The uber rich have a new shopping destination in Mumbai — Jio World Plaza. On Tuesday, Reliance Industries (RIL) unveiled the 750,000 square feet retail mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) — India’s costliest commercial business district — next to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, the Jio World Convention Centre and the Jio World Garden.
This is the second high-end shopping destination at BKC by Reliance after the Jio World Drive, which was unveiled two years ago. While brands such as Apple, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Dune London, Coach and Da Milano can be found at the Jio World Drive, the Jio World Plaza is positioned as a “unique retail experience” with 66 luxury brands, some of whom will mark their presence for the first time in India.
“Our envisioning of the Jio World Plaza is aimed at bringing the best global brands to India,” Isha Ambani, director, RIL, said.
The plaza, which opens its doors to the general public on Wednesday, is designed as an exclusive hub for retail, leisure, and dining, spread across four levels.
Brands such as Balenciaga, the Giorgio Armani Café, Pottery Barn Kids, Samsung Experience Centre, EL&N Café, and Rimowa, for instance, will foray into the country with a presence at the Jio World Plaza, RIL said.
Key flagships include stores from brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, Bally, Giorgio Armani, Dior, YSL, Bulgari, Versace, Valentino, YSL and Tiffany among others.
The mall will also offer an array of exclusive services such as personal shoppers, VIP concierge, hands-free shopping, butler and porter services and is expected to be benchmarked with the best luxury shopping malls in the world such as The Dubai Mall, The Landmark in Hong Kong and the Mall of the Emirates in the UAE.
At present, India has four luxury-exclusive malls— DLF Emporio and The Chanakya in New Delhi; UB City in Bengaluru; and the Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai. A recent report by Knight Frank India says that India’s ultra high-net-worth individuals (Ultra HNIs), with a net worth of $30m and more, will rise to 19,119 in 2027, up 58.4% from 12,069 in 2022.
The number of billionaires in India is expected to move up to 195 in 2027 from 161 in 2022, implying there is scope for the growth of luxe shopping destinations in the country, Knight Frank said.
The Jio World Plaza will also be home to renowned designers like Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Rahul Mishra, Falguni and Shane Peacock, and Ritu Kumar, among others.
Inspired by the lotus flower, Reliance has collaborated with the US-based architecture firm TVS to design the plaza. Marble floors, vaulted ceilings and a soft play of lights punctuate the retail space.
Level 1 of the shopping destination has Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Jimmy Choo, Balenciaga, Burberry, Tory Burch, Dior and Cartier among others. While Level 2 has brands such as Muji, Samsung and Pottery Barn vying for attention.