NEW DELHI: India’s fashion landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. While Mumbai and Delhi continue to dominate as the country’s largest fashion markets, a new national study reveals that influence is increasingly shifting towards emerging urban centres where premium consumption, digital engagement and cultural identity are reshaping style preferences.
The inaugural City Style Quotient (CSQ) 2026, released by A Diamond Is Forever India, ranks the country’s 20 leading fashion cities using a proprietary index based on ten measurable indicators. The study finds that Chandigarh, despite having a population of under 1.2 million, ranks among India’s five most influential fashion cities, outperforming significantly larger metros such as Hyderabad and Pune.
The findings challenge the long-held assumption that India’s fashion influence is concentrated exclusively within its biggest metropolitan centres.
India’s New Fashion Powerhouses
Mumbai secured the highest overall City Style Quotient with a score of 96.1, followed by Delhi (93.5) and Bengaluru (90.2). Kolkata ranked fourth at 85.0, while Chandigarh completed the top five with 82.2.
The rankings demonstrate that population size alone is no longer a reliable indicator of fashion influence. Instead, cities with affluent consumer bases, strong premium retail ecosystems and high levels of digital engagement are emerging as influential style destinations.
Luxury Consumption Is Becoming More Regional
One of the report’s most significant findings is the growing decentralisation of luxury fashion consumption.
Chandigarh’s strong performance reflects high per-capita spending across premium fashion, designer apparel, luxury jewellery and lifestyle experiences. Rather than relying on population scale, the city has cultivated a consumer base that actively engages with both global luxury brands and homegrown designers.
For fashion and jewellery brands, this signals that future growth opportunities extend well beyond India’s traditional metro markets.
Fashion Discovery Is Increasingly Digital
The report also highlights the growing role of digital behaviour in shaping fashion influence.
Cities that ranked highly consistently demonstrated stronger search demand for fashion trends, higher online engagement with designer brands and greater adoption of digital shopping channels. Social media, creator-led discovery and online luxury retail are increasingly influencing consumer purchase decisions across India.
The findings suggest that fashion leadership today is determined as much by online influence as by physical retail presence.
Regional Identity Is Becoming Fashion’s Biggest Strength
The City Style Quotient finds that India’s most influential fashion cities are successfully balancing global trends with regional identity.
Bengaluru emerged as the country’s Trend Uptake Leader and Conscious Style Capital, reflecting growing consumer preference for sustainable fashion, independent designers and mindful purchasing.
Chennai recorded the highest score for jewellery influence, reinforcing its long-standing reputation as one of India’s strongest markets for fine gold and diamond jewellery, where craftsmanship and cultural traditions continue to shape buying behaviour.
Meanwhile, cities such as Jaipur, Kochi, Varanasi, Guwahati and Srinagar earned strong scores for preserving regional craftsmanship, textile heritage and artisanal excellence—demonstrating that India’s fashion identity is becoming increasingly diverse rather than homogenised.
