Historic brands now preserve their extraordinary legacy through corporate museums using multiple technologies and artistic rendition to portray the past for future generations. DS Group is one such company which is passionate about keeping its history alive for posterity. It began with a humble enterprise in 1929, foraying into traditional Indian household with the ubiquitous salt table top dispenser in 1987 and today has a portfolio of multiple brands patronised across India.

What makes a corporate identity different from the others? It all depends on the history, heritage, a bright idea, its corporate social responsibility and its perception and relevance to the current scenario. Above all, it also depends on how a billion dollar company is preserving its past milestones for the future to learn from. It's a luxury few companies will put in their effort and passion, especially if it involves creating a museum.

The DS Group is one of those companies in India which has invested in a unique corporate museum -The Journey which encapsulates the 87 years of its legacy. It has been a labour of love that has taken the team, more than a decade to research the archives and to travel far and wide to collect the material, and to meet and interview many people who have been associated with the enterprise over the years. Needless to say it involves a passion and dedication spanning decades and that’s a luxury few can afford.

It is quite a unique visual experience if you happen to visit the museum. For those at DS Group, luxury is associated in the taste and flavours of traditional India; a whiff of cardamom, or the pungency of a rich blended spice. These are tastes which most of India has grown up with but they embody the luxury of tradition itself, especially for those who have set up homes abroad. 

The Journey is an artistic representation of the group's identity. The museum is divided in five sections, each unique in its treatments, experiences evoked and the technologies used. It covers the largest art and design palette possible, making it not just a visual delight but a complete immersive sensory experience of this billion dollar plus diversified conglomerate.

The Forest of Fragrances is a metaphorical holding area before the timed shows start. The soul of the Group is flavours and fragrances, which is at the very core of the company's existence. This magical forest focuses on eight main flavours and fragrances. It is created through layered fabric panels that are printed and embroidered with artistic representations of trees, leaves and flowers, with realistic birds and butterflies interspersed in the space along with intricate inlay work on the floors. Yes, you can experience the fragrance too. There is a special lab and office section which virtually takes you to the 70s and 80s era to represent a recreation of its founder Satyapalji, mostly using the actual objects to give the next generation of the family a sense of closeness and belonging.

The museum is all about the inspiring story from where the Group started back in 1929 from a small shop in Chandni Chowk, the dynamic part of the capital's existence. This story comes to life, through grand Chandni Chowk shops and streets where the story unfolds. The brand legacy is depicted through, old advertisements, packaging and articles, 360 degree projections, and interactive brand kiosks. It also celebrates the dynamic spirit and growth of the group, with focus on quality, innovation and enterprise using film technique and 360 degree screen.

An interesting section is dedicated to the changes which their products have gone through, and displayed like jewels in glass boxes. For those harbouring an ambition to set up a company, the museum is a must visit to learn the process of learning and evolving.

This article was written by Bhavna Sood (Sr. VP, DS Group).