Nisha JamVwal, a luxury consultant and modern Indian art curator, is also a well-known columnist. Nisha has an architectural background. She is also well-known for her charity efforts in education and indigenous crafts. Let’s jump right into the amazing conversation I had with Nisha.
Sandy: Though most of the folks know about you, but for the readers, it will be good if you could let us all know about your background?
Nisha: I was a literature enthusiast from a young age, eventually topping Delhi University in English Literature. My academic journey was complemented by studies in elocution and drama through Trinity College of London.
What many people don’t know is that I blazed a trail as the first woman to win as a student leader at Delhi University , which perhaps foreshadowed my path as someone who would challenge conventions. Even then, I was drawn to multiple creative expressions – literature, design, public speaking, social causes with LTS and NCC – and refused to be boxed into a single identity. A kind of multifaceted passion has been the defining characteristic of my journey, allowing me to explore myriad professional avenues.
Being a People Person
Sandy: You are known are one of the most renowned socialite of our country, with a huge chunk of philanthropic works behind you. I still remember, during the initial days of the ‘Page 3’ culture, you were (rather still are) known to many. Do you believe, you being a people’s person has helped you in building strong relationships, which have paved the way for you to do such great social and philanthropic works?
Nisha: I believe genuine connection is the foundation of meaningful impact. While I’ve been fortunate to move in various social circles, I’ve always approached relationships with depth warmth and friendship rather than transaction and words like “barter”; “deliverables” etc.
The networks I’ve built across different industries – from design to media to corporate – have amplified my ability to advocate for causes I believe in, whether it’s accessibility, environmental conservation, or preserving indigenous crafts.
What I’ve discovered is that when you don’t approach friendships with agenda but with a desire for camaraderie and bonding , the relationship flowers.
My work with The Harsha Trust in Orissa for displaced tribals, indigenous craftsperson’s, upgrading agriculture and underprivileged children, reforestation initiatives, and advocacy for Smile Train India has been possible because of collaborative efforts with like-minded individuals I’ve connected with through my journey.
Yes, being able to build bridges between different worlds has been instrumental in creating platforms for change, but these relationships have always been rooted in shared values rather than extracting things from friendships . I have these same friends for years on end and value my bonds.
Luxury Brand Consulting
Sandy: You are also a luxury brand consultant. A few snippets on that front.
Nisha: Luxury brand consulting merges my aesthetic sensibilities with strategic business thinking. I’ve had the privilege of working with prestigious brands including Zoya Diamonds by the house of TATA, Moschino, Lladró, Tod’s, Coach, Forbes Magazine, Swarovski, and Diageo’s Baileys Irish Cream, among others.
My approach differs from conventional marketing in that I focus on creating authentic narratives and experiential engagements that resonate with discerning audiences. Luxury isn’t just about premium pricing – it’s about craftsmanship, heritage, and creating moments of exceptional value.
I’ve curated exclusive brand events for Radius Developers, harpers Bazaar Magazine, Phoenix Marketcity, Palladium Mall, and conceptualized immersive experiences for international brands seeking to connect with the Indian luxury market.
Some of my notable collaborations include architecting the brand positioning for Zoya Diamonds when they entered the Indian market, creating distinctive launch events for Moschino that merged Italian design with Indian aesthetics, and developing experiential marketing strategies for Jaguar and Skoda that elevated their premium positioning. My work with Ornella Jewels and Dr. Tvacha demonstrates how luxury transcends categories when the focus is on exceptional craftsmanship and experience.
What particularly energizes me is finding ways to incorporate Indian craftsmanship and cultural heritage into contemporary luxury contexts.
There’s immense potential in positioning burgeoning Indian luxury on the global stage, and I’m passionate about bridging these worlds in innovative ways.
Managing Multiple Professional Roles
Sandy: Nowadays, people are into multiple skills, but if we thread back to the 80s and the 90s, few had such diversified avenues, and you are amongst them. You are an architect, art curator, as well as a columnist. You also acted in a few projects. How do you tend to manage to don multiple hats? Your answer here will actually guide the new generation to segregate their skills in the best way possible.
Nisha: I’ve never viewed my diverse interests as separate compartments but rather as interconnected expressions of creativity. My work in interior architecture informs my understanding of space and aesthetics, which flows into my writing about design trends in my columns, which in turn shapes my perspective when consulting for luxury brands. There’s a beautiful synergy when you allow your various passions to cross-pollinate.
