Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli opened its first company-owned boutique in India at Worldmark, Aerocity, New Delhi on September 4, 2026, marking a landmark direct entry into India’s USD 2.5 billion premium chocolate market.
India’s premium chocolate market welcomed its most coveted entrant in September 2026, when Lindt & Sprüngli launched its first dedicated boutique in the country.
The 1,100 sq ft store is located at Worldmark 5, Aerocity — Delhi’s prominent hospitality and retail precinct, adjacent to both domestic and international airports.
The boutique brings Lindt’s full international portfolio to Indian consumers — from the iconic Excellence dark chocolate range to artisanal pralines and curated luxury gifting hampers.
The market is dominated by Mondelez India (Cadbury) with roughly 64% share, followed by Nestle, Ferrero, Hershey, ITC, and Mars across mass and premium segments.
Premiumisation is the fastest-growing demand driver — fuelled by rising urban incomes, expanding gifting occasions, and a younger consumer shaped by global travel and digital food culture.
Founded in Zurich in 1845, Lindt today operates over 600 company-owned boutiques across 120 countries, backed by 12 manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America.
Dr Adalbert Lechner, Group CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli, described the India opening as an important milestone, aimed at bringing the brand’s Swiss heritage and craftsmanship closer to Indian consumers.
A persistent consumer challenge, however, remains: steep import duties continue to make premium imported chocolate aspirational for a large segment of Indian shoppers.
Lindt’s India entry marks the beginning of a new chapter — where Swiss craftsmanship meets India’s growing appetite for world-class gifting and indulgence experiences.
Editor’s Note
Switzerland’s most iconic chocolatier didn’t just open a store. It asked a quiet question of India’s evolving gifting economy. The answers are beginning to form.
Aerocity as a first address is shrewder than it looks. India’s aspirational, globally-minded consumer comes home here — where premium international brands feel entirely natural, not exotic.
India’s gifting culture is shifting fast: from boxed sweets to curated, personalised, experiential choices. Lindt’s Pick & Mix format arrives at exactly the right moment in that evolution.
With 180 years of heritage and a billion aspirational Indians ahead of it, Lindt’s first step on Indian soil is unmistakably the right one.
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