Inside India’s luxury archetypes

India has never loomed larger in global business and cultural conversations. With its population now surpassing China, a rising and influential middle class, and soft power that spans corporate boardrooms to Bollywood icons, the country is setting the pace for the next decade. The luxury market — valued at $7.74 billion in 2023 by Kearney — is projected to approach $12 billion by 2028, growth that outstrips many established markets. India is no longer a market on the horizon; it has become impossible to ignore. For global brands, India is an extraordinary opportunity to connect with a new class of discerning consumers. For Indian brands, it is a stage to share their stories with the world. Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with entrepreneurs, designers, editors, creatives, retailers, developers and investors who are shaping this market every day. Each conversation has revealed another layer of its complexity — and its promise. What’s clear is that there is no single Indian luxury consumer, but rather many Indias, each with its own rituals, preferences, traditions and passions. Get more stories like this in your inbox — SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER The ‘many Indias’ perspective India’s luxury market is far from monolithic. Instead of a single “Indian consumer,” what emerges is a patchwork of archetypes shaped by geography, tradition, and aspiration. From the wedding-driven extravagance of Delhi and Jaipur to the tech-fueled affluence of Bengaluru and Hyderabad, from Chennai’s gold-centric households to the wellness-minded seekers of Goa, each segment reflects a different way luxury is lived, displayed, and desired. These archetypes — rooted in heritage, yet open to global influence — offer brands a roadmap for navigating the complexity of the world’s fastest-growing luxury market. Indian weddings: The ultimate luxury stage If there is one arena where India’s luxury story diverges most sharply from the West, it is weddings. Few know this better than Tarun Tahiliani — India’s celebrated couturier and one of its most perceptive commentators on heritage and craft. “In India, the wedding is everything …. we don’t have gala openings, museum openings and opera openings,” he says. “The real spending happens around the multiple parties that are a part of Indian weddings. Seriously, they’re getting bigger and more extravagant.” From clothes to jewelry to watches to cars, anything that can be bought, or given, or shown at a wedding is big business, he adds. “The kind of food that is served, the kind of alcohol that is served, I don’t think there’s anything quite like this in the whole world,” he says. For the rest of the time, however, Indians tend to be more casual. “They tend to dress down in the day and spend more on the night where they're wearing these accessories to special occasions.” That preference translates into enormous economic impact. “The wedding market is worth hundreds of billions. The dress code is strictly traditional Indian,” says Tikka Shatrujit Singh, chairman of JMC Partners and longtime advisor to LVMH. Yet, while the bridal attire itself remains firmly Indian, Singh points out that the ecosystem around these celebrations is wide open for global luxury. Shoes, bags, watches, beauty, travel, luggage, even champagne — all become stages for international brands. Heritage as identity Alongside weddings, heritage itself drives consumption. In cities like Jaipur and Lucknow, heritage-oriented consumers look to jewelers like Gem Palace or Viren Bhagat and designers like Anita Dongre, while also buying Valentino. “Luxury is deeply rooted in heritage — our designers, jewelers, and textile curators carry forward centuries of craft,” says Supriya Dravid, former editor-in-chief of Elle India and Ajio Luxe and founder of SD Advisory. This is not nostalgia. Pascal Monfort has studied the emerging cultural zeitgeist for over 20 years. “Tradition and heritage have never been more fashionable,” he says. “Young Indian designers proudly embrace their roots, merging cultural traditions with contemporary silhouettes and global influences.” Heritage here is a living force, both identity and aspiration. Political/business elite vs tech-affluent/gold-centric South Delhi and Chandigarh remain the bastions of political families and business dynasties, where classic European luxury brands like Hermès, Rolex, and Bentley sit alongside Indian houses like Raghavendra Rathore and Forest Essentials. These consumers are less swayed by trends and more by legacy, discretion, and networks of influence. This segment skews toward the classics and as well as a bit of the quieter luxury. Meanwhile in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the rise of tech wealth has given shape to a distinct consumer archetype. Their markers of status are unmistakable: the latest Apple devices, Brunello Cucinelli tailoring, Rimowa luggage, and now even Teslas. Off-duty, they turn to India’s own vibrant fashion scene, supporting emerging designers alongside global names. For young professionals and startup founders, luxury functions as a language of both global fluency and local pride. “There is new money coming from tech, unicorns, health care and investment banking,” says Tikka. “These young founders are Western-educated, mobile, and know the brands.” Their ascent is not just shifting the center of gravity within India — it is expanding the pie for Western houses eager to capture this new wave of affluence. Further south, in Chennai and Kochi, luxury retains its centuries-old link to gold and ritual. Cartier