Brands
Row gets its close-up as Reliance Brands rewrites luxury’s script
MUMBAI: Move over front-row seats, this one was an entire production. Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) rolled out the red carpet for India’s most discerning shoppers with the inaugural Front Row Weekend (FRW), a luxury experience that felt more Cannes than commercial.
Unfolding across Jio World Plaza and Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai, and DLF Emporio in Delhi, the multi-location, invitation-only showcase offered a select 100 guests per city a front-row pass to global fashion’s freshest drops launching in India at the same time as Milan, Paris, and New York.
FRW wasn’t just another glossy showcase; it was an experience in emotional couture, part art, part aspiration. RBL handpicked its most valued luxury patrons, a cohort that reportedly spends nearly three times more than their peers, for a weekend where exclusivity was the ultimate accessory.
The festivities began with “The First Look” Gala Night, an intimate, high-glamour soirée that set the tone for the weekend. On 8 October, Jio World Plaza hosted HNI clients and key opinion leaders with a live saxophone set, exquisite tablescaping, and a five-course sit-down dinner. The following evening, DLF Emporio in Delhi turned the mood to melody with a live sitar and piano performance, echoing through a similarly lavish dinner affair.
The dress code Black with a Twist encouraged guests to interpret the theme through personal expression, making the night as cinematic as it was chic. Among those spotted were Mouni Roy, Bianca Contractor, Aarti and Kshiraja Surendranath, Jaanam and Tinu Advani, Mozez Singh, Sawan and Sagar Gandhi, and Sanaya Irani, lending the evening its fashion-meets-film aura.
The glamour continued through 8–12 October, as the event turned India’s most iconic luxury malls into curated playgrounds of craft and creativity. Global maisons joined the experience with bespoke activations Valentino’s “Embroidery Chapter”, Versace’s “Glamour Spectrum”, Giorgio Armani’s canapé and mocktail soirée, Bottega Veneta’s Metallic Celebration, and Tory Burch’s Matcha Atelier Experience, alongside Brooks Brothers, Zegna, Canali, and Paul & Shark.
Each experience was designed to deepen emotional engagement, no loud branding, no influencer frenzy, just pure indulgence.
Top spenders were rewarded in true haute style from 3-night Phuket getaways worth Rs 5.7 lakh plus and 2-night sea-view stays in Abu Dhabi, to Royal Signature grooming experiences across 14 cities, luxury tea sets from Tea Culture of the World, and fine dining vouchers from Indian Accent.
“Front Row Weekend is about crafting moments of pure luxury, no noise, no flash, just you and the brand in its most expressive form,” said Reliance Brands Limited Sumeet Yadav. “We’re bringing back the romance, reverence, and rhythm that true luxury deserves.”
By deliberately keeping influencers and mass publicity out, RBL turned FRW into a rarefied cultural moment, one where fashion wasn’t just worn, it was felt.
With its blend of global flair and Indian finesse, Front Row Weekend may well become the country’s most exclusive luxury tradition where every guest doesn’t just watch fashion happen, they live it.
Brands
Suresh Agarwal named MD and CEO designate of Mahindra-Manulife JV
Industry veteran to steer new 50:50 venture in India’s growing life cover market
MUMBAI: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Manulife have named Suresh Agarwal as the managing director and chief executive officer designate of their proposed life insurance joint venture, subject to regulatory approvals.
The 50:50 partnership, first announced in November last year, marks Mahindra’s formal entry into the life insurance arena. With Agarwal at the helm, the venture is looking to blend rural reach with global insurance expertise in what is one of the world’s fastest-growing life cover markets.
Agarwal brings close to three decades of experience spanning life and general insurance, as well as corporate and retail lending. He played a pivotal role in building and scaling Kotak’s life insurance business and later led the transformation of Kotak General Insurance, including its joint venture formation with Zurich Insurance. Known for his sharp eye on multi-channel distribution, governance and operational efficiency, he has built a reputation for pairing ambition with execution.
Currently serving as managing director and chief executive officer of Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited since September 2025, Agarwal will step down from that role on 30 April 2026 and assume his new responsibilities from 1 May 2026, subject to regulatory clearances.
The joint venture aims to offer long-term savings and protection products tailored to India’s diverse and evolving needs. The idea is simple but powerful: combine Mahindra’s strong presence in rural and semi-urban India with Manulife’s global capabilities in agency building, product development and underwriting, particularly for urban customers.
Mahindra Group executive vice president and member of the group executive board Puneet Renjhen, described life insurance as a key pillar in India’s push towards deeper financial inclusion. He said the partnership, backed by Mahindra’s trusted brand and governance standards along with Manulife’s global expertise, is well placed to build a customer-focused franchise. With Agarwal’s appointment, he added, the business is set to scale with discipline and long-term value creation at its core.
Manulife chief marketing officer for Asia and principal officer for the proposed insurance JV Harshal Shah, called India one of the most compelling long-term opportunities in global life insurance. He said the company had been deliberate in choosing both the timing and the partner for its India entry. The ambition, he noted, is to become the first choice for customers through a digital-first approach and solutions tailored to varied protection needs.
With leadership now in place, the Mahindra-Manulife venture is gearing up to turn intent into action, bringing fresh competition and renewed energy to India’s life insurance landscape.
