Galeries Lafayette
CategoriesMedia Features

Galeries Lafayette and Aditya Birla Group Launch India Flagship

Galeries Lafayette’s new flagship store in Mumbai is being positioned not only as a global brand entry, but as a strategic milestone in India’s luxury retail landscape. The opening brings together French retail group Galeries Lafayette and the Aditya Birla Group, at a time when India’s premium and luxury consumption is expanding across metros.

In Mumbai, the initiative was highlighted at a special engagement attended by the Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Thierry Mathou, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, Motier Chairman Philippe Houzé, and Nicolas Houzé, Executive Chairman, Galeries Lafayette Group. The interaction underscored the partnership as both a business move and a broader collaboration between India and France in fashion, design, and culture.

Following the store’s opening last week, the event focused on how Galeries Lafayette’s presence in India fits into a larger context of cross-border partnerships. For India’s retail sector, the launch reflects rising interest from international department store formats that see the country as a long-term growth market for luxury, designer, and premium brands.

Published in Indian Retailer

H.E. Thierry Mathou said, “It is a pleasure to be with you this evening for the inauguration of Galeries Lafayette, a major landmark in France’s outreach in India. As an emblematic French retail brand, Galeries Lafayette actively embodies and promotes the French ‘Art of Living’. We hope that, beyond being a store, Galeries Lafayette in Mumbai will become a cultural destination in its own right – a space where French and Indian creativity can flourish, and where future collaborations in fashion, art, and design will thrive.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla described the collaboration as an example of how established groups in both countries can build new consumer platforms. “The strength of this partnership lies in its blend of imagination and reliability. India and France know how to balance heritage with modernity, and how to turn collaboration into something far greater than the sum of its parts. This Galeries Lafayette store in Mumbai stands as a vivid symbol of that trust and dynamism. It is a living dialogue between two cultures that have long admired one another. It creates a new space where French artistry meets the energy of a new India. And it reflects the power of two storied business groups coming together to create something truly iconic,” he said.
From Galeries Lafayette’s perspective, the Mumbai flagship is a key step in its global expansion and a way to participate more directly in India’s luxury economy. “Mumbai, with its energy and diversity, is the perfect home for this flagship, a place where French Art de Vivre meets Indian inventiveness, where luxury becomes an experience open to culture, art, and emotion. May Galeries Lafayette Mumbai stand as a lasting symbol of friendship, excellence, and shared creativity between France and India,” said Nicolas Houzé.

The store spans about 90,000 square feet across five levels at the Turner Morrison Building, 16 G. Vaidya Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, and officially opened on 8 November 2025. The design translates Galeries Lafayette’s global department store format into an Indian setting, combining French visual cues with Mumbai’s architectural character. For shoppers and brands, the flagship offers a curated portfolio of more than 250 luxury and designer labels in one destination.

For India’s retail ecosystem, the Mumbai opening signals growing confidence in the depth of local demand for luxury fashion, accessories, beauty, and lifestyle products. It also strengthens Mumbai’s positioning as a key luxury hub alongside Delhi, and demonstrates how international retailers are partnering with Indian conglomerates to navigate real estate, regulations, and consumer insight in a complex but high-potential market.

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette