India Emerges as YOO's Prime Market for Branded Residences

Global design and real estate brand YOO sees India as its top market for branded residences, with increasing demand and new project proposals. James Snelgar, partner and head of international business development at YOO, told ET that the company is exploring projects in Pune and Kolkata, and is even receiving requests from tier-2 cities.

YOO, founded by French designer and architect Philippe Starck and British property entrepreneur John Hitchcox, has executed 6-7 real estate projects in India over the past decade. The company is currently in talks to undertake 4-5 more projects. “The kind of enquiries we are getting recently is an indicator of inherent demand in the Indian market,” Snelgar said. “We don’t have any specific targets, but in the non-hospitality branded residences segment, we think we can capture the market.”

YOO's first project in North India is with Dalcore Group, which is investing Rs 500 crore to develop 96 luxury 3 BHK and 4 BHK apartments in a single tower on approximately two acres of land in Gurugram. Sidharth Chowdhry, managing director of Dalcore, highlighted the unique value proposition of the project, saying, “The idea behind engaging with a designer like Starck is to give consumers a different product where the luxury is visible.” This is Dalcore’s first project in North India.

Besides this, YOO has designed five projects across Pune and Hyderabad. It has collaborated with Lodha in Mumbai and DN Group in Bhubaneswar. The company has more than 30 residential projects in its portfolio worldwide, including Sky Oasis in Macau, Icon Brickell in Miami, and Gramercy in New York.

Philippe Starck, known for pioneering the concept of ‘designer hotels’ with hotels like the Delano in Miami, has also designed the Olympic torch for the 1992 Winter Olympics and redesigned the private apartment of former French president François Mitterrand at the Élysée Palace. The French government named him a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

According to Knight Frank, India ranks sixth globally in terms of live branded residential projects, contributing approximately 4% of the world’s supply. A projection by Noesis Capital Advisors indicates that the number of branded residence projects in India could increase by nearly 60% by 2027, underscoring rising demand, especially in the NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.