Life & Style

The team has two photographers at the hospital for the purpose
| Photo Credit: BabyTrails 

Audi announced a price cut in its vehicles in India across models to pass on the benefits of the GST rate cut on automobiles.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

She’s known today for her steel-wire saris but Rimzim Dadu started her career with models stomping out in mini dresses and lace-up men’s shoes. That said, she created her own textiles from day one. And while her debut at couture week is only a few years old, everybody agrees that couture is what she has been doing all along.

The contradictions that are Rimzim Dadu have made her one of India’s most interesting designers. As American novelist Susan Sontag wrote, ‘To name something as interesting implies challenging old orders of praise,’ and Dadu is a tiny, unassuming powerhouse whose work, straddling textile innovation, western sensibility, and Indian weaving heritage, has kept me engaged over the years. Hers was also one of the most interesting shows of the recent Hyundai India Couture Week. Titled Oxynn, she started working on it a week after her second daughter was born in February and reveals that she has never felt more vulnerable with a collection because every ensemble felt so personal.

Designer Rimzim Dadu

The collection took her obsession with the patola a step further — with a wool and leather version of the double ikat weave featured at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in the Fabric of India exhibition in 2015. “The Lambani tribes of Gujarat really stood out for the textiles they wear, their craft and jewellery. It was so rooted and traditional, I thought it would be interesting to reimagine what futuristic versions of tribal weaves and crafts could look like,” says Dadu. In a larger lexicon, the Delhi-based designer’s work is part of the India Modern aesthetic espoused by a handful of designers, including Amit Aggarwal, Gaurav Gupta, Anand Bhushan, Arjun Saluja, and Kallol Dutta.

India Couture Week shows have been dominated by lehengas, embroidery, and cancan in the past decade. Dadu’s reimagining of Banjara tribal work was far from that. Oxidised jewellery, mirror work, and tactile craftsmanship were turned into sculptural corsets, harem pants, and East-meets-West form-fitting lehenga-gown saris. To echo designer Rajesh Pratap Singh (known for his modern minimalist experimentation with traditional techniques, textile innovation, and unbending originality) who has seen Dadu’s work in images, “It looks fantastic.”

Designer Rajesh Pratap Singh

Bridging prêt and couture

Interesting, however, comes with its own baggage. It’s usually shorthand for niche or not in the mainstream. And yet, Dadu has breached that chasm. Over the past few years, her label has become part of the mainstream. What was established with her steel sari, worn by Sonam Kapoor at Cannes in 2016, gathered steam with her menswear line in 2019, and accelerated when her brand turned 15 in 2022, marked by a show at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.

Right after, she debuted at India Couture Week in 2023, opened a standalone menswear store in DLF Emporio in Delhi in 2024, and expanded her footprint to Hyderabad in 2025. Multibrand retail is restricted to Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop; she also does footwear and bags, and is planning to go international with an expansion to West Asia. Her celebrity line-up is growing, too, from actors Kareena Kapoor Khan to Janhvi Kapoor, and philanthropist Radhika Merchant Ambani. Ambani’s outing in Dadu’s creation has even sparked that absolute sign of being mainstream — a viral hate reel, more on which later.

Rimzim Dadu’s Hyderabad store

According to Mumbai-based fashion stylist Sohiny Das who has worked on her shows for the past four years, Dadu has managed a difficult task: “Retain what she started with, but also evolve it dramatically, bridge prêt and couture, and be able to do both.” Das points out that Dadu was very texture-based at the beginning, but over the years has realised the importance of shape.

‘I’m really creating for women’

Dadu, 38, now the mother of two girls — Ose, three, and Raga, six months — spent her childhood, from the age of five, at her father’s export house making her own tie-and-dye patterns, watching embroidery being done, and being fascinated by spools of threads and button machines. She started her label, then called My Village, at GenNext, Lakmé Fashion Week 2007, right after graduating from Pearl Academy in Delhi.

