What: The opening of the Jio World Drive mall in Mumbai, spread over 17.5 acres in the Maker Maxity complex close to the upscale areas of Bandra and Khar, has injected life into India's premium retail segment.

Why it is important: For years, brands eyeing one of the country’s biggest consumer markets — Mumbai — have been complaining about the shortage of options in a city where real estate is pricey and the urban sprawl too dense to easily allow large mall options. The sought-after malls — Palladium and Phoenix Market City in Lower Parel and in Orbit in Malad, respectively — are a distance away for the well-heeled and Bollywood-steeped Bandra and Khar areas of Mumbai.

Jio World Drive aims to fill that gap with its glass and steel exterior and elegant positioning, as well as the name used by several of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s projects. Ambani’s company Reliance is the largest retailer in India by revenue, with a yearly turnover of USD 21.6 billion. Reliance operates more than 12,711 stores across 7,000 cities in India, with a retail area exceeding 33.8 million square feet. Reliance Brands also operates more than 40 global brands in India, including Emporio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna and Diesel.

Flagship stores at the mall include Diesel, Replay, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani and Paul Smith, with an estimated 55% space taken up by fashion brands, and 32% by food and beverage. This includes 72 stores and 27 culinary outlets, typically with a six-year lease, except for the new concept The White Crow. This is a pop-up area of 17,000 square feet that brings in brands for three months at a time, providing a stream of new ideas to the mall. The focus is on how to appeal to the increasingly time challenged consumer via right-brained thinking — paying attention to the overall ambience with music, art, concierge services and other strategies.

Reliance hasn’t only opened a new mall in the Bandra Kurla complex but also a new convention centre, which appears to give India’s key Mumbai Fashion Week its first permanent address after years of constantly changing venues.

India’s New Jio World Mall Gives Luxury Brands More Space in Mumbai