Young India's luxury DREAM

The world's top fashion brands are flocking to India, hoping to penetrate a market that has more retail space, better defined online shopping experiences and, most importantly, a growing young population that isn't shy to live the high life

- Pooja Singh & Sujata Assomull

For the Singh family from Amritsar, Punjab, visiting the DLF Emporio mall in Delhi is like a mini vacation. Every three-four months, Sukhwinder Singh, 39, his wife and teenage son drive 450km in their Range Rover to the national capital for a two-day trip. They stay overnight at a five-star hotel and shop for clothes, shoes and bags at the luxury mall.

Their shopping bill on their first trip of 2024: close to ₹10 lakh. Singh, a businessman, picked up a red Gucci sweater with an embossed “G” pattern and a Louis Vuitton wallet in Damoflage canvas; his wife, a pair of golden Jimmy Choo heels, along with a Barbie-pink Valentino purse and a Sunita Shekhawat necklace; and their son bought a pair of brown leather Bally shoes. “We hardly get anything in Amritsar. So, coming to Delhi feels like a festival…two days of non-stop eating and shopping,” says Singh, wearing a black sweat-set with the white Fendi logo splashed on it and black Louis Vuitton boots. “I like luxury clothes with big designer logos,” he says. “You know Diljit (Dosanjh, his favourite singer-actor)? Just like him.”

That same Wednesday evening, south Delhi resident Krishna Aggarwal was also at the mall to buy an Omega watch as a pre-birthday gift for himself—he is turning 29. “I like quiet luxury,” says the entrepreneur, dressed in a deep-blue Hugo Boss jacket, matching turtleneck sweater and jeans. “Not screaming logos,” he adds.

Singh and Aggarwal share one thing in common: the desire to own luxury products.