From Hamleys to Armani: Scaling Brands in India

What does it take to build global brands in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets? Sumeet Yadav, Head of Reliance Brands Limited, joins The Retail Podcast just before his keynote at NRF APAC 2026 in Singapore. Reliance Brands Limited is one of India’s most important platforms for global luxury and lifestyle partnerships, spanning fashion, lifestyle, eyewear, toys, home, and food and beverage. In this episode, we explore how international brands enter India, what it takes to scale them with relevance, and why the Indian consumer market requires both global brand discipline and local operating depth. Key themes: • Global brand growth in India • India’s luxury and lifestyle retail market • Reliance Brands Limited and international partnerships • Premium retail and consumer evolution • Lessons from Hamleys, Mothercare, Diesel, Superdry, Brooks Brothers, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, Valentino and Tiffany & Co. • Leadership lessons from Reliance Brands, Hamleys Global, Nando’s, Tommy Hilfiger India and Ford • NRF APAC 2026 and the future of Asia Pacific retail This episode is for retailers, brand leaders, founders, investors and operators interested in India, global brand expansion, luxury retail, lifestyle retail and the future of consumer brands. Links: Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeet-yadav-8a48a87 Reliance Brands / Reliance Retail: https://relianceretail.com/partner-brands.html NRF APAC 2026: https://nrfbigshowapac.nrf.com/speakers/sumeet_yadav__ Podcast website: www.theretailpodcast.com Newsletter: www.retailnews.ai