Over the years, she has experimented with paper, wool, silicon, chiffon, steel wires, acrylic with textiles, and leather, shredding them to develop cords and weaving those together to achieve a structure that fabric would not allow. None of this is abstract experimentation. “I’m not creating to prove a point or for museums. I’m really creating for women, for people. I actively think of how each piece can fit into their wardrobes, and the functionality of it is very important for me,” she says. Her online prêt ensembles are in the range of ₹1-₹3 lakh.

And yet, the fact that her work is in museums seems natural. Apurva Kackar, director of KNMA’s Institutional Affairs and Outreach, where Dadu’s 15th anniversary show became the first physical showcase of their Art x Fashion series, points out that the designer’s presentation was alongside an Anupam Sud retrospective at the museum and that both challenged the patriarchal space of printmaking and fashion. “Dadu’s work blurs the boundaries between fashion, art, and material innovation, qualities that resonate strongly with our vision for the Art x Fashion series. She has consistently challenged conventional perceptions of textiles and craft, transforming materials into sculptural forms,” says Kackar. “This experimental, thought-provoking approach made her a natural fit for our collaboration.”

Challenging controversies

It’s surprising then that Dadu recently found herself in the eye of an Instagram storm being accused of copying a Tom Ford dress from his 2020 show for Radhika Merchant Ambani. Dadu, who was forwarded the reel by a bunch of people, is fuming. “Fringe dresses have been around for centuries. Tom Ford wasn’t the first to do one. It’s like saying I’ve copied patola. The first time I did fringe was in 2014. It was made with chiffon that had been ripped apart and made into cords. We created fringe dresses, tops, and a sari, before Tom Ford. I don’t think Tom Ford looked at me and copied it.” She adds, “There are bullies everywhere, and everybody who has an Instagram account now is a fashion guru, and we must listen to them.”

Rimzim Dadu at India Couture Week

Dadu’s annoyance is easy to understand given her years of experimentation. Designer and friend of 20 years, Anand Bhushan, who recalls bonding over design, food, and a shared panic at meeting show deadlines — he has flown with Dadu’s garments from Delhi to Mumbai just in time for her show — believes that what sets her apart is her consistent innovation. “A lot of designers lose that sense of originality, their need to innovate every season, to get seriously excited about their work. I’ve seen Rimzim from the time she was a kid partying every night and going to work in the mornings to becoming a mother of two beautiful daughters and managing a complete business, and innovating… it’s beautiful.”

The author is a photographer and writer.

Published – September 06, 2025 07:17 am IST

When the Humboldt Forum opened in 2021, it was met with excitement and quite a lot of controversy. The latter because the newest addition to Berlin’s already impressive ensemble of museums is a testament to colonial acquisitions — with over 20,000 objects in their vast collection taken (more often than not, forcibly) during a time of European expansion. Think Nataraja bronzes from the Chola era, delicate Ming-era porcelain, an intricately beaded Mandu Yenu throne from Cameroon, and ivory tools from Namibia.

A Nataraja statue from South India on display at the Humboldt Forum
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

Over the last four years, however, it has become a more collaborative project, states professor Lars-Christian Koch. “This means that we are inviting international experts and source communities to work with our collections, in our museum storage and in exhibitions. And we are working together in provenance research to find out where these objects came from and what they mean to the people [who originally owned them],” he says.

Humboldt Forum contains two formal museums: the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. The intention of the site, shares Koch, who represents the State Museum of Berlin at the Forum, is to surprise, provoke and hopefully initiate dialogue and discourse on the contents of the museum.

Confronting colonialism’s crimes

The exhibits are fascinating and eclectic but raise the question: whose art is it? Who do these artefacts belong to? These are pertinent questions that prestigious museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London have continually chosen to ignore or brush aside — claiming that their collections were either bought legally from private collectors or “gifted” by local rulers to their colonial masters. But given the inherent power imbalance at play, the idea of any kind of treasure being handed over voluntarily by the subjugated is ludicrous.

