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
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
