Strategy Paper by Abhay Gupta – The Indian Luxury Strategist; Founder & Chairman, Luxury Connect & Luxury Connect Business School (LCBS).
India holds the world’s longest continuous tradition of exquisite craft and the largest artisan workforce on earth — over 7 million skilled artisans across more than 3,000 documented traditions. It is also the fastest-growing luxury consumer market on the planet. And yet, three centuries after Indian muslin, attars and jewellery furnished the courts of the world, India still imports its definition of luxury from Paris.
In this paper, Abhay Gupta argues that the gap is not one of craft, but of architecture. The comparison at its heart is deliberately stark: Switzerland’s roughly 60,000 watchmakers generate CHF 26.7 billion in annual exports, while India’s 7 million artisans generate around USD 3.6 billion — about CHF 445,000 per Swiss craftsperson against USD 514 per Indian artisan. The distinction, Gupta contends, is not craft quality. It is brand architecture.
His answer is a new institutional model: the Shilp-Griha, or House of Craft — the Indian counterpart to the European Maison, but older, deeper, and rooted in civilisational heritage rather than borrowed vocabulary. The paper sets out how India can convert the world’s greatest craft heritage into globally competitive luxury houses before its strategic window closes.
Inside the paper
- Why the Western “Maison” model is the wrong framework for Indian luxury — and the vocabulary that should replace it
- The Shilp-Griha framework and its five defining concepts, placing the master artisan — the Shilpi — at the centre of the brand
- A nine-pillar blueprint for building globally competitive Indian luxury houses
- Six categories, well beyond fashion, where India can lead the world — from jewellery and perfumery to wellness and hospitality
- Why the next five years are decisive, as India’s luxury market is projected to grow 3.5× by 2030 (Bain & Company)
Download the full white paper at luxuryconnect.in/lc-intelligence
Abhay Gupta
The Indian Luxury Strategist
Abhay Gupta is recognised as The Indian Luxury Strategist, advising global luxury brands on entering and scaling in India while helping Indian founders build globally competitive luxury businesses. With over two decades of experience leading luxury market expansion, he founded Luxury Connect and Luxury Connect Business School to strengthen luxury capability in India. He is an internationally recognised speaker on luxury strategy and was named among the TOP Luxury Speakers (2026 & 2027) by the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce.
Op-Ed Disclaimer: This article represents the views and opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views or position of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce (WLCC). Any data, projections, comparisons and third-party references are those cited or relied upon by the author.
Want to receive updates about new reports, expert insights, & more? Sign up to our community below:
