Galeries Lafayette Inaugurates First Store In Mumbai

Galeries Lafayette has entered the Indian market in partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL), owned by one of India’s top 5 richest men, Kumar Mangalam Birla. He also chairs the parent company of ABFRL Aditya Birla group, which has a consolidated market cap of over $112 billion.

Mumbai is home to India’s largest ultra-wealthy population. As per a 2025 rich-list study by Hurun India, Mumbai has nearly 500 individuals with net-worth exceeding INR 1000 crore (approximately $114 million). It is also home to India’s largest billionaire population, including 4 of India’s top 10 richest people.

Galeries Lafayette’s Mumbai store will host 250 international and local, luxury and premium brands. Beyond retail, the flagship will include private lounges, concierge services, personal styling, and curated cultural programs. ABFRL’s partnership with Galeries Lafayette aims to fuel the premiumisation wave of consumerism in India.

In an exclusive interview with Luxury Tribune, Sathyajit Radhakrishnan, CEO of the group's international business explained a studied methodology that the conglomerate has adopted to cater to the growing aspirations of Indian consumers. “Sometimes, single-brand stores can be intimidating to the tier of customers who have not interacted with that single brand before and don’t know what to expect in its store”, he said. With Galeries Lafayette in India, ABFRL plans to introduce a smooth transition of premiumisation for such consumers. The store will have multiple categories of luxury and premium brands including Indian designers across beauty and accessories segments like handbags, footwear, and fashion.

Galeries Lafayette will expand its network in India with a second store in Delhi scheduled to open around 2027. It will be spread across 5,500 sq.m and will be located in India’s first luxury mall, the DLF Emporio, which also houses Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Bulgari boutiques and a range of Indian couture brands. ABFRL plans to launch e-commerce with Galeries Lafayette to cater to the growing aspirations of consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India .

ABFRL is one of the biggest fashion-focused conglomerates in India. Its parent company, the Aditya Birla Group, entered the premium fashion space in 2008 with a multi-brand retail concept store The Collective, housing labels like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Hackett London, Ted Baker, and Moschino. The Collective now houses 85 international brands in 12 stores spread across India’s tier-1 and tier-2 cities.

About six years ago, ABFRL pivoted deeper into the luxury segment, riding India’s premiumisation wave. It invested heavily in homegrown couture labels like Tarun Tahiliani, Masaba, and Sabyasachi, some of which have expanded into global markets. Last year, ABFRL signed an equal share joint venture with Christian Louboutin for its India operations.