Galeries Lafayette Expands Footprint in India with New Mumbai Store

The historic French department store group Galeries Lafayette has landed in Mumbai with its first flagship store in India, a store with more than 90,000 square feet. The group, which turns 130 years old in 2025, joins the wave that has brought major brands to the Indian market in recent months.

Galeries Lafayette has made its entry into India through a partnership with the Indian giant Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, with which it is also planning an opening in New Delhi.

The French department store company will enter India with 250 brands in its new space in Mumbai, including Balmain, Maison Margiela, Acne Studios, as well as Indian brands such as Bodice and Helmant&Nandita.

The new Mumbai store, which will open its doors next November, is located in one of the city’s luxury areas, next to other luxury icons such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin, which also have flagship stores in the area.

The department store, which will open in November, will distribute a portfolio of 250 brands

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, said, “The Indian luxury market is at the tipping point of its transformation and forecast to reach $90 billion by 2030.“

“This flagship store is a symbol of our ambition to bring the savoir faire of our country to a global point,“ said Guillaume Houzé, heir to the family legacy and director of image and innovation at Galeries Lafayette.

Galeries Lafayette reshuffled its top management in June, in the midst of a generational handover, following the death of its historic matriarch, Ginette Moulin. The group appointed Arthur Lemoine as the new CEO, and Guillaume Houzé, heir to the family legacy and until now in charge of communications, was promoted to director of image and innovation.

The internal reorganization responds to the need to redirect the direction of the group, which has suffered a weakening of its national store network since the pandemic, and has therefore opted to strengthen its international presence as a means of growth.