and Omega share space with family jewelers like GRT and Kirtilals, and silk houses like Nalli. These consumers embody luxury as inheritance and continuity — a segment less likely to chase logos, but deeply invested in craft and value. Globally mobile entrepreneurs Another rising archetype is the globally mobile entrepreneur, found not only in Bengaluru and Hyderabad but increasingly across Tier 2 cities. “Tier 2 cities are home to wealthy and well-connected consumers who aspire to be seen on par with residents of Mumbai and Delhi — sometimes even overcompensating by investing in high-status products,” says Monfort. Their importance extends beyond wealth. “Tier 2 cities are also attracting students, young demographics and therefore many talents and creatives,” he adds. “Top tier-2 cities play a crucial role, especially in brand activations. They can accelerate brand adoption while also reflecting a genuine engagement with Indian culture on a national scale.” Supriya Dravid underscores the momentum: “By 2030, markets like Surat, Ludhiana, Kochi, Indore, and Jaipur will emerge as engines of growth — cash-rich, globally mobile, yet deeply rooted in rituals.” What sets this segment apart is its ability to fuse influences. “India’s vast and diverse culture offers a unique advantage: it can be seamlessly reinterpreted and blended with global trends, creating fresh, relevant expressions,” Monfort adds. The result is a consumer, and a creative ecosystem, that straddles worlds: ambitious, internationally exposed, and eager to claim its place alongside the metros, while still drawing on traditions that anchor identity. Cross-currents: Youth and wellness India’s youngest luxury consumers — urban creatives in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, move easily between Balenciaga and Amiri, while championing homegrown designers like Dhruv Kapoor and NorBlack NorWhite. For them, luxury is playful and unique. At the same time, a wellness-driven archetype is crystallizing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities like Goa, Bengaluru, and Rishikesh. As Anjali Mehta, founder of Verandah, says: “I would define the wellness and lifestyle-focused customer as living in mostly the urban Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities … the urban young from aged 25 to 55.” This consumer is shaped by a mix of daily rituals and destination experiences. “It’s almost like the wellness circuit so to speak,” says Mehta. “People like to go on wellness retreats, and it’s become a girl’s trip thing, a couple’s thing, and more young people are looking to do this as well. From SoFit programs and morning run clubs to spa holidays at Ananda, Six Senses, or Chiva Som, wellness is no longer a one-off escape but an integrated lifestyle. For this archetype, fashion and fitness are inseparable. “That Alo Yoga and Lululemon customer, and Nike customer, runs very strong,” says Mehta, recalling Nike Women’s women-only marathon of 8,000 runners. “People have become a lot more mindful of wellness as a journey, not as a destination, and it’s become part of lifestyle. People are willing to spend a lot more money on their health.” What emerges is a new luxury language where Lululemon and Alo Yoga meet Kama Ayurveda and Ananda in the Himalayas, where pickleball and paddle courts join spa retreats. It is a culture of longevity, self-care, and community, blending global labels with local authenticity. Many Indias, one future In recent years, marquee international houses have turned toward India with unprecedented ambition. Chanel, Dior and Ralph Lauren have all staged high-profile experiences crafted to speak directly to Indian consumers. Yet, splashy activations alone are not enough. As Tikka Shatrujit Singh of JMC Partners says, “India is a relationship market. The fundamentals are relationships — with government, with press, with stars, with royal families.” Success here is not won through quick campaigns, but through trust built over time. At the same time, Indian luxury has moved outward with equal force. Sabyasachi opened his first U.S. flagship in New York’s Soho, Beyoncé wore Gaurav Gupta during her Renaissance Tour, Rahul Mishra partnered with Tod’s Factory, and Kay Beauty — founded by Katrina Kaif — entered the U.K. through Space NK. India is no longer a peripheral market; it is both destination and origin. This two-way movement marks a profound shift: India is not just consuming global luxury, it is rewriting its codes. The global brands now see India as a stage for influence, while Indian designers and entrepreneurs increasingly look to connect with consumers globally. Luxury no longer flows in a single direction — it is being co-authored across continents. Conversations with designers, investors, and retailers across the country reveal one constant: there is no single “Indian luxury consumer.” The West often flattens India into one market, but in reality it is many Indias — divided by geography, generation, and cultural identity. What unites them is scale and digital fluency. With one of the world’s youngest and most online populations, India’s influence on global luxury will be outsized in the decades ahead. For global houses, success will depend on tailoring strategies to specific archetypes, blending heritage with innovation and modernity. For Indian brands, the opportunity lies in exporting their unique style to the global consumer. India’s “many Indias” are already shaping the future of global luxury. To overlook them is to overlook the next decade of growth.

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Inside India’s luxury archetypes