A Benin bronze at Humboldt Forum
| Photo Credit:
Charukesi Ramadurai

But in western Europe, there is a growing voice for cultural restitution, or returning the spoils of colonialism to their original owners and creators, such as the eighth century stone sculpture of Durga Mahishasuramardini to India by The Met. The Humboldt Forum, for instance, is looking into the provenance of their exhibits, acknowledging that many come from an age of brutal oppression and reckless ransacking. It starts with an open acknowledgement on their website and in several official statements that “the objects from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania are witness to a long colonial and racist history” and a promise that it “provides resources for and is heavily involved in programmes that confront colonialism and its crimes”.

A processional animal sculpture from South India at Humboldt Forum
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

This is only fitting, given that Germany perpetrated several mini holocausts in the 19th century in its African colonies such as Tanzania, Namibia, Burundi and Cameroon. And that is where a large chunk of the exhibits are from. Benin bronzes, violently looted by British forces in the late 19th century, are among the most prized African artefacts, and are currently dispersed among dozens of museums across the world. Germany returned formal ownership of 500 Benin bronzes to Nigeria, with just a handful remaining in the museum on temporary loan. “Our partners in Nigeria were very clear they want their culture exhibited in our museum, so we involved them in the process,” says Koch. “We had an educationalist from Benin City in our museum for eight weeks, working on the text and educational programmes.”

All on board

The notion of restitution or reparation may seem ideal, but it is not always easy or straightforward — starting from the simple fact that geopolitical borders keep changing and a land that an object came from may not even exist today. “We have to do thorough research, from finding out what these objects mean for [that] society and who is the right contact,” explains Koch. “So, we involve our international partners from the institutions in those countries.”

A footrest from Cameroon at Humboldt Forum
| Photo Credit:
Charukesi Ramadurai

Occasionally, the communities don’t want their treasure back, preferring to focus on more current issues instead. Case in point: a 52 foot-long double hulled boat from Papua New Guinea. The boat, strikingly displayed at Humboldt in a manner that makes it seem like it is sailing, hides a backstory of the bloody massacre that led to its exit from the region. This is one of 65,000 objects from the South Pacific region in the museum’s collection, but the people of Papua New Guinea want it to remain there. “They have requested our help to learn to build a replica in their own country,” says Andrea Brandis, the museum’s press officer.

Double hulled boat from Papua New Guinea
| Photo Credit:
Charukesi Ramadurai

Through the year, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and workshops created with a focus on making the objects relevant for foreign audiences and bringing them to life as contemporary “cultural belongings”. For instance, along with the museum displays from Tanzania, there is an ongoing exhibition by living artists from the country.

Talking of restitution, Koch states, “These are political decisions, and we can only offer our recommendations. What we can do is to strengthen our networks and continue with capacity building with our partners across countries.” In a Germany still grappling with memories of the Holocaust and the more recent crisis of immigrants and refugees, it is encouraging to see an interest in tackling a conversation about righting colonial wrongs. While critics maintain it is too little too late, it is still a good start.

The independent journalist writes on travel, art and culture, sustainability and conservation.

Published – September 06, 2025 07:07 am IST

What really is ‘good sound’? Is it crystal-clear music, with no technical glitches? Is it the perfect filler to conversations with your loved ones? Or is it perhaps the aesthetic appeal of the speakers? For Harry Jones, sound experience engineer at audio-tech brand Sonos, it’s all of them, and maybe even more. “Even good battery life contributes to a good sound experience. For example, on a beach, if the battery [of the speaker] runs out, a bad sound experience is actually no music at all,” he laughs.

In a chat with The Hindu, Jones talks all things sound — what really constitutes an optimal listening experience, how listeners can ensure great acoustics in their homes, and how Indian consumers are increasingly prioritising a premium listening experience.

Research suggests that jarring sound or music in eateries can affect our sense of taste.

Speaker as accessory

According to Jones, the best version of their creation that artists get to listen to is within the confines of a studio. Once outside, it never quite sounds the same. “Good sound should be as clear a window as possible into the original intent of the artist,” he stresses. The effort to offer this window to listeners later on includes achieving a certain level of form factor as well, and this is where industrial designers step in. “Sure, a sound box might sound amazing. But if it’s an ugly box, we might not even be listening to it!” says Jones.