The key is recognizing that versatility can be a strength rather than a distraction when there’s an underlying coherence to my pursuits. For me, my deep appreciation for aesthetics, storytelling, and cultural contexts across all mediums gives context to my work . I’ve maintained this balance through these principles: I approach each role with focus and professional dedication – and different manifestations of my core expertise.
My advice to the new generation would be to identify core values and strengths, then find diverse ways to express them rather than chasing unrelated opportunities. Don’t dilute energy – amplify it by finding the connections between l various interests.
Meeting My Husband
Sandy: I got to hear many sweet things about the way you met your husband, the Rajput Prince, Shri Kanwar Rameshwar Singh Jamwal ji. Would you be willing to share it with us? Also, in what ways has he been instrumental in your career?
Nisha: Our story is so exciting that Lord Jeffrey Archer found it worthy of chronicling in his book “And Thereby Hangs a Tale.” Our paths crossed while our cars stopped at a traffic light at Delhi’s iconic Safdarjung Enclave in circumstances that were both serendipitous and dramatic – a true testament to how life sometimes unfolds like fiction. That chance meeting led to a connection that would change both our lives.
What made our connection special was the immediate recognition of companionship, conversation, laughter, adventure, exploration and friendship. Friendship and laughter forms the bedrock or our relationship to this day.
Meeting someone from such a distinguished heritage – the son of one of India’s greatest Generals – he has shared my worldview about life as a magical adventure, a smorgasbord of great work, exploration and travel, voracious reading , movies, adventure imbued with Humor is special, rare and magical.
His influence on my career, my life, my success is invaluable and monumental. He is a pillar of strength, always giving me great insights and unwavering support for my diverse pursuits always guiding and being the wind beneath my wings. He understands my need to learn, grow, work, achieve and even eggs me on when I’m feeling spent – which is no small thing considering the monumental work he is doing himself and the great commitments he has to his own profession . It would be an understatement to say that he is a brilliant great and exceptional individual and I’m absolutely fortunate to know him. Our partnership is built on great respect and fabulous understanding – that we each have unique contributions to make to the world – something I consider essential in any relationship, especially for women pursuing multifaceted careers.
Changes in Publishing and Reading
Sandy: You have curated compelling stories as an author for top notch publications like Femina, Hindustan Times, etc. With the changing times, folks are getting engrossed in watching rather than reading. Do you think this shift has somewhere affected the trend of magazine or book reading? How has it impacted the authors?
Nisha: The transition from textual to visual consumption is undeniable, but I view it as an evolution rather than decline. Having contributed to diverse publications from Asian Age to Grazia, Femina to Hindustan Times Brunch- to being a key contributer to news debates and documentaries for BBC and Netflix – I’ve witnessed this transformation firsthand.
While traditional long-form reading has certainly faced challenges, I believe quality content always finds its audience – the medium simply adapts.
Today’s writers must embrace multimedia storytelling. My own journey from print columns to television appearances on BBC’s “Streets of Gold” and Netflix’s “Bad Boy Billionaires” reflects this adaptation. For authors, this shift demands versatility – the ability to distill complex ideas into both rich textual narratives and compelling visual formats.
What hasn’t changed is the human appetite for meaningful stories and perspectives. The challenge for contemporary writers isn’t competing with visual media but understanding how to create complementary experiences across platforms. My columns especially my column ‘Nisha’s Mumbai’ often spark conversations that continue through my social media presence and television appearances – creating an ecosystem of engagement rather than isolated pieces of content.
The future belongs to authors who understand that words can transcend the page while maintaining their distinctive power to illuminate, persuade and inspire.
Challenges in Social Causes
Sandy: You are known for your work on social causes. How easy or how difficult has it been for you to continue doing such work right from your early days till today?
Nisha: My journey as an advocate for social causes hasn’t been without challenges, but it’s been profoundly rewarding. From my early days advocating for equal rights and accessibility to my ongoing work with Harsha Trust in Orissa each initiative has presented unique obstacles.
The greatest challenge has been creating sustainable change rather than temporary interventions. Whether working on environmental conservation, promoting adoption, or preserving indigenous crafts, meaningful impact requires persistence, systems thinking, and community engagement. Early in my journey, I learned that social advocacy isn’t about imposing solutions but empowering communities to co-create them.
