NASHIK : The capacity expansion, completed in two phases after the Covid-19 pandemic, marks a strategic shift for the Samsonite Group as it bets big on India’s growing travel and consumption story. Until 2019, the company manufactured around 2.25 lakh units per month in India, before deciding to significantly scale up operations to meet rising demand.
Speaking to PTI, Jai Krishnan said the Nashik facility is now among the largest factories globally for the group in terms of production volume. He added that India is set to play an even bigger role in the company’s future growth plans.
Anticipating sustained demand driven by a post-pandemic travel boom, Samsonite is already planning the next phase of expansion and is scouting for land across North, South and East India. A decision on the new location is expected within the next 12–18 months, as the Nashik site has been fully utilised.
Krishnan noted that while business and production halted during the Covid outbreak in 2020, the company continued construction at the Nashik plant, confident of a swift economic rebound. That confidence, he said, has paid off as travel, tourism and mobility picked up strongly.
India is currently Samsonite’s third-largest market globally after the US and China and is also the world’s third-largest luggage market. Growth is being fuelled by weddings, business travel, leisure tourism and increasing mobility among younger consumers from semi-urban and smaller towns. Rising incomes and a shift towards branded products have further boosted demand.
The company operates three brands in India, Samsonite, American Tourister and Kamiliant, catering to premium, mass-premium and mass segments respectively. American Tourister contributes about 60 per cent of sales, while Samsonite and Kamiliant account for around 20 per cent each.
Following the expansion, Samsonite has also begun exporting from India, with about 10 per cent of Nashik’s output serving group companies across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. The company had earlier faced export constraints due to limited capacity.
On competition from both established players and new-age luggage brands, Krishnan said increased competition is healthy for the industry as it encourages travel and luggage purchases among consumers.
Financially, Samsonite Group’s net sales in India rose 8.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter in Q3 2025, reversing a 2.7 per cent decline in Q2 2025. However, India sales fell 18 per cent year-on-year in calendar year 2024 to USD 210 million. American Tourister posted a 2.9 per cent growth in net sales during Q3 2025.
E-commerce and Canteen Stores Department (CSD) sales currently account for around 36 per cent of the company’s business in India, with online channels contributing about 16 per cent of total revenue through platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.
Alongside manufacturing expansion, Samsonite is also scaling up its retail footprint. From about 600 stores at present, the company plans to expand to nearly 1,000 stores nationwide over the next few years, with a strong focus on smaller towns and emerging cities where aspirational demand for branded luggage is growing.
Samsonite has significantly expanded its manufacturing capacity in India, making it the company's largest global hub. The Nashik facility now ranks among the group's top production sites, with plans for further expansion to meet rising demand. This strategic move aligns with India's growing travel market, positioning the country as a key player in Samsonite's future growth.