Harry Jones

Achieving pleasing form isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s fundamentally about the longevity of the products, especially with consumers seeing purchases of speakers and other audio products as an investment. “People might have these products in their homes for years. Having a form factor that is flexible and not intrusive is important. The more beautiful they look, the better they sound,” he adds.

Jones points out how people seemed content listening to music on their phones or perhaps the radio. That practice has now evolved to them valuing good sound and even looking to replicate the complete listening experience they have at a musical event or even the cinemas, right in the comfort of their homes, courtesy of home theatre systems.

Good positioning joins equipment and space in the sound experience trinity.

But in the battle between good equipment and good spaces, who scores brownie points when it comes to ensuring good sound? Jones says it’s a level field between the two. “You could take the best speaker in the world and put it in the worst room, or take the worst speaker and put it in the best room, in both situations, it’ll sound terrible.”

Research suggests that jarring sound or music in eateries can affect our sense of taste. Does our listening experience also impact the way we unwind in our homes? “It’s useful to understand the purpose of any given space. If it’s an ambient space, like a coffee shop, you’re catching up with friends there. You aren’t going to be [actively] listening to music there. But in your living room, if you’re watching a movie, you want a really good sound experience there,” he elaborates.

Placing reflective materials on either side of the speaker or hanging some form of absorption, such as fabric tapestries, on the walls also helps.

Bringing the theatre home

Good positioning joins equipment and space in the sound experience trinity. “One of the best things you can do in your home to immediately improve the sound experience is better placement, especially with soundbars. You want the soundbar to be frontal to your listening position and the surrounds behind you. If you have a single sub, have that at the front. If you have two, place one at the front and one at the back for better low-end distribution in your room,” explains Jones.

Further, in order to ensure a great listening experience at home, one can simply use rugs or carpets to absorb the echo and improve the acoustics of a living space. Placing reflective materials on either side of the speaker or hanging some form of absorption, such as fabric tapestries, on the walls also helps. “With our Trueplay technology, we are looking to correct any frequency anomalies in the room. It works by listening to the music and self-correcting wherever it is placed. We offer these extensive solutions, as we are aware that speakers are not always going to be placed in the best position every time,” he elaborates.

To ensure a great listening experience at home, one can simply use rugs or carpets to absorb the echo and improve the acoustics of a living space. 

Similarly, placing different speakers in different spaces in a home can help create a passive but effective listening experience. “At Sonos, we’ve introduced a seamless multi-room control listening experience where everything is perfectly in sync,” informs Jones.

At home, go for

Technology like spatial audio

Speech enhancement

For restaurants

Easy installation: Pick equipment that uses a single cable or a minimum number of cables to deliver both power and data.

Multichannel echo cancellation: To get rid of unnecessary echo and deliver good sound in changing environments.

Software compatibility: The ability to configure speakers and control the settings from a single app or dashboard in order to avoid additional control units.

Flexible mounts: Allow mounting of the speakers at different angles and tilting them as required to install the speakers in any orientation.

The writer and theatre artist is based between Bengaluru and Delhi.

Published – September 05, 2025 05:51 pm IST

Representative picture.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

In Vinland Saga, they speak of a faraway place, “a warm and fertile land, untouched by slave-raiders nor the flame of war” — where even the weary might find peace. Tolkien wrote of a similar “far, green country,” glimpsed on the edge of the world. As the plane slipped below the clouds, I thought of both. Sri Lanka stretched out in shades of green that seemed to multiply the longer I looked. A beautiful unbroken sweep of deep, restless, and endless green, cut only by the blue breath of the Indian Ocean and clouds brushing the horizon. From up here, it felt like a land made for gentleness, though its soil has known other things.

The road from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport to the city was lined with coconut palms swaying in the heat, and hand-painted signs for mangoes, crab curry, and promises of “cool beer” leaning by the roadside. Every now and then, newer signs in Mandarin pointed the way to shiny casinos. The brisk air wrapped around me, and somewhere in it, I could feel sense a delicate optimism.

