Kering Launches Kering Generation Award in India with Reliance Brands
Kering has announced the launch of the Kering Generation Award in India, marking the first time the initiative will be introduced in the region.
At Kering’s headquarters in Paris, Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability & Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, and Jaspreet Chandok, Group Vice-President Reliance Brands Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the Indian edition of the award.
The initiative aims to promote sustainability and circular innovation within the fashion industry, while supporting emerging solutions that can contribute to meaningful change and advance sustainable fashion practices.
Inspired by Kering’s sustainability signature, “Crafting Tomorrow’s Luxury”, the Kering Generation Award has been running since 2018 across markets including China, Japan and MENA. The programme identifies promising startups and technologies working towards solutions that can reduce the environmental and social impact of fashion across the value chain, from raw materials through to product end of life.
The inaugural Indian edition will focus specifically on startups developing circular initiatives with a direct impact on resource protection. The programme will collaborate with the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge in partnership with the United Nations in India as its exclusive nominating partner.
Through the partnership, Kering and Reliance Brands Limited aim to support innovative fashion solutions while creating greater opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs working at the intersection of sustainability, technology and circularity.
The Kering Generation Award India ceremony will take place at the Embassy of France during Fashion Week in Delhi on October 13, 2026, as part of the Franco-Indian Year of Innovation.
“Expanding the Kering Generation Award to India is a natural and strategic next step in our mission to support visionary impact startups that are shaping the future of luxury,” said Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer. “India is not only a massive and rapidly growing market for the luxury sector, but also a thriving hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. We are convinced that empowering the region’s most promising entrepreneurs at the intersection of fashion, beauty and innovation will accelerate the breakthrough circular solutions needed to transform our industry.”
“The future of luxury will be shaped not only by creativity, but by the ability to innovate responsibly. India is home to exceptional talent reimagining materials, technology and circular business models, and this partnership with Kering provides an important global stage for those innovators. We are proud to bring together Reliance Brands’ experience in building fashion ecosystems with Kering’s leadership in sustainability to champion solutions that can influence the future of the industry. Building on R|ElanTM Circular Design Challenge, this collaboration further strengthens our commitment to nurturing innovation that is both commercially viable and environmentally responsible,” said Jaspreet Chandok, Group VP Reliance Brands Limited.
The launch marks a new platform for Indian startups developing circular and resource-conscious solutions, while strengthening collaboration between global luxury expertise and India’s growing fashion innovation ecosystem.
