Galeries Lafayette’s first Indian flagship store opened in Kalaghoda district in Mumbai, at the historic Turner Morrison and Voltas House buildings. Indian shoppers were already among the top international clients at Galeries Lafayette’s Paris Haussmann flagship with India’s luxury market projected to reach USD 85 billion by 2030[1].

Income inequality in India is stark and ever-increasing resulting in a nascent luxury segment while mass-market retailers are squeezed. Mumbai, home to over 450 billionaires and 142,000 millionaires[2], and the cultural and financial capital of the country was the logical entry point for Galeries Lafayette.

Despite a later-than-planned opening due to the complexity of heritage building restoration, the Mumbai opening of Galeries Lafayette marks India’s first true luxury department store. It results from a seven-year ambition and partnership announced in November 2022 between Galeries Lafayette Group (Paris) and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), the fashion arm of India's Aditya Birla Group conglomerate. The deal was structured as a 20-year exclusive franchise agreement, giving ABFRL the sole rights to operate Galeries Lafayette stores across India. Strategic advisory firm Pike Preston served as the deal's advisor on record. The next planned store opening is in Delhi in 2027.

Beyond being a commercial retail space, this opening represents an extension of French cultural diplomacy, a part of strategic and geopolitical cooperation between France and India. By integrating local architectural heritage and hosting joint Franco-Indian initiatives, Galeries Lafayette Mumbai serves as a symbol of deepening cultural ties between the two nations.

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[1] Galeries Lafayette to open its first store in India amid luxury boom

[2]Hurun-India Wealth Report 2025