For the better part of a decade, Sri Lanka has lived through events that would test any country’s spirit. The shattering violence of the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, the economic collapse of 2022, and the protests that swept through its streets with a force not seen in generations, are some of the recent occurrences in the country’s turbulent history. There were days when fuel queues curled for kilometres and nights when even candlelight felt like a luxury. Tourism, the once a proud pillar of the economy, seemed like a dream slipping further away.

And yet here we are, on the cusp of something resembling a renaissance. Sri Lanka is open again, and has stories to share.

An inner chamber from the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo
| Photo Credit:
Ayaan Paul Chowdhury

The numbers tell part of the story. Tourist arrivals in 2024 surged past the million mark by mid-year, with India leading the way. Earnings from the sector crossed $1.5 billion in just six months, an achievement that took nearly all of the previous year to reach. The government has set its sights higher still, with 2.5 million arrivals and $4 billion in revenue by this year’s end, and twice that by 2026. It’s an enterprising plan that relies on visitor enthusiasm and also the country’s ability to convince the world it is safe, stable, and worth the journey.

Refhan Razeen, General Manager of Shangri-La Hambantota, sees the shifts in the industry up close. “It’s deeply rewarding,” he says of being part of Sri Lanka’s resurgence. “We have seen first-hand the strength of our people and the spirit of our guests, many of whom returned not just out of loyalty, but love. We are helping write a brighter chapter for the island we call home.”

It was against this period of rebuilding that Shangri-La invited me to stay at its two Sri Lankan properties — the city-front Colombo hotel and the southern coast’s Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa. On paper, they are siblings. Both unmistakably Shangri-La in their service philosophy, and both committed to a standard of comfort and care that has made the brand a byword for Asian hospitality. But in practice they felt world’s apart.

Colombo’s property is part of One Galle Face, the capital’s shiny promenade of skyscrapers, built where the Old Army Headquarters once stood. From the higher floors, the Indian Ocean glimmers beyond the new Port City — a stretch of reclaimed land shaped by Chinese cranes and capital. Its marinas are neatly drawn, and its boulevards are improbably wide, as a small development dreaming of a Dubai-on-the-Indian-Ocean future. Down on the ground, the bathroom signs are in Mandarin and English. In a place where two native tongues have long jostled for space, neither makes an appearance. Further south in Hambantota, another Chinese-built port waits in the harbour.

The view of the Galle Face as seen from the new Port City marina in Colombo
| Photo Credit:
Ayaan Paul Chowdhury

Refhan prefers to see these changes as opportunities. After all, Shangri-La, is no stranger to the idea of bridging the traditions and modernities of the East and the West. Founded in Hong Kong, it now finds itself in Sri Lanka, looking out over ports and skylines shaped by the same nation whose name it carries in its DNA. “We don’t position ourselves through geopolitics,” Refhan says, “but through the universal values of service, respect, and community.”

In Colombo, guests step into polished marble and floor-to-ceiling windows that catch the sea. Business travellers in suits share the lobby with wedding parties, the scent of jasmine from the Chi spa drifting in from somewhere above. From the sea-facing rooms, the harbour feels alive. Ships drifting in and out, the light changing hour by hour, as if the view is painting itself anew each time you look.

Mornings begin with the kind of breakfast at Central that could keep you happily seated for hours: hoppers and sambols, eggs for days, fruits cut so neatly they look like art, and an assortment of Indian breakfast essentials. By sundown, and the air loosens. Tiki Bar leans into the lazy breezes and a terrific ensemble of live jazz, with an arrack cocktail sweating in every hand. Later, at Capital Bar & Grill, I found what might be the best whiskey sour I’ve ever tasted… good enough that I went back for seconds. And then, admittedly, thirds.

