Global brands numbers, likely to set up shop in India surges post-covid

12 Jun 2023 CW Team

Additionally, chains like Lavazza, Armani Caffe, Jamba, and The Coffee Club are also likely to enter India this year. Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO of CBRE for India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa, stated that they expect food and beverage as well as entertainment brands to establish themselves in the Indian market in 2023. Several established international brands have already entered India this year after a hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic, including Valentino, McLaren, Balenciaga, Pottery Barn, Pret A Manger, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes.

CBRE predicts that retail leasing in India will reach 5.5-6 million square feet in 2023, the second-highest figure after the peak of 6.8 million square feet in 2019. The fashion sector is witnessing periodic store openings, particularly through partnerships with larger groups such as Reliance and Aditya Birla. In the home interiors retail segment, West Elm and Pottery Barn have shown interest and opened stores in India in partnership with Reliance.

Experts anticipate that around 30-35 international brands will open stores in India between 2021 and 2023. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) recently formed a partnership with Galeries Lafayette to introduce luxury department stores and a dedicated e-commerce platform in India. Reliance Retail is also planning to bring back the Chinese fashion brand Shein through a partnership. H&M has launched its home line in some flagship stores across India, and experts believe that in the coming years, one to two brands from the beauty, fashion, and F&B sectors could open stores in India every month or year, primarily through collaborations with existing major players.

India's rising spending power and its position as the fifth-largest global retail destination are attracting international brands. Urban Indian consumers have increasing purchasing power, and branded products in categories such as apparel, cosmetics, footwear, watches, beverages, cuisine, and jewellery are gaining popularity for both business and leisure purposes. Nitin Chhabra, CEO of Ace Turtle, stated that this is an opportune time to be in India, and the next decade is expected to be the best in terms of consumer technology and retail history. Ace Turtle, which holds licenses to sell fashion and lifestyle brands like Lee, Wrangler, Toys 'R' Us, and Babies 'R' Us in India, recently partnered with the California lifestyle apparel brand Dockers to enter the Indian market.

According to property consultants, around 24 international brands are expected to enter the Indian market this year, marking the highest number in a decade. This surge is attributed to the post-Covid increase in consumption and demand. In 2020, only one global brand entered India, followed by three in 2021 and 11 in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 12-15 brands would enter the Indian market annually. Notable brands like Roberto Cavalli, Dunhill, and Foot Locker are currently in talks to establish their presence in India.Additionally, chains like Lavazza, Armani Caffe, Jamba, and The Coffee Club are also likely to enter India this year. Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO of CBRE for India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa, stated that they expect food and beverage as well as entertainment brands to establish themselves in the Indian market in 2023. Several established international brands have already entered India this year after a hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic, including Valentino, McLaren, Balenciaga, Pottery Barn, Pret A Manger, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes.CBRE predicts that retail leasing in India will reach 5.5-6 million square feet in 2023, the second-highest figure after the peak of 6.8 million square feet in 2019. The fashion sector is witnessing periodic store openings, particularly through partnerships with larger groups such as Reliance and Aditya Birla. In the home interiors retail segment, West Elm and Pottery Barn have shown interest and opened stores in India in partnership with Reliance.Experts anticipate that around 30-35 international brands will open stores in India between 2021 and 2023. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) recently formed a partnership with Galeries Lafayette to introduce luxury department stores and a dedicated e-commerce platform in India. Reliance Retail is also planning to bring back the Chinese fashion brand Shein through a partnership. H&M has launched its home line in some flagship stores across India, and experts believe that in the coming years, one to two brands from the beauty, fashion, and F&B sectors could open stores in India every month or year, primarily through collaborations with existing major players.India's rising spending power and its position as the fifth-largest global retail destination are attracting international brands. Urban Indian consumers have increasing purchasing power, and branded products in categories such as apparel, cosmetics, footwear, watches, beverages, cuisine, and jewellery are gaining popularity for both business and leisure purposes. Nitin Chhabra, CEO of Ace Turtle, stated that this is an opportune time to be in India, and the next decade is expected to be the best in terms of consumer technology and retail history. Ace Turtle, which holds licenses to sell fashion and lifestyle brands like Lee, Wrangler, Toys 'R' Us, and Babies 'R' Us in India, recently partnered with the California lifestyle apparel brand Dockers to enter the Indian market.

Real Estate

05 Dec 2025

RBI Rate Cut Boosts Confidence Across Housing Market

Industry Context and Market DynamicsThe real estate industry has welcomed the RBI’s rate cut as a timely boost to affordability and demand. With home prices having risen steadily across major markets, even a marginal reduction in interest rates meaningfully strengthens purchasing power, especially for first-time and mid-income buyers.Ashish Jerath, President – Sales & Marketing, Smartworld Developers, observes:“The RBI’s 25-basis-point cut, bringing the repo rate down to 5.25%, is a timely boost for the real estate sector. Lower interest rates reduce borrowing costs, enabling homeb..

Infrastructure Transport

05 Dec 2025

BMC Resumes Rs 170 Billion Road Works, Targets 80 per cent By Jan 2026

Following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon in October, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has restarted work on 645 roads—covering 297.49 kilometres—under its large-scale concretisation programme. Data shows that more than 60 per cent of the resumed works are located in the western suburbs. Officials said the civic body aims to complete concretisation on 80 per cent of the roads where fresh work has begun by January 2026. Launched in 2022, the Rs 170 billion project seeks to concretise 700 kilometres of roads across Mumbai. All civil works were halted during the monsoon ..

Infrastructure Urban

05 Dec 2025

India Pushes Digital Shift In Urban Land Mapping

The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development has convened a National Symposium on NAKSHA – the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations – to advance India’s transition to modern, technology-driven land mapping. Speaking at the inaugural session, Secretary Manoj Joshi underscored the urgent need to move revenue departments away from outdated, tape-based methods and rough hand-drawn sketches. He stressed that adopting latitude–longitude-based digital mapping and GIS-linked registration systems is essential for economic stabi..