Jungle Ventures founding partner Anurag Srivastava on conscious leadership and lasting impact

When Anurag Srivastava walks into the studio for the photo shoot for this story, his presence is instantly felt. Tall and self‐assured, he does not command attention so much as centre it. The room seems to steady around his stillness.

He listens more than he speaks, placing trust in the Tatler team’s expertise and following every cue with patient attentiveness. This willingness to step back and let things unfold naturally is a hallmark of how he operates, both in moments like these and throughout his career.

Anurag has spent his life establishing not just companies or funds, but also structures that hold ideas, people and purpose together. His measured confidence is that of a man whose success was forged patiently through experience and discipline. “For me, discipline comes from doing the simple things well, staying close to people who challenge your thinking, and having the patience to let conviction mature,” he shares.

This ethos has shaped everything he has nurtured and helped grow. As founding partner of Jungle Ventures—today one of Singapore’s largest independent venture capital firms for Southeast Asia and India—Anurag has become one of the region’s most influential builders of builders. His ventures span sectors and scales; just to name a few: Sconce Solutions, a product lifecycle management company; workplace design company Space Matrix; and the animation studio One Animation, whose productions stream globally on Netflix and Cartoon Network.

When asked what unites these diverse companies, Anurag does not mention metrics or market size. “The biggest connector,” he says, “is the relationships I build with the people I work with.”

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With the unveiling of the first Hermès’s first perfume and beauty boutique in Southeast Asia, the French maison brings its world of colour, craftsmanship and fragrance to Raffles City.

Tucked within the city’s civic and business district, the boutique is a study in contemporary refinement—luminous, tactile, and imbued with a calm, almost domestic warmth. Inside, the spirit of Hermès unfolds through a dialogue between artistry and sensorial pleasure: the touch of fine materials, the scent of an Hermessence creation, the play of light on a Rouge Hermès lipstick case.

The new store feels like an intimate atelier—a space where beauty rituals are elevated into acts of expression.

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The warmth of the fire embraces us as we enter Leroi Tonnelière, the esteemed cooperage in the heart of Cognac, France, where Maison Martell sources its oak barrels. Head of heritage Valérie Picauron explains that these barrels are essential to crafting cognac, and that “only fine-grain wood from 180- to 200-year-old oak trees is used in making Martell’s barrels”—a meticulous selection that ensures the spirit’s exceptional quality throughout its lengthy maturation.

Inside the workshop, more than 20 artisans—young and old—craft each barrel to the maison’s precise specifications. French oak, washed by rain and dried by the sun for two years, is cut into staves and carefully bent into shape. Once assembled, the coopers delicately “toast” the interior of each barrel over an open flame for 20 to 25 minutes, allowing the wood to imbue the spirit with notes of toffee, caramel and cacao during the ageing process.

This painstaking attention to detail—from wood selection to toasting—ultimately shapes the cognac’s complex flavour profile. It’s a nuance keenly understood and appreciated by Michael Wilson, chef-patron of contemporary restaurant Marguerite; Nicolas Tam, founder and executive chef of modern Asian restaurant Willow; and Jia-Jun Law, chef-owner of modern Singaporean restaurant Province. Both Wilson and Tam helm one-Michelin-starred establishments, while Law is fast emerging as a leading voice in Singaporean cuisine and is the recipient of the Tatler Best Singapore’s Rising Star 2025 award.

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Singapore may be a small city-state, but when it comes to the repertoire of ghost stories and spooky tales, Singapore is larger than life. No thanks to land scarcity, practically every inch of the land was once part of a cemetery. Add to that tales of torture and cruel experimentation from occupying forces during World War Two and you have a veritable vending machine of the macabre everywhere you turn. And if you grew up in Singapore, chances are you’ve heard of how the girls’ bathroom on the third floor of your school is haunted—why is it always the third floor, anyway?

From old ghost story favourites to little-known abandoned shrines, these spooky spots in Singapore will have you looking over your shoulder this Halloween. If you’re in the mood for a little thrill-seeking, read on. 

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The royal blue trophies of the Tatler Homes Design Awards 2025 came with a playful warning on gala night: handle with care, they’re heavy. Each trophy stands 30 centimetres tall and weighs a substantial 6.3 kilograms, a weighty representation of the accolade it holds.

Officially known in the portfolio of French crystal maison Daum as the large Zigzag vase in blue, the piece has an unmistakable presence in a collection comprising three sizes in cobalt blue, lime green and anthracite grey, each in a limited edition of 300.

Architect René Tan, winner of Best Architectural Concept 2025, likened its shape to a Corinthian column and admired its sculptural strength. In the world of crystal, geometric and architectural forms are among the most complex to achieve.

Closing the month of October, in which Tatler Homes focuses on craftsmanship and collaboration, we spoke to Paris-born and -raised designer Victoria Wilmotte, the woman behind the creation, to learn more about the story behind this design.

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