The view of the upcoming Port City and harbour from the sea-facing rooms at Shangri-La Colombo
| Photo Credit:
Ayaan Paul Chowdhury

Three hours south along the new expressway, Hambantota moves to an entirely different tempo. Where Colombo was more cosmopolitan and plugged in, Hambantota is immersive, and shaped by nature and the southern coast’s easy sprawl. Set on 58 hectares along a 1.2-kilometre beach, this gorgeous property feels like a private estate. The horizon seems unbroken by anything but the sea and the air carries salt and frangipani. The property is an ecosystem of its own, with an 18-hole golf course, an artisanal village where woodcarvers work in open huts, three swimming pools, and a spa scented with Ayurvedic oils.

My time here had a way of unfolding without much planning. The grounds are so vast and winding that you can wander for hours without retracing your steps.  I somehow found myself at the archery range one afternoon, and even on a trapeze before dinner. At night, the mood changes. One evening, I walked the coastline under a full moon so bright it seemed to set the sea aglow, with the sound of the waves carrying far into the stillness. Another ended in some cheeky drama of being sternly told off by a stubborn firangi for laughing too loudly in the small hours — though it felt impossible not to in a place that makes you feel this unguarded.

A bird’s-eye view of Shangri-La Hambantota
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Resilience is a practice,” Refhan says when asked how luxury survives in a place that has faced so much uncertainty. “Shangri-La’s five-star promise is built not on opulence, but on authenticity, care, and service from the heart. What emerged from the crises was a deeper, more meaningful kind of luxury rooted in connection, and not just aesthetics.”

That connection seems to run deep. In Hambantota, staff recall returning guests by name, in wedding parties who come back for anniversaries, and families who book the same suite each year. India now leads as Sri Lanka’s largest source market. From January to early July this year, nearly two lakh Indian travellers crossed the short stretch of water that separates the two countries, drawn by cultural familiarity and short flight time. Refhan credits this to “understanding” more than marketing. “Indian travellers are diverse, discerning, and emotionally connected to Sri Lanka. We curate experiences that reflect that through destination weddings, multigenerational travel, as well as wellness, gastronomy, and family-focused stays.”

Of course, the renaissance is fragile. The economy, though no longer in freefall, is still under the weight of an IMF programme. Public services still strain under the weight of austerity measures, and the memories of 2022’s shortages remain fresh. Alongside, Chinese investment continues to deliver infrastructure on a scale few others could match, but in the same breath, it leaves room for questions about what is owed, and to whom. Still, there’s a shared understanding here that tourism can bring in revenue quickly, rebuild confidence, and put people back to work.

Yet it’s impossible to ignore the signs of life. At Colombo’s Galle Face Green, families picnic under the sun, vendors sell kottu roti and isso wade, and children fly kites against a skyline that is, once again, growing. In Hambantota, guests cycle past rice paddies on their way to the lagoon, or head out in the wee hours to a leopard safari at Yala.

The Colombo Galle Face skyline at sunset, as seen from the Lotus Tower
| Photo Credit:
Ayaan Paul Chowdhury

The Sri Lankan push for tourism is ambitious, but it carries the intimacy of something rebuilt by hand. It’s in the small gestures of the cool towel and lime drink at check-in. It’s in the simple kindness of the earnest housekeeper who left me a handwritten note wishing me well and a good night’s sleep. It’s in our Yala safari guide, whose eyes lit up with a childlike gleam at the mere possibility of spotting a leopard, even after making the trip over a thousand times in the past decade. It’s in the shy chef who taught us to make hoppers from scratch, patient and gentle through our failed attempts, until we finally managed one that held its shape. Throughout my stay in Sri Lanka, none of these little, meaningful details felt inauthentic. “What stands out is sincerity,” Refhan says. “Guests feel seen, valued, and cared for in deeply human ways.”

It’s tempting to call this a comeback, but that would suggest a return to something familiar. What’s taking shape in Sri Lanka feels different. More like a slow turning metamorphoses toward a tourism that draws from the intimate, human textures of its people.

Sri Lanka is still finding its balance between past and future, and between dependence and self-reliance. For the traveller, that search is part of the draw. It’s not a country polished into certainty, but one still in the act of becoming. Or, as Refhan puts it, “Sri Lanka is blooming.”

This writer was in Sri Lanka at the invitation of Shangri-La

Indicating demand for branded private residences in the country, Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai, perhaps the latest to have entered the ultra luxury serviced private residences market, has reported considerable success. Developers of this Worli project say over 80% of its 41 residences across 64 floors have already been sold. A spokesperson adds, “This strong demand highlights Mumbai’s enthusiasm for unparalleled living experiences.” According to real estate brokers, the price of homes in this project is about ₹1 lakh per sq ft.

As wealth accumulates at the top end of the pyramid, more private residences are entering the market in key cities.

These homes, priced between ₹5 crore and ₹99 crore for a large sea-facing house, offer ultra-luxury facilities and services at par with five-star deluxe hotels. “The growth of branded private residences in India is being fuelled by rising disposable incomes, increasing demand for differentiated luxury lifestyles, and the appeal of globally recognised names that combine exclusivity with world-class service,” says Vivek Rathi, national director-research, Knight Frank India. “High-net-worth individuals [HNIs] and non-resident Indians [NRIs] see these projects not only as status symbols but also as long-term value assets, given their higher price premiums, superior resale potential, and enduring demand in prime locations,” he adds.

Key stakeholders driving this segment include luxury developers, international hospitality groups, and lifestyle brands. For developers, the partnership brings instant credibility and premium positioning, while brands benefit from expanding their footprint into a fast-growing market.

These collaborations provide Indian buyers access to hotel-style living with curated services — spa, concierge, and housekeeping — while ensuring developers achieve premium pricing, often 25%–30% higher than comparable non-branded luxury properties.

Globally, branded residences have matured into a mainstream luxury housing category, led by cities such as Miami, Dubai, London, and Bangkok. In these markets, buyers pay an average of30%–40% price premium over comparable non-branded luxury projects, thanks to the prestige, security, and hotel-style lifestyle these properties offer. The model is particularly successful in destinations with a strong influx of international investors and lifestyle-driven buyers, according to Rathi.

Early growth phase

India, while still in its early growth phase, is rapidly emerging as one of the fastest-expanding branded residence markets. “The country’s rising base of high-net-worth individuals, aspirational demand among upwardly mobile professionals, and consistent NRI interest are driving adoption,” Rathi says. “Unlike global peers that focus heavily on leisure destinations, India’s early branded residences are concentrated in metro cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, and Pune, with secondary growth expected in leisure hubs like Goa and Udaipur. This positions India as a high-potential market, catching up with global benchmarks while offering unique cultural and locational flavours.”

Cost-wise, branded residences in the country command a 25%–30% premium over traditional luxury housing. Maintenance charges are also significantly higher than those for conventional luxury housing, reflecting the hospitality-driven operating model.

“While global leaders have set the bar for branded residences, India is now carving its niche, offering a blend of international brand prestige and local cultural resonance. As global hospitality chains expand partnerships with Indian developers, the country is steadily positioning itself on the international branded residence map,” Rathi explains.

Sudeep Bhatt, director strategy at Whiteland Corporation, which is constructing the Westin Private Residences in Gurugram, adds, “Branded residences represent the pinnacle of premium living, where a home transcends into a complete lifestyle experience. Our collaboration with Marriott International to introduce one of India’s first and largest Westin-branded Residences in Gurugram is a testament to this vision. We believe branded residences will continue to shape the future of urban living in India.”

New project

The latest to join the supply of private residences is Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai, which will open soon. It has come up in a tie-up with Provenance Land, a real estate developer.

From expansive three-bedroom residences spanning entire floors to five- and six-bedroom duplexes, “these palatial residences will offer spacious seclusion from the vibrant energy of the city below”. Bart Carnahan, president of Global Business Development, Portfolio Management and Residential, Four Seasons, in a statement, said, “We will deliver a lifestyle that is thoughtfully curated and operated end-to-end by Four Seasons, ensuring our residents experience the exceptional experiences, world-class amenities, and personalised service that they have come to know and enjoy.”

At Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai, homeowners will have access to their own Residents’ Club featuring a lounge and media room, a private dining room, and a fully equipped gym. For outdoor activities, residents will enjoy over an acre of green space, a meditation garden, a pickleball court, and an elevated pool with a cascading water feature, according to the hospitality company. The residences are designed by architectural firm Gensler and interior design studio Yabu Pushelberg.

In Chennai, city-based Ampa Group, a real estate player, in a tie-up with Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), is setting up Taj Sky View Hotels and Residences, an integrated development comprising 253 keys and 123 Taj-branded residences. To be operational in 2027, this will be the first Taj-branded private residence.

The residents will enjoy the signature Taj life from home, including home dining, butler service, laundry services, business centre, and on-demand housekeeping. IHCL is planning to do more such projects in various cities in India.

Advantages

Premium amenities: Branded residences offer hotel-grade services such as concierge, valet parking, housekeeping, in-residence dining, and 24/7 security. Residents also enjoy exclusive access to spas, gyms, pools, lounges, private dining, and even cinemas, either integrated with hotels or as standalone facilities. Bespoke offerings like grocery delivery, personal trainers, and pet care ensure a seamless luxury living experience aligned with global hospitality standards.

High ROI and resale value: Positioned in prime urban or resort locations, these residences benefit from brand prestige, superior maintenance, and consistent demand, leading to higher capital appreciation and rental yields. Their brand affiliation makes them easier to lease or sell at a premium.

Global brand recognition and trust: Ownership brings the assurance of quality, exclusivity, and prestige associated with world-renowned brands. This trust factor significantly enhances marketability and long-term asset value.

Foreign investor and NRI appeal: International branding appeals strongly to NRIs and global investors seeking world-class design, secure ownership, and investment-grade assets. Many projects cater specifically to UHNWIs and NRIs with globally benchmarked features, prime locations, and transparent governance.

Design excellence and brand prestige: Developed in collaboration with global ‘starchitects’ and elite design houses, these properties boast distinctive architecture, premium finishes, and attention to every detail, setting new standards for modern, upscale living.

Disadvantages

Higher cost and niche demand: Branded residences command a significant premium in both purchase price and ongoing maintenance due to luxury services and brand licensing fees. This limits the target audience to a niche ultra-luxury segment.

Brand reputation risks: The property’s value is closely tied to the brand’s public image. Any damage to the brand’s reputation, globally or locally, can directly affect resale potential and investor confidence.

Operational complexity: Developers must conform to rigorous brand standards, from design and service to upkeep. This can increase project complexity, timelines, and costs.

Limited flexibility for owners: To preserve uniformity and brand identity, owners often face restrictions on renovations, interiors, or short-term rentals, reducing personalisation and control.

High development costs: The use of premium materials, international design teams, and adherence to global luxury norms make the development process more expensive and risk-intensive.

Brands that offer private residences

Hospitality brands

Four Seasons Private Residences

in Bengaluru (status: almost complete) and Mumbai (status: complete)

Ritz-Carlton Residences in Pune (status: NA)

JW Marriott Residences in Bengaluru (status: NA)

Westin Residences in Gurugram (status: to be completed in 2031)

Taj-branded residences in Chennai (status: to be completed 2027) and Mumbai (status: operational)

Leela Residences in Bengaluru (status: complete) and Delhi (status: likely completed)

Conrad Hotels in Pune (status: complete)

St. Regis Residences in Delhi (status: likely completed) and Mumbai (status: complete)

Waldorf Astoria Residences in Jaipur (status: to be completed in 2027-28)

Luxury lifestyle brands

Armani Casa in Mumbai (status: complete)

Versace Home in Mumbai (status: complete)

Trump Towers in Mumbai (status: complete) Pune (status: complete), and Delhi NCR (status: scheduled in 2025).

YOO Residences in Gurgaon (status: operational) and Odisha (status: NA)

Luxury Lifestyle Brands

Armani Casa in Mumbai (status: complete)

Versace Home in Mumbai (status: complete)

Trump Towers in Mumbai (status: complete), Pune (status: complete) , and Delhi NCR (status: scheduled in 2025).

YOO Residences in Gurgaon (status: operational) and Odisha (status: NA)