Explorations unearth an approach that is rooted in a deep respect for material, technique & the process of evolving a sustainable product. IKKIS has customers globally (the United States, Europe, UK, South East Asia and India) and is launching its range in stores in the GCC and Europe.

Exclusive Quarries (EQ) Group is an International Group currently exploring investing in Natural stone and other minor mineral quarries in Asia, Europe & Africa. Our mandate is to work with our investment group & partners in identifying exclusive quarries of granite, marble, quartzite & onyx. We work in the full spectrum of quarrying from prospecting, testing, mining, processing, marketing & sales.Our network of marketing offices span Singapore, Dubai, Udaipur & New Delhi with local liaising offices in the proximity of our quarries. The EQ Group continuously is on the lookout for acquiring, investing and marketing unique natural stones directly from the quarries. Our own & network processing units are used to cater to the domestic markets in and around key whole sale markets.The management of EQ Group has over 3 decades of experience in prospecting, quarrying and natural stone marketing and the entity is composed of different legal entities specialized in quarrying, manufacturing, marketing and trading of marble and granite.

With the vision to be one of Asia's largest mining groups am heading the following for MINECORP:1) Strategy2) Corporate Governance3) Lead and build the leadership team4) Identify business opportunities: Partnerships, JV's and Alliances5) Identify potential buyers and market developmentW: http://minecorpindia.com/about/foundersandpartners/joseph-sam/

Business Model: Advisory Services & BOT of business models to functional teamsSector: Retail, Ecommerce, Realty & Brand entry and launchesKey Responsibilities: Projects in business planning, Evolving brand evolution & launch roadmaps, Facilitating JV’s, Licensing, Master Franchises & Distribution relationships between International brands & Indian entities, International Marketing of indigenous brands and Investment facilitation.Skill Set acquired: a) In-depth understanding of Indian consumer markets, customer profiling & development of strategic roadmaps & business plans followed by brand launches b) Marketing & Positioning of Luxury farm houses c) Projects in licensing, franchising & alliancesGeography: India, Middle East & EuropeW: Vedact.comSince the last one year (April 2014 till date) associated with 6 projects:1) New Business Plan, Launch & Investor engagement for a lingerie ecommerce retail brand 21roses.com.2) New Business Plan, Launch & Investor engagement for a design exchange platform (B2C, B2B, and C2B).3) Business strategy & roadmap for 2online exotic & gourmet food projects one focussing on turkey & duck and the other on tea, coffee, condiments & community foods.4) Acquisition and building alliances as offsite counsel for India’s largest premium ecommerce retailer.5) Brand Valuation & Investor engagement for Ashima Leena Designs P Limited including business planning for a print ecommerce model curated by AL.6) Brand strategy, positioning & roll out for 2 luxury realty development in farms in New Delhi, INDIA (Araham & Nitai).

Business Model: Luxury (b2c & b2b) products and servicesSector: Luxury Spaces Curating, Interiors, Retail & GiftingKey Responsibilities: General Management, Financial Management, Advising the Board, Budgeting & Business planning, Establishing Compliance's & Departmental SOP’s, Establishing a services model, Branding & Marketing, Business Development, Sales & Retail, HR & Training, Engagement of Target Groups for brand awareness & cross branding and Project Curating.Skill Set acquired: a) Establishing a luxury services model b) Client engagement & sales conversion amongst HNI’s c) PR, Marketing & Presentation to luxury clients, stakeholders and partners.Geography: India (NRI’s & Residents)W: Thehomeofthetraveler.com

Business Model: Luxury Design, Art Installation & InteriorsSector: Luxury Spaces, Art Installations & Craft CollaborationsKey Responsibilities: General Management, Advising the Board, Budgeting & Business planning, Establishing the interiors & art installation services, Branding & Marketing, Business Development, Ensuring seamless back end delivery to domestic and international clients, Engagement of Artisans & Crafts persons, and Connecting with HNI’s & Organizations that were profiled as potential clients.Skill Set acquired: a) Excellent understanding of the Luxury customer b) Marketing & Positioning of Luxury services c) Leverage the “made in India” brand into the luxury industry and strategically position the Indian cultural narrative into the global context through partnerships, galleries & collaborative projects.Geography: India, Middle East & EuropeW: Wrap.co.in

Business Model: Luxury Apparel & AccessoriesSector: Retail& DesignKey Responsibilities: General Management, Investor interaction, Budgeting & Business planning, Business diversification into affordable prêt range, Business expansion through establishing new stores, franchisees and concessions, Branding & Marketing, Business Development, Business process re-engineering including establishing the back end operations for the affordable range of clothing & accessories, Establishing new systems in merchandising, range planning & buying, Engagement of a wider profile of buyers from across India, the Middle East, UK & the United States and Target Group engagement events were conceived & executed both in India and Internationally.Skill Set acquired: Organizational Management, Branding & Marketing, Licensing & Franchising, and HNI client engagement.Geography: Pan India, South East Asia, Middle East & LondonW: Rohitbal.com

Business Model: Technology Consulting & B2B Sector: Retail & Soft Goods, BiometricsKey Responsibilities: General Management, Budgeting & Business planning, Establishing Compliances & Departmental SOP’s, Branding & Marketing, Business Development, and Expansion from the conventional business of CAD CAM into (a) Product & Retail Design, (b) Electronic Data Interchange to ensure Brands & Factories work seamlessly with eachother (c) Biometrics.Skill Set acquired: Service & Product SalesGeography: Projects in India, Europe & the US

Business Model: ConsultingSector: Brands, Retail & Soft GoodsKey Responsibilities: Project Planning, Business Planning, Implementation of brand and business road maps, Engagement with client teams for establishing project guidelines, Training resources and Monitoring/Auditing operations post project implementation. Took up the leadership of the KSA Retail Summit garnering speakers from the US, Europe and the Middle East and made it one of the most profitable properties. Worked on various assignments including Wills Lifestyle, SKumars, Arvind Mills, Shoppers Stop, Tommy Hilfiger, AEPC, Ashima, etc.Skill Set acquired: Retail Strategy, Operations & Business Development (including sales of services)Geography: Projects in India, CIS, Japan, South East Asia & the Middle EastW: Technopak.com