While American billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are in India trying to persuade the country's rich to give their money away, another group of businessmen is here to get them to spend it on themselves.

　　正当美国亿万富豪沃伦•巴菲特(Warren Buffett)和比尔•盖茨(Bill Gates)在印度努力劝说印度富翁捐献财富的时候，另一群商务人士也来到印度，但目的却是让这些富豪把钱花在自己身上。

　　A team of Italian entrepreneurs who work in the luxury sector are in Mumbai for a two-day conference to talk luxury and business.

　　Agence France-Presse/Getty Images西方的奢侈品在印度有生存空间吗？上图模特正在展示一件范思哲2011－2012秋冬款衣服。意大利一个企业家代表团目前在孟买参加一个为期两天的讨论奢侈品和奢侈品行业的会议。这些代表在奢侈品行业工作。

　　It's no big surprise that the luxury industry is eyeing markets like India: It's estimated that in less than five years emerging markets will make up 50% of luxury sales globally. The industry realized just how important these markets are during the global economic downturn  " prompting commentators to say it was 'saved by the BRICs," referring to the top emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

　　奢侈品行业对印度等市场的关注不足为奇。据估计，用不了五年，新兴市场占全球奢侈品销售额的比例就将达到50%。奢侈品业在全球经济下滑期间意识到了新兴市场的重要性，评论人士不禁感叹道：金砖四国(BRICs)救活了奢侈品业。金砖四国分别指的是巴西、俄罗斯、印度和中国这四个最大的新兴市场。

　　Or rather, the BRICs minus the "I."

　　更确切地说，应该是除印度以外的金砖四国救活了奢侈品业。

　　For a country that boasts the world's second-fastest growing major economy, India's international luxury goods market is still surprisingly small. Here, it has failed to take off in the same way it has in countries like China " where it has done spectacularly. "

　　对于像印度这样一个经济增速位列全球第二的主要经济体来说，其国际奢侈品市场规模仍然小得令人吃惊。印度的奢侈品市场未能像中国等国家的奢侈品市场一样迅速发展。中国的奢侈品销售取得了骄人战绩。

　　In a speech prepared for the conference on Friday, Santo Versace, co-chief executive of fashion house Gianni Versace SpA and chairman of Italian luxury trade lobby Fondazione Altagamma, likened the Indian luxury market to a "sprinter at the starting line, but with feet bound by heavy chains."

　　时装品牌范思哲(Gianni Versace)的联席首席执行长兼意大利奢侈品行业协会(Fondazione Altagamma)主席桑托•范思哲(Santo Versace)在为周五会议准备好的发言中，把印度奢侈品市场比作起跑线上的短跑选手，但脚上却绑着沉重的镣铐。该协会是意大利奢侈品贸易的游说组织。

　　While China makes up an estimated 10% of the global luxury market, India accounts for less than 1%, or a market worth around $1.3 billion, according to data provided by Altagamma, which brought the delegation of businessmen to Mumbai.

　　意大利奢侈品行业协会提供的数据显示，估计中国的奢侈品销售占全球奢侈品销售总额的10%，而印度占比还不到1%，印度奢侈品市场的市值为13亿美元左右。此次访问孟买的意大利商务代表团就是由该协会组织的。

　　On the supply side, the gap between the two Asian giants is also vast: of the world's leading 500 global luxury brands, only around 30% have an Indian presence, compared to China's 70%, according to Altagamma.

　　印度和中国这两个亚洲大国在奢侈品供应方面的差距也十分巨大。据该协会的统计，全球500个一线奢侈品牌中，只有约30%跻身印度市场，而打入中国市场的则占到70%。

　　The comparison between China and India is startlingâ 'and one which Italy's luxury team wants Indian policymakers to take note of.

　　中国和印度在奢侈品市场方面的情况对比令人吃惊，意大利奢侈品行业协会希望印度决策者能对此引起注意。

　　The issue is not the lack of potential demand, said Altagamma Executive Director Armando Branchini. (Other participants include top representatives from leather goods maker Salvatore Ferragamo SpA, jewelry-maker Pomellato SpA, and interior design firm Alessi Spa. French couturier Emanuel Ungaro is also making a star appearance.)

　　该协会的执行董事布朗齐尼(Armando Branchini)说，印度的问题不在于缺乏潜在需求。(其他与会成员包括皮革制品生产商菲拉格慕(Salvatore Ferragamo)、珠宝制造商波米雷特(Pomellato)和室内设计公司阿莱西(Alessi)等公司掌门人。法国女装设计师伊曼纽尔•温加罗(Emanuel Ungaro)也高调出席了该活动。)

　　Although they are well aware there are people wealthy enough in India to splurge on international high-end products, Altagamma estimates that that the potential luxury goods demand in India could be between 120% to 150% greater than it actually is in practice.

　　虽然他们很清楚，有的印度人非常富有，完全可以大肆购买国际一线品牌的产品，但意大利奢侈品行业协会估计，印度对奢侈品的潜在需求可能是实际需求的1.2至1.5倍。

　　So what is it that's holding the industry back in India? 如此说来，到底是什么抑制了印度奢侈品业的发展呢？

　　A lot of it has to do with the kind of stuff foreign retail firms eyeing Indian consumers regularly complain about: high taxes and caps on foreign direct investment. Luxury retailers too are pressing the Indian government for full ownership of their Indian units (rather than just a 51% stake with a mandatory Indian partner) and lower tariff barriers (import taxes on luxury goods at the federal level hover around 30% to 40%).

　　很多都与那些关注印度消费者的外国零售公司经常抱怨的问题有关，即高额关税和外国直接投资上限。奢侈品零售商也在敦促印度政府，希望能够拥有其印度公司100%所有权，而不是必须与一个印度合作伙伴联手经营，并且只能拿到51%的股权。另外，这些零售商还希望印度政府能降低关税。印度奢侈品的联邦进口税约为30%至40%。

　　These regulatory hurdlesâ 'and the option many jet-setting wealthy Indians have of shopping abroad means luxury brands often struggle to make a profit in India. For many firms, having an Indian presence is largely a branding exercise, explained Mr. Branchini.

　　监管障碍以及很多出手阔绰的印度富豪可以在海外购物，这些都常常使得奢侈品牌为在印度赚钱而叫苦不迭。布朗齐尼解释说，对于很多公司来说，在印度开展业务主要是为品牌宣传造势。

　　The lack of upmarket spaces where brands can set up high-end boutiques is another concern. Neither New Delhi, Mumbai nor Bangalore have an equivalent to New York's Fifth Avenue, London's Bond Street or Paris' Rue Saint-Honoré. Instead, big brands are housed in five-star hotels, international airports or in rare high-end malls. (It would be entirely fair to add that while a Fifth Avenue in New Delhi remains a distant prospect, well-paved roads free of rubble and criss-crossed cables would be a good and welcome startâ 'and not just for the sake of swanky shops.)

　　印度缺少各大品牌可以设立高档时装店的高端购物场所，这是制约印度奢侈品市场发展的另一个问题。无论是新德里、孟买还是班加罗尔，都没有一个相当于纽约第五大道(Fifth Avenue)、伦敦邦德街(Bond Street)或巴黎圣奥诺雷(Rue Saint-Honor)的地方。相反，印度的奢侈品都“藏身”于五星级酒店、国际机场或很少见的高端商场里。(完全可以再加一句，虽然在新德里开设第五大道还是一个遥远的梦想，但没有碎石的柏油路和纵横交错的电缆将是一个很好、可喜的开始，这些基础设施的出现不光是对开设时髦商店有利。)

　　But there is also the possibility Indian consumers may not be that keen on Western-style luxury at least not yet. India, after all, has its own, long history of custom-made high-end goods (Think gem-studded head pieces, embroidered silks and opulent bridal wear).

　　不过，还有一个可能性，就是印度消费者不太喜欢西式的奢侈品，至少现在还不喜欢。别忘了，印度可是拥有定制高端产品的悠久历史(想想那些镶嵌宝石的头饰、刺绣的丝绸和华丽的婚纱吧)。

　　'India, in the luxury goods industry in particular, is not easy to conquer: High-end Indian consumers have centuries of aesthetic tradition at their backs that have shaped their tastes,' Mr. Versace said in his speech.

　　范思哲在发言中说，要想征服印度，特别是印度的奢侈品业，绝非易事，因为印度高端消费者有着数百年的审美传统，这些传统塑造了他们的品味。

　　But with the right kind of marketing, tastes too could change. As Altagamma suggested in a note, expanding the reach of glossy fashion magazines may do the trick.

　　不过，只要营销方式得当，口味也可以改变。正如意大利奢侈品行业协会在报告中所建议的，扩大那些令人目眩的时尚杂志的发行范围或许可以助一臂之力。

　　Bollywood appears to be trying to do its bit as well. In the 2010 movie "Aisha," the main character wears designer togs and spends a lot of screen time shopping in luxury boutiques, which left more of an impression on some viewers than the plot.

　　宝莱坞(Bollywood)似乎也在尝试尽自己的一份力。2010年宝莱坞电影《艾莎》(Aisha)的女主角身穿专门设计的服装，在银幕上花了大量时间在奢侈品专卖店里购物，这些场景给一些观众留下的印象比电影情节本身还要多。