Raksha Bandhan 2023: 25 modern gift ideas for your brother

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, a hybrid camera from Fujifilm, offers all the analog charm of instant prints, but with digital control thanks to a small LCD screen.

Rakhi is on August 30 this year. If you haven't already picked out a gift, scroll down for a list of fun and useful presents. Some of these will last quite a while, so perhaps they will remind your sibling of you every time they see or use the gift.

Gadgets

Does your sibling love taking photos, framing them and putting them up on his walls? Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, a hybrid camera from Fujifilm, offers all the analog charm of instant prints, but with digital control thanks to a small LCD screen. A smart phone app will allow him the freedom to fiddle with additional features such as remote shooting.

Among the best camera phones in the market today is Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a gorgeous 6.8-inch AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh. Expect a brighter screen, longer battery life and superior camera performance. Its best feature is the 8K@30fps video recording capability, as opposed to just 8K@24fps offered by its predecessor. Of course, there is always the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, with 6.1-inch screen size and Super Retina XDR display, which adds to the high quality of video content.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Tech is cool but all these devices result in you drowning in cords. A good gift is a wireless charging pad and pods from brands such as The Daily Cool, Digitek and StuffCool, for the comfort of charging all your gadgets without the hassle of dealing with wires.

Wireless charging pad

AirPods Pro 2 offers 2x the noise cancelling performance and is perfect for city usage where noise levels are above acceptable limits. The user can connect them to the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create a personalised spatial audio sound.

AirPods Pro 2

Gaming

The protective OtterBox shell is a multi-gadget accessory and can be synced with a PC, console or mobile, for gamers who rely on the original Xbox wireless controller. It improves the gamepad's handling via two sets of bundled swappable grips and protects the controller during tumbles.

OtterBox shell

JBL Quantum TWS true wireless earbuds, also known as the ‘gaming buds’, have a USB-C dongle that delivers a rock-solid connection to a laptop and a gaming console; its Bluetooth connectivity makes the buds easy to pair with a phone. Dual connectivity for a simultaneous link to a phone and a gaming rig is also available.

JBL Quantum TWS

For sisters’ who want to splurge, the ROG Strix G16 from ASUS is a formidable gaming laptop that packs Intel’s latest Core i7 processor, an updated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics chip, 16GB of RAM that’s easily upgradeable, and an SSD with enough space for several AAA titles.

ROG Strix G16 from ASUS

Financial instruments

What better way to set your young sibling on the road to investing than to start him on a systematic investment plan which you can pay for a year or more, gold ETF or stocks that will grow in value are far-appreciated gifts. If travelling to an exotic destination is on his wish list, you can consider gifting him liquid funds, short-term debt funds or even a recurring deposit to meet his financial goals.

Travel

Among the modern accessories and luggage that are desirable is a cross-body Samsonite MINTER, which doubles as a carry-all on a flight or a one-nighter bag. Luxuriously minimalist and constructed with RECYCLEX™ material technology, its jacquard interior lining is made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET bottles.

Samsonite MINTER

Lost luggage is a nightmare you sometimes deal with in modern travel, and Apple Air Tags will help him trace objects, from his luggage to a phone he may have misplaced - but it is compatible with Apple devices only.

Apple Air Tags

Gift him an Airbnb gift card that allows him to personalize his travel experiences whether on a romantic getaway or an adventure trip, and whether he is looking for an urban apartment or a luxurious villa stay.

An Airbnb

Subscriptions and membership

There is a lot you can pick from:

*A subscription to popular OTT channels such as Netflix, Amazon, Mubi and BBC Earth, if he is a movie fan or an explorer

*An annual subscription to Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Premium

*A subscription to Nicobar’s Voyager Club if he is a fashion aficionado or likes to invest in quality travel accessories and apparel

*A subscription to Alcohol Box from Taster’s Club or to a whisky or wine tasting club such as The Dram Club or Single Malt Society of India.

Taster's Club Alcohol Box

*For those who want to indulge their brother, buy him a membership to Mumbai’s artsy Soho House, the India iteration of the famous global Soho House network or Four Season’s private membership club, Modernist; The Pavilion at The Chambers at Taj New Delhi, Discover Collection Club or The Quorum in Gurgaon and Delhi; and The BLVD Club spread over 100,000 sq ft in Bengaluru.

Bar Accessories

Covid spurred the home-bar revolution and a mobile-bar trend. The Bar Collective’s suede fabric-lined Briefcase Portable Bar is a lightweight, sleek carryall. All tools and bottles can be strapped in. The portable bar features 1 open compartment for a bottle, an open compartment for two glasses, a compartment for ice bucket storage, and a drawer for accessories.

The Bar Collective’s Briefcase Portable

The Sagar Swizzle Stir Set from The House of Things is inspired by the wildlife around Udaipur’s many lakes and forests. The cast-in brass stirrers are topped by herons and leopards found along Lake Pichola.

Sagar Swizzle Stir Set from The House of Things

Tequila is the spirit of 2023 and has sparked much interest in bars across the world. One of the finest tequilas available in India is 1800 Anejo, which blends a smooth finish with a robust flavour. Its deep amber colour due to being aged in oak barrels for at least three years, its velvety texture and its long finish with caramel, vanilla, and spice notes make for a refined sipping experience.

1800 Anejo Tequila

Home and home office

Hybrid work still requires a home office set up and what better than a lustrous stationery set? Ira Udaipur’s black and gold Scion set is intricately cast in brass and features hand-carved marble.

Ira Udaipur’s Scion set

If your bro is a budding chef or even an amateur one, Dansk Købenstyle Butter Warmer is a cheery, vintage-looking enameled vessel, apt for making pasta or one-pot meals or even a cup of hot chocolate. The wooden handle attached to the lovely white pot makes it easy to cook, melt butter or just warm up the hot chocolate.

If he is a coffee aficionado, set up a café-at-home for him through a brand like Something Brew, which will assist in creating an entire coffee corner – from machines such as the Saeco Royal OTC Coffee Machine to the Budan espresso and cappuccino machine, accessories such as kettles, carafes and serves, cupping tools, and a wide range of coffee beans.

Modern-day life is wrapped in stress and to deal with that, a modern weighted blanket can mimic the coziness and comfort of a warm hug. From contemporary online brands such as Tucked.in, Amala Earth and Sleepy Cat to Amazon, there are various options available. The fat cotton yarn is knit loose and loopy, and the blanket is warm and doesn’t overheat.

Weighted blanket

Oura Ring is, well, a titanium ring that monitors sleep, activity, recovery, temperature trends, heart rate and stress, and is compatible with Apple Health, Google Fit, Health Connect, Natural Cycles, and Strava.

Oura Ring

Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light is an innovative sunrise alarm clock, which simulates the effect of a natural, red-tinted light when it first rings and evolves into the brilliance of a bright day over 30 minutes. The clock has five additional alarm sounds and a backup power source.

Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light