BENGALURU: Even as global luxury demand shows signs of cooling, international brands are accelerating their India playbooks, betting the country’s still-nascent but fast-evolving luxury market will deliver long-term growth.
Ralph Lauren India and the Lanvin Group are sharpening their strategies to deepen their presence, expand retail footprints, and localize offerings in India as revenue growth slows in more mature markets. Both companies are adopting starkly different approaches in India.
Shubhi Sinha, brand head at Ralph Lauren India, said the company will continue expanding its physical presence while tapping demand beyond top metros.
“We have about eight stores currently and plan to expand. There is a lot of value beyond metros as well,” Sinha told Mint in an interview, highlighting that demand is increasingly spread across the country due to strong digital awareness.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd is Ralph Lauren’s exclusive partner and operator in India, managing its retail stores and distribution.
India’s luxury consumer base is widening, spanning first-time buyers to long-time brand loyalists, according to Sinha. Awareness gaps have significantly narrowed as consumers track global fashion trends in real time, Sinha noted.
For Shanghai-based Lanvin Group, the approach is less about rapid store expansion and more about building cultural resonance. Celia Huang Laporte, global managing director (strategy, business development & licensing), Lanvin Group, said the company is prioritizing partnerships and localization to embed itself in India’s diverse market.
The Lanvin Group operates luxury brands including Lanvin, Sergio Rossi, Wolford and St. John Knits.
“We need to understand the market deeply. India is very fragmented with different languages and cultures,” she said, stressing the importance of local partners to scale effectively and create relevance. Lanvin is looking for partnerships to scale both offline and online sales in India.
In 2025, luxury brands in India posted mixed results, with Gucci and Louis Vuitton reporting falling revenue while Hermès thrived. Economic uncertainty and inflation affected consumer spending, leading to a preference for heritage goods over fast-fashion items, Mint reported in March.
India’s potential
India’s luxury market – still relatively small compared to China or Europe – is increasingly seen as a high-potential growth engine. It was sized at $7.74 billion in 2023 and is projected to touch $12 billion by 2028, a growth rate that will outpace other luxury markets, according to estimates by Kearney.
In the global market, Kering S.A, the Paris-listed luxury conglomerate that owns brands such as Gucci, reported flat revenue of €3.57 billion in the first quarter of FY26, with Gucci’s sales falling 8% year-on-year to €1.35 billion. The Lanvin Group's flagship brand, Lanvin, saw revenue decline 30% to €57.6 million in 2025.
For Ralph Lauren, the India strategy hinges on a hybrid model combining physical retail expansion with strong digital engagement. Sinha said consumers across metros and smaller cities are now equally aware of global brands.
“A consumer sitting in Bengaluru, Delhi or Mumbai now has an idea of what’s happening in Paris Fashion Week,” she said, adding that even tier-II and tier-III markets are becoming increasingly relevant.
While apparel continues to dominate sales, categories such as accessories including bags and shoes are gaining traction. The company is navigating a broad consumer spectrum – from young aspirants to established luxury buyers.
Lanvin, by contrast, is taking a more ecosystem-led approach. Laporte emphasized that success in India will depend on aligning products with cultural contexts like weddings and other social events, which play a central role in luxury consumption.
“Luxury shopping here is more social with weddings, events and parties playing key scenarios,” Laporte noted.
India’s growth trajectory could be faster than it was in other luxury markets. While Europe took decades to mature and China about a decade, India could see a sharper acceleration as multiple brands enter simultaneously and awareness rises, according to Laporte.