European gifts for Indian middle aged...?

I want to take some small gifts from here (Netherlands) for father and mother of an Indian friend in Bangalore. I will stay in their house for a few days, we met before two years ago. My question is, what do middle class Indian brahmins like as a present from Europe (Madhu, the son loves Mozart so much I bought two operas on CD for him, his sister loved my Boucheron perfume, so I will surprise her with that if my budget allows it)?

If you can keep it cool, they might appreciate some chocolate (made with veg. ghee, not butter), and I know y'all have the very best there!

A good pen and bottle of ink for the father of your friend -- I wonder if many people there still use fountain pens?

Maybe your sister can help you pick out a stylish, easy to clean, handbag for the mother of the family.

I will be visiting Bangalore later in the year and am taking a tote bag with some makeup for my friend's wife, some flea medication for his cats and dogs, and hair ornaments and pens with colored gel ink for the teenage daughter.

It's hard to find good electronics or appliances in India, and the "middle-class, middle-aged" Indians I know who've traveled to Canada take back everything from CD Walkmans to blenders, and everything in-between.

try a music system - that should work ! you can alos give them some jackets ( in India, the jacket range is not so big) .

these gift ideas seem a little extravagant,some little things from your own country and a big smile might be just as well recieved?

no offence anyone tho!

I like the OP's choices. Its about that sort of thing that I take for a similar household. They get better makeup for Indians in India now so I am stuck with perfumes. Souvenier items actually have cachet..

Hey fat freddy, that's a good point. I remember taking over some electronics as gifts for the families I'd be staying with... but they were the cheap ones, like a cassette or CD walkman you'd find in Wal-Mart in North America for $20 to $70. Even that will work 10x better than many of the electronics found in India (or so was told to me).