At the India Fashion Forum 2026, a high-impact panel on Fashion Retail Landscape 2030 brought together some of the industry’s most influential voices to decode the future of Indian retail. Moderated by Vishak Kumar, Deputy MD & CEO, ABLBL the discussion offered strategic insights into growth, disruption, and the evolving dynamics of fashion retail in India. The session also explored how technology, consumer behaviour, and sustainability will reshape the next decade. The speakers in the panel were:
- Abhishek Bansal, Managing Director, Pacific Group
- Abhishek Ganguly, Co-Founder & CEO, Agilitas
- Mouli Venkataraman, CEO, Cocoblu Retail
- Siddharth Bindra, MD, BIBA Apparels
Moderator: Vishak Kumar, Deputy MD & CEO, ABLBL
Shared Aspirations for India’s Retail Future
Setting the tone for a forward-looking and purpose-driven dialogue, the panel opened with a simple yet powerful question: what is the one transformation each leader wished to see by 2030?
The responses reflected the diversity, ambition, and evolving priorities of India’s fashion and retail ecosystem. Abhishek Ganguly, Co-Founder & CEO, Agilitas, envisioned a more active nation, where increased participation in sports would fuel healthier lifestyles, global sporting success, and stronger demand for performance-led apparel.
From a physical retail lens, Abhishek Bansal, Managing Director, Pacific Group, highlighted the rapid evolution of consumer preferences, noting how shopping centres have transformed from basic brand destinations into experiential hubs offering diverse categories and immersive reveals.
Representing digital commerce, Mouli Venkataraman, CEO, Cocoblu Retail, expressed optimism for accelerated e-commerce penetration, calling for growth that surpasses projections while remaining profitable and equitable for platforms, brands, and sellers alike.
Adding a brand-led perspective, Siddharth Bindra, MD, BIBA Apparels, spoke of India’s rising global stature, expressing his aspiration to see homegrown fashion labels build strong international presence and compete confidently on the world stage.
Together, these perspectives underscored a shared belief in India’s expanding influence—driven by active lifestyles, experiential retail, digital acceleration, sustainable profitability, and globally relevant brands—positioning the industry for a more dynamic, inclusive, and internationally connected future.
Challenges the Industry Must Avoid
Continuing the future-focused dialogue, the panelists reflected on what they hoped would not define India’s retail and fashion landscape over the next five years, highlighting key risks that could undermine long-term progress.
Siddharth raised concerns about climate disruption, warning that extreme weather events, urban flooding, and environmental instability are already eroding livelihoods, incomes, and business continuity, and could pose serious threats if left unaddressed.
From an e-commerce standpoint, Mouli cautioned against the industry’s overdependence on price-led growth, noting that millions of consumers have been conditioned to shop primarily on discounts. He stressed the need for a collective shift toward value, quality, and experience-driven consumption.
Abhishek Ganguly emphasised the importance of raising standards, urging Indian businesses to move beyond accepting average benchmarks in aesthetics, functionality, and detail. He advocated for a stronger pursuit of excellence and global competitiveness through continuous improvement.
Adding a broader market perspective, Abhishek Bansal pointed to India’s limited success in converting tourism into retail growth, observing that domestic consumption continues to dominate while inbound shopping remains underdeveloped. He underlined the need to make India a safer, more attractive destination for international shoppers.
Together, these perspectives highlighted the urgency of addressing environmental risks, moving beyond price dependency, elevating quality standards, and unlocking tourism-led retail potential to ensure a more resilient and globally relevant industry.
Balancing Density and Space
“Given that India has the highest number of retail outlets per capita but the lowest retail space per person, how do you see the country’s retail landscape evolving over the next five years? With the rise of e-commerce, do you foresee India leapfrogging physical retail, or will the future lie in building a stronger balance between organised, high-quality physical stores and digital channels?”
Responding to the evolving dynamics of India’s retail density and infrastructure, industry leaders offered grounded and forward-looking perspectives rooted in on-ground realities.
Abhishek Bansal highlighted how physical retail has scaled dramatically, noting that “what started with 200,000 or 250,000 square feet is now looking like a million square feet,” while adding that “the consumer is also moving very quickly from unorganised to organised.” He observed that brands today demand significantly larger spaces, with stores expanding from “a thousand square feet” to “4,000, 5,000, even 10,000 square feet,” reflecting deeper category expansion and ambition. On geographic spread, he explained that “the first layer of cities has gotten covered,” and developers are now moving into cities with “25 lakh to 50 lakh people,” creating new growth corridors.
Abhishek Ganguly emphasised the catalytic role of digital platforms, stating that “digital will play this huge role of creating aspiration through reach,” while e-commerce and quick commerce have expanded access and convenience. He underlined visible improvements in physical retail, saying, “there is a definitive movement in terms of quality of retail and experience,” and pointed to the emergence of disruptive new brands that will “capture mind space,” compelling incumbents to “revitalise, change and evolve.”
Offering a cautious view, Mouli Venkataraman remarked, “I don’t think the reality of the situation is going to change much” in terms of per capita space, given urban saturation. However, he saw promise in smaller markets and structural shifts in online retail, noting that e-commerce is settling into “three large buckets”—full selection, quick commerce, and value commerce—with quick commerce becoming “the dominant format over the next two, three years.”
Balancing optimism with financial discipline, Siddharth Bindra stressed that while “consumption is going to grow,” brands must “correctly estimate the demand” and “correctly size your stores.” He welcomed the expansion beyond top cities, sharing that “we as a brand are in 140 cities,” but cautioned that growth must be aligned with “profitability, the cost, the size and what categories you want to sell.”
Together, the speakers underscored that India’s retail future will be shaped by larger, better-quality physical spaces, deeper digital integration, regional expansion, and sharper focus on sustainable, profitable growth.
Where the Next Breakthrough Lies
When asked to predict the next big disruption in retail and fashion, industry leaders offered a grounded, forward-looking perspective rooted in technology, authenticity, and evolving consumer engagement.
Mouli V set the tone by cautioning against dramatic forecasts, saying, “I’m not a particularly big fan of this revolution kind of theory. I’m more of an evolution guy,” while adding that “the whole tech and the AI wave… is going to transform a lot of industries,” especially by “unlocking value across the eco chain.”
Bindra echoed this digital shift, noting, “In five years each consumer will have an agent which will be talking to the brand,” and emphasising that “the way brands communicate with consumers… continues to change at such a rapid pace.”
Abhishek Ganguly reinforced this view, stating, “Businesses will be powered by technology, AI and tools,” and that “the way consumers and brands outreach will absolutely evolve.” He also highlighted product and brand evolution, saying, “There’ll be far more meaningful brands,” and predicting that “sportswear will be the category in fashion big time.”
Abhishek Bansal focused on integration and responsibility, observing, “People will be shopping more seamless between online and offline platforms,” while stressing that “brands which focus on sustainability will be accepted more,” as consumers can now distinguish “lip service” from genuine effort.
Concluding the discussion, Vishak Kumar emphasised trust and personalisation: “Brands will have to learn to be a whole lot more authentic,” noting that consumers will identify “greenwashing from the real ones,” become a “segment of one,” and expect engagement “at one consumer at a time level.” He added that “honest to goodness authentic brands will find huge traction with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.”
Together, the speakers outlined a future shaped less by sudden disruption and more by continuous technological evolution, deeper personalisation, and a renewed focus on authenticity and sustainability.
