American luggage manufacturer Samsonite has made India its largest global manufacturing base after tripling the capacity of its Nashik plant to around 0.7 million units per month, following an investment of about Rs 2.5 billion, a senior company executive said. The expansion, completed in two phases after the Covid-19 pandemic, has enabled the Nashik facility to surpass Samsonite’s other manufacturing hubs in Hungary and Belgium in terms of production volume. Jai Krishnan, CEO – India, Samsonite South Asia, said the Nashik unit is now among the group’s largest factories globally by output and is expected to continue expanding as the company looks to India for long-term growth. Prior to 2019, the plant produced an average of about 0.225 million pieces a month, prompting the company to significantly scale up domestic manufacturing in anticipation of rising demand. Although the expansion coincided with the onset of Covid-19 in 2020, when travel and production were temporarily disrupted, Samsonite continued construction work, confident of a strong recovery. With travel rebounding sharply, the company is now planning its next phase of expansion and is scouting for a new manufacturing location in India, as the Nashik land parcel has been fully utilised. A decision is expected within the next 12 to 18 months, with potential sites being evaluated across northern, southern and eastern India. Samsonite operates three brands in the Indian market — Samsonite, American Tourister and Kamiliant — and expects steady growth across segments, supported by economic expansion, rising disposable incomes and increased domestic travel. Krishnan said demand is being driven by weddings, business travel and leisure tourism, as well as greater mobility among younger consumers in semi-urban areas and smaller towns. He added that affluent consumers are increasingly gravitating towards branded luggage, reinforcing Samsonite’s focus on quality-led positioning. India is currently the third-largest luggage market globally, after the US and China, and Samsonite sees strong momentum in its favour. Following the Nashik expansion, the company has also stepped up exports, with around 10 per cent of the plant’s output now shipped to group companies in regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Earlier capacity constraints had limited export growth. In India, Samsonite positions its brands across price segments, with Samsonite in the premium category, American Tourister in mass premium and Kamiliant in the mass segment. American Tourister accounts for about 60 per cent of the company’s domestic business, while Samsonite and Kamiliant contribute roughly 20 per cent each. The company competes with established players such as VIP, Aristocrat and Safari, as well as newer brands including Uppercase and Mokobara. Krishnan said increased competition benefits the industry by expanding consumer awareness and encouraging travel-related purchases. Samsonite Group’s net sales in India rose 8.5 per cent period-over-period in the third quarter of 2025, following a 2.7 per cent decline in the previous quarter. American Tourister recorded net sales growth of 2.9 per cent during the same period. However, in calendar year 2024, Samsonite’s India sales declined 18 per cent to $210 million. E-commerce and Canteen Stores Department sales together account for around 36 per cent of Samsonite’s business in India, with online channels alone contributing about 16 per cent of total revenue, driven largely by platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. The company expects this share to rise further. At the same time, Samsonite is expanding its physical retail footprint and plans to grow from about 600 stores currently to around 1,000 outlets over the next few years, with a sharper focus on smaller towns and emerging cities.