From luxury beauty labels to boutique café chains, Indian consumers have witnessed a surge of global brands in the country this year
Bengaluru: As India continues to solidify its position as a lucrative market for international brands, 2024 has proven to be another remarkable year for global entrants. From high-end beauty brands to boutique cafe chains, Indian consumers have seen an influx of international names eager to tap into the country’s growing appetite for premium products.
Here are 22 global brands spanning categories like fashion, beauty, home, and food and beverages that made their debut in India this year…
Fashion and Lifestyle
Asos: British online fast-fashion retailer Asos made its debut in India in August this year through Reliance Retail’s online fashion marketplace, Ajio. Asos launched over 3,000 options across its curated portfolio of brands including Asos Design, Asos Edition, Asos Luxe and Miss Selfridge. With fresh launches every month, the brand plans to expand its repertoire to 20,000 options in one year.
HeyDude: American footwear brand HeyDude entered in India in collaboration with Mumbai-based footwear retailer Metro Brands Ltd. (MBL). The Massachusetts-based brand is currently available in 25 select Metro/Mochi stores across India.
Aigner: German luxury watch retailer Aigner Watches came to India through an exclusive partnership with Tata-owned accessories retailer Titan Company Ltd. The Swiss-made brand is present in over 50 selected stores across top metro cities.
Mac Duggal: American couture designer Mac Duggal entered India with multi-brand outlets like Aza, Reliance’s The White Crow and Ogaan. Spanning across 52 countries, his creations are retailed in stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Galeries Lafayette.
Gaston Luga: The Swedish lifestyle brand ventured into the Indian market in February, in partnership with Maison ID8 Brands, a company known for introducing global lifestyle brands to India. Customers can explore and purchase Gaston Luga products on e-commerce platforms such as Ajio Luxe, Tata Cliq Luxury and The White Crow.
Charles Tyrwhitt: British multichannel men’s clothing retailer Charles Tyrwhitt made its entry into India through a partnership with Reliance Brands Ltd., the global brand seller for the Mumbai-based conglomerate Reliance Industries,. The brand opened its first store at Palladium Mall in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Foot Locker: New York-based athletic shoes and apparel retailer Foot Locker made it omnichannel debut in India in October with Mumbai-based footwear company Metro Brands Ltd. (MBL). MBL launched the first Foot Locker India store at Nexus Select City Walk, Saket, New Delhi. Simultaneously, Nykaa Fashion unveiled the official Foot Locker India e-commerce site, allowing customers to shop via www.footlocker.co.in and the Nykaa Fashion platform.
Beauty and Wellness
Kylie Cosmetics: American media personality Kylie Jenner’s beauty brand Kylie Cosmetics launched in India in April this year, partnering with beauty specialty company House of Beauty. Its products including matte and velvet lip kits, lip liner, foundation, mascara, concealer, and lip balm are available exclusively in 25 Sephora stores nationwide and online on www.sephora.in.
Mizon: South Korean skincare and beauty brand Mizon entered the Indian market with Katalysst, an e-commerce agency focused on bringing beauty and wellness brands to the country. Its products are currently available in the country on Reliance Retail’s beauty platform Tira, and on Amazon.
Max Factor: A line of cosmetics from multinational beauty company Coty Inc., Max Factor came to India in India in partnership with New Delhi-based House of Beauty. The brand introduced its global bestsellers such as foundation, mascara, lipsticks in India, featuring Indian actress and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the brand’s global ambassador.
Currently, Max Factor products are available on e-commerce platforms as well as SSBeauty stores. The brand is aiming to be present at all key beauty retailers by 2025.
Skin1004: Korean skincare brand Skin1004 launched its products in the Indian market exclusively on Tira Beauty. The products are available for purchase online through the Tira app and offline at select Tira stores. Its product line comprises cleansers, toners, serums, creams, masks and more.
Nature Spell: UK-based hair and skincare brand Nature Spell made its debut in the market in March 2024. It launched an initial lineup of 22 stock keeping units (SKUs) in the hair, skin and body care range in India, available at its Shopify store naturespell.in and on e-commerce platforms including Nykaa, Amazon, Myntra, and Flipkart. Additionally, plans are underway to introduce its products in offline retail stores in the near future.
Laura Mercier: French American cosmetics and skin care brand entered India with its first retail store in Mumbai in March this year. The store is situated at Phoenix Palladium Mall, Mumbai. The brand was introduced in India by Mumbai-based luxury beauty company Baccarose, which manages more than 65 brands on various e-commerce platforms.
Fenty Beauty: Barbadian singer and businesswoman Rihanna’s Cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty debuted in India in March, with Mumbai-based fashion and beauty retailer Nykaa. Nykaa offers a line-up of Fenty Beauty’s products including the foundation, highlighter, lip gloss and more.
Maison Margiela Fragrances: French luxury fashion brand Maison Margiela Fragrances made its entry into India in partnership with Shoppers Stop and L’Oréal International Distribution. The first store of the fashion major is located at Jio World Drive, Mumbai.
Home Decor and Furnishing
Index Living Mall: Thailand’s largest furniture and home decor brand Index Living Mall (ILM) entered India in an exclusive franchise partnership with Creaticity, a lifestyle and home decor destination, housing national and international brands in the category. As part of the launch, Creaticity has launched a 32,000 sq. ft. retail showroom of ILM in Pune.
Konfor: The Turkish brand forayed into the Indian market through a strategic partnership with Pune-based Creaticity. The first store under the partnership opened in October at Creaticity’s shopping centre at Yerawada in Pune. The 12,000 sq. ft. store showcases an exclusive range of sofas, beds, wardrobes, and accent furniture and offers speedy delivery options.
Bissell: Michigan US-based homecare solutions provider Bissell re-entered India with its range of vacuum cleaners after six years. The company partnered with Cavitak Global Commerce, for distribution in India Initially, it will focus on sales through online channel partners such as Amazon and Flipkart and later consider expanding offline after volume picks up.
Tramontina: The Brazilian houseware brand made its debut in the market following the establishment of its business in North America, Latin America and Europe. The brand introduced its cookware range in India, followed by a houseware solution range, including tableware, cutlery and furniture in the coming years.
Food & Beverage
Armani/Caffe: Milan-based luxury company Giorgio Armani’s Michelin-starred Armani/Caffè debuted in India in a strategic partnership with Reliance Brands. In September this year, Reliance launched the first Armani/Caffe in India, located at India’s largest luxury mall, Jio World Plaza, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.
EL&N London: UK-based boutique café chain EL&N London teamed up with Reliance Brands to bring the Instagrammable cafe to India. EL&N opened its first outlet in Mumbai at Jio World Plaza, Bandra-Kurla Complex.
Le Pain Quotidien: Belgian bakery and restaurant brand Le Pain Quotidien re-entered the market, through a master franchise agreement with Bake & Brew Pvt. Ltd., a venture backed by Nalanda Group. The QSR chain first entered India in 2010, opening an outlet in Mumbai. However, the restaurant was closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This time, the diner chain is aiming to establish over 100 outlets across India by 2035. It also targets a brand valuation of Rs 1,000 crore over the next decade.
