Mumbai, Sept 29: MAPIC India 2026 opened today at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, bringing together leading retailers, developers, investors, brands, technology companies and other key stakeholders from India and around the world to explore the forces shaping the next phase of India's retail growth.
Organised by RX India, the two-day event combines a high-level conference, exhibition and networking platform connecting the retail, real estate, food and beverage, leisure, technology and services ecosystem. The opening day, themed The India Advantage: Reforms, Retail & Rising Consumption, focused on India's expanding consumption economy, evolving retail formats and growing retail real estate opportunity.
Industry Leaders Discuss India's Next Retail Chapter
The inaugural session, The India Advantage: From Reform to Retail Growth in a Rising Consumption Economy, brought together senior leaders from Lacoste India, Shoppers Stop, Reliance Retail, L'Osteria, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail and Nykaa Fashion, examining the changing consumer, retail formats and growth opportunities across India.
Umang Gupta, Country Head, RX India, said: "The India Advantage is no longer simply a forecast. At MAPIC India this year, we are seeing the opportunity translate into real business conversations, partnerships and investments. The presence of India's leading retailers, developers and investors, alongside global players, reflects the scale of opportunity in the Indian market. Day 1 has demonstrated the depth of this ecosystem and set a strong foundation for the conversations ahead."
Sandeep Kumar, Event Director, RX India, added: "Twenty-two editions later, MAPIC India has evolved from a platform focused primarily on malls and storefronts into a meeting point for an entire ecosystem, where property meets retail, retail meets technology and capital meets opportunity. The next chapter of Indian retail will be about creating destinations and experiences that respond to the changing consumer."
Leading Retail and Real Estate Brands at MAPIC India
MAPIC India 2026 brought together a strong cross-section of India's retail and retail real estate ecosystem, with prominent leading brands.
The breadth of participation reflects the growing convergence of retail, real estate, food and beverage, entertainment, fashion, technology and consumer services.
Reports Highlight India's Expanding Retail Opportunity: Two major industry reports were launched on Day 1.
Deloitte's The Home Reset: How India is Redefining the Way Homes are Designed, Upgraded and Experienced projects India's home and household market to grow 1.6 times to US$260 billion by 2030, driven by premiumisation, rising aspirations and more frequent home upgrades. The report also highlights the growing spending power of Tier-II consumers, with average home interior spending reaching INR 3.9 lakh in 2025.
JLL's Indian Retail 2031: Towards a Future-Ready Ecosystem projects approximately 51.1 million sq. ft. of new shopping mall space over the next five years, taking India's total mall stock to 143.2 million sq. ft. by 2031. Delhi NCR is projected to lead with 48.6 million sq. ft., followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai.
The Retail Conversation Moves Beyond Transactions
The conference brought together global and Indian perspectives on the future of retail, with discussions spanning new consumption cities, institutional capital, destination development, Tier-II markets, technology, customer engagement and evolving consumer behaviour.
The Innovation track further explored the role of e-commerce, POS integration, AI and technology-led customer engagement in shaping the next phase of retail.
Day 2: The Next Frontier for Indian Retail
Day 2 on 30 September will focus on India's ambition to become a global luxury retail destination, alongside discussions on mall ROI, evolving tenant mixes, jewellery, new-age Indian fashion, retail in transit, Millennial and Gen Z consumers and the store of the future.
The programme will also feature a keynote by Amit Grover, CEO, Adani Airport City, a CMO session on winning consumers in the attention economy, and the MAPIC India Retail Awards following the conference.
