IFCCI Luxury Committee and Comité Colbert sign landmark MoU in Paris

The MoU was signed during India’s New Script on Luxury, Craft and Culture, a half-day programme held at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Paris on 1^st July 2026. The event brought together leaders from luxury maisons, fashion, design, retail, real estate, policy, law, education, culture and India’s craft and couture ecosystems to discuss India’s growing role in the global luxury landscape.

Under the MoU, the IFCCI Luxury Committee and Comité Colbert will develop sustained engagement through roundtables, symposiums, industry delegations, knowledge papers, policy dialogues and cultural exchange programmes. The partnership will also encourage greater interaction between French luxury maisons and Indian designers, artisans, creative entrepreneurs and institutions.

The signing took place at a pivotal moment for India’s luxury sector. Expanding premium retail infrastructure, rising consumer sophistication, deep craft traditions and a confident new generation of designers are positioning India both as a fast-growing luxury market and as an increasingly influential creative voice.

Reiterating the depth of the cultural and business relationship between India and France, the event’s esteemed diplomatic speakers – including H.E. Mr. Sanjeev Singla, Ambassador of India to France and the Principality of Monaco; Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia (IAS), Secretary, DPIIT, Government of India; Nicolas Dross, Trade Advisor, European Commission; and Ms. Éléonore Caroit, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad – underlined the strategic importance of this partnership in strengthening bilateral cooperation across luxury, craft, culture and the creative industries. 

Spokespersons from IFCCI, the IFCCI Luxury Committee and Comité Colbert expressed a shared sense of optimism, renewed energy and excitement about the collaborative opportunities ahead, with the ambition of unlocking the full potential of Indo-French relations for luxury and cultural businesses.

“France and India share a profound respect for the hand, the eye and the time required to create objects of lasting value. This MoU opens a new chapter of exchange between French maisons and India’s creative ecosystem. It is an invitation to learn from one another, to celebrate craftsmanship in its many forms, and to imagine how heritage can remain alive, relevant and inspiring for future generations.” 

— Bénédicte Epinay, President & CEO, Comité Colbert

“This MoU gives structure to a relationship whose potential has long been evident. As one of the world’s fastest growing consumer markets, India is emerging as a strategic growth destination for luxury brands and an increasingly important voice in conversations on retail, craftsmanship, consumer insight, policy and cultural value. Through this collaboration, IFCCI will help build a more continuous and purposeful bridge between the French and Indian luxury ecosystems.” 

— Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, IFCCI

“Luxury is one of the most powerful languages of cultural diplomacy because it carries memory, skill, identity and imagination. India and France both understand that excellence is not built overnight; it is transmitted across generations. This partnership allows us to connect two cultures of savoir-faire, while giving India’s designers, artisans and creative entrepreneurs a stronger voice in the global luxury dialogue.” 

— Srimoyi Bhattacharya, Chairperson, IFCCI Luxury Committee and Founder, Peepul Advisory

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE 

Beyond the signing, the programme mapped the structural, creative and cultural forces shaping India’s luxury ecosystem. The sessions covered policy and legal frameworks, India’s role in the global luxury value chain, couture, retail infrastructure, consumer insight, digital influence, talent development, handloom innovation and future Indo-French exchange. 

ABOUT IFCCI AND IFCCI LUXURY COMMITTEE | The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) is one of the most active chambers within the global CCI France International network, which spans 125 chambers across 95 countries. It has seven offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Paris. IFCCI launched its Luxury Committee in November 2022. The committee brings together leading French and Indian luxury and premium brands. As India’s luxury market expands, the IFCCI Luxury Committee provides companies in this segment with a platform for knowledge-sharing, advocacy, dialogue and the promotion of ideas. 

ABOUT COMITÉ COLBERT | Founded in 1954 by Jean-Jacques Guerlain, Comité Colbert brings together French luxury maisons, cultural institutions and European luxury maisons. Its mission is to promote, sustainably develop and transmit French savoir-faire and creation, while championing French art de vivre on the world stage.

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