My platform as a columnist, television personality, and public figure has allowed me to bring greater visibility to issues like environmental preservation and women’s empowerment. However, with this visibility comes the responsibility to ensure authentic representation and avoid oversimplification of complex social challenges.
Despite the challenges, this work remains the most fulfilling aspect of my diverse career, embodying my belief that our ultimate purpose is to leave the world better than we found it.
Quick Shot Round:
– Your biggest regret: Not starting my environmental conservation work earlier – time is precious when it comes to our planet.
– Given a chance to barter your life for a day, with whom would it be? Carl Sagan
– Most used app on your phone: Instagram – it’s become an extension of my voice for social causes and creative expression & the word game ‘Word collect’.
– Coffee or Tea? Tea – especially Assam with its complex notes that tell stories of our heritage.
– If a movie were to be made on your life, what would it be titled and whom would you want to play your part: “chiaroscuro ” – capturing the bright and dark moments in my journey. As for who would play me, I’d say Sushmita or Priyanka capture my feisty joie de vivre .
– Favourite holiday destinations: Cape Town, Tuscany, Rome, Greece, Switzerland- Places with rich cultural heritage and natural beauty – where I can simultaneously learn and unwind.
– When idle, what does Nisha JamVwal indulge in? I’m rarely truly idle! But in quiet moments, poetry writing and movies, books, walks in gardens, swimming, walking .
– If there is something that you’d like to change in yourself, what would it be? I’d like to create more space for stillness amidst the beautiful chaos of my various pursuits – something I’m consciously working toward.
Advice for the Current Generation
Sandy: A piece of advice you’d like to give to the current generation of artists, pertaining to the art, media, and culture.
Nisha: To the rising generation of creative voices, I would say: cultivate authentic expression while respecting the foundations laid before you. In a world of trending aesthetics and viral moments, develop the courage to create work with enduring value. Don’t just chase visibility – pursue significance.
Throughout my career across design, writing, and television, I’ve found that true innovation emerges not from rejecting tradition but from engaging deeply with cultural heritage while reimagining its relevance. This is particularly important in India, where our rich artistic traditions risk being forgotten in the rush toward globalization.
Technology offers unprecedented creative tools and distribution channels, but genuine artistic growth still requires periods of disconnect, deep observation, and painstaking craft development.
Single-minded effort is not distracted by stray opinions & stray advice – one goes concertedly with one’s vision and dream and makes it a reality!
Future Plans
Sandy: What’s in the pipeline for you in the coming months? What is it that our very own Nisha JamVwal is going to bring us with regards to publications, social work, entertainment, etc.?
Nisha: I’m currently completing two book projects very close to my heart – one is a collection of poetry that distills my life philosophy and observations, and the other my life story.
On the social advocacy front, I’m expanding my work on accessibility initiatives, focusing particularly on making public spaces more inclusive. This builds on my long-standing commitment to equal rights and creating a more accessible India.
I continue to leverage my platform as a columnist and media personality to amplify environmental conservation efforts, with a specific focus on ocean preservation and reforestation – causes that have become increasingly urgent.
In the luxury consulting space, I’m excited about several collaborations that bring together international luxury standards with uniquely Indian craftsmanship and heritage – creating bridges between these worlds remains a passion.
About TheHyderabadLocal
Sandy: A few words about us – TheHyderabadLocal.
Nisha: TheHyderabadLocal represents precisely the kind of thoughtful, community-centered media that our cultural landscape needs. Your commitment to highlighting diverse voices and stories that might otherwise go untold creates invaluable documentation of our evolving cultural fabric. What particularly impresses me is your ability to balance local specificity with universal themes – celebrating the rich heritage of Hyderabad while connecting it to broader conversations.
Publications like yours serve as essential bridges between traditional and contemporary expressions of culture, and between established figures and emerging talents. In an era of increasingly homogenized media, your distinct editorial voice and genuine engagement with the community you serve stands out as both refreshing and necessary.
Editor’s note: It was a joy interacting with Nisha JamVwal and to feature her interview. I hope to collaborate with Nisha again in the near future. I wish Nisha continued success in her noble activities for society.
Follow Nisha @nishajamvwal
Follow Sandy @blabwithsandy
Interview by Sandy (Sandeep Rao)