Big fat Indian wedding industry breathing its last? Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee thinks so

India’s extravagant wedding industry is on the decline as the country’s rising affluent class becomes more conscious about consumption, according to leading fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Mukherjee, known for his opulent bridal couture worn by celebrities such as Isha Ambani and Deepika Padukone, told Bloomberg’s Menaka Doshi that the traditional lavish Indian wedding might be “breathing its last.”

“The wedding industry in India, as we know it today, is breathing its last,” Mukherjee said in an interview. “There were very big weddings that happened in the country, and people said it’s going to revolutionise the way Indians see weddings, but I think that will not be the case at all.”

According to Mukherjee, the shift comes as a new generation of Indians prioritises work and financial prudence over extended wedding festivities.

“I see a plane full of people just hopping from weddings to weddings, and I have to ask myself, ‘When do these people work?’ When you start working very hard for your money, irrespective of how rich you are, you become conscious about consumption,” he added, suggesting he may pivot away from wedding wear.

Mukherjee, who built a luxury brand rooted in Indian craftsmanship, believes India is poised to become a dominant player in the luxury market as international consumers seek authenticity and provenance in their purchases.

“Luxury today is failing because brands are appropriating products from different parts of the world. The real premise of luxury is authenticity, provenance, and culture,” he said. “You’re not going to buy a kimono from a French company. I want to buy from a Japanese company. When luxury becomes about craft and handmade, India will become the biggest in the business.”

India’s wedding industry, estimated to have grown to $130 billion, has traditionally been resilient even during economic downturns.