Taking India to the world

For all its heritage and craftsmanship, the country has produced only a handful of global brands. But a new generation of creative entrepreneurs is changing that

- VEENU SANDHU & AKSHARA SRIVASTAVA

Just before the turn of the century, in 1999, a young designer named Sabyasachi Mukherjee launched his eponymous label. Working out of his hometown, Kolkata, he set out to revive Indian textiles, weaves and techniques—all with a staff strength of three. It wouldn't be long before he would debut at Milan Fashion Week, the first Indian designer to do so.

Twenty-five years on, Sabyasachi is one of the most recognizable brands from India, having displayed his jewellery at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, and collaborated with names such as Estée Lauder, Christian Louboutin and Pottery Barn, and with presence in Dubai and New York. Among the celebrities who have donned his creations are Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna.

He is, however, not the only global brand to have come out of India. The country, known for its "atithi devo bhava (guest is god)" tradition, has given the world some of its strongest hospitality brands in Taj and The Oberoi.

Taj's foray beyond Indian shores, though, happened much earlier, in 1980, when it opened the Taj Sheba Hotel in Sana'a, Yemen. Then it went on to acquire a stake in the St James' Court Hotel, since rebranded as St James' Court London, A Taj Hotel. And in 2024—its 120th year—Taj was adjudged the world's strongest hotel brand by Brand Finance, a London-based valuation and strategy consultancy. It held this title in 2021 and 2022 as well.

India's global brand story, though, is just about starting.

The country is still a while away from having its own Louis Vuitton (LV), Hermès, or Chanel-though earlier this year, during a panel discussion at the inaugural edition of Business Standard's 'Manthan' summit in New Delhi, Alexis de Ducla, founder of Alexis de Ducla International LLP, a distributor for French luxury brands, had said, "The next Chanel will be from India." Chanel, incidentally, has a British-Indian woman steering it-Leena Nair.