Download

The Story of Da Milano

Da Milano is the story of one family’s dream that gave birth to one of India’s most popular affordable luxury leather brands. The journey began in 1989, when Delhi-based businessman Surinder Malik, along with his sons Sahil and Salil, entered the leather business. Initially, they focused on leather exports. But Sahil soon realized that in India there were many customers who wanted international-quality branded leather bags and accessories, but there were no brands offering them at affordable prices. With this insight, the Da Milano brand was launched. The brand’s vision was clear – to provide Italian design, premium leather, and a luxurious feel at accessible prices.

The name “Da Milano” was chosen very strategically. Though the brand is completely Indian, the Italian-sounding name was selected to evoke heritage, luxury, craftsmanship, and premium branding. In Italian, Da Milano literally means “from Milan.” Milan is known worldwide as the fashion capital, celebrated for its design excellence, leather artistry, and timeless style. By adopting this name, the brand instantly positioned itself in the luxury fashion branding space and created a strong brand image in customers’ minds—one associated with European elegance, quality, and prestige.

Behind the name was a branding strategy as well. The Milan connection made the brand identity more aspirational and added an international edge to its advertising campaigns and brand promotions. Moreover, Da Milano works directly with Italian designers, ensuring that the brand storytelling and campaigns genuinely reflect Italian design philosophy and creativity. This European touch helped the brand compete globally and attract both Indian and international customers.

In the 2000s, Da Milano began opening exclusive stores in big cities. But the real breakthrough in brand promotion came with airport retail stores. Many travellers first saw Da Milano at airports and immediately perceived it as a premium luxury brand. By 2023, the company had 79 stores, including 18 airport outlets. That year, it reported revenues of ₹233 crore with profits of nearly ₹40 crore. In 2024, revenues grew further to about ₹248 crore. The company’s manufacturing units in Himachal Pradesh gave it complete control over quality and production.

A unique feature of the brand is its design studio in Italy. Designers there study global fashion trends, styles, colours, and textures to create collections, which are then manufactured in India. This ensures that every season, hundreds of new designs are launched in the Indian market, strengthening the brand’s marketing campaigns and promotional strategies.

Da Milano has positioned itself as an “affordable luxury” brand. It offers handbags, wallets, belts, and travel leather goods. Most handbags are priced between ₹8,000 and ₹25,000, while larger travel bags can go up to ₹40,000. By comparison, Louis Vuitton bags in India start around ₹1.5 lakh and go beyond ₹4 lakh. For example, Louis Vuitton’s popular Neverfull bag costs nearly 8 to 15 times more than a Da Milano bag.

Thus, Da Milano appeals to customers who want stylish, branded, and high-quality bags without paying extremely high prices. Louis Vuitton, on the other hand, caters to the ultra-rich and collectors who value heritage, legacy, and brand prestige. Both brands emphasize design and quality, but Da Milano—while Indian—offers a unique Italian design collaboration. Another strong branding element is its lifetime free service warranty, something even many top international luxury brands don’t provide.

In its marketing strategy, Da Milano has focused on three key pillars:

Airport stores – a powerful branding campaign that gave the company strong recognition.

Exclusive outlets and its online website – strengthening brand visibility and customer reach.

Brand storytelling around Italian design and lifetime service – winning long-term customer trust.

Internationally, Da Milano has opened stores in Dubai, Bahrain, and Nepal, and also exports to South Africa, Russia, and New Zealand. While exact numbers are not shared, international sales form an important part of the brand promotion strategy.

The promoters always dreamed big—to transform Da Milano into a truly global brand. They are open to bringing in investors, and the company’s valuation is estimated at ₹1,500 crore.

Looking ahead, Da Milano plans to expand with more airport stores and international outlets, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where large numbers of Indian travellers and tourists are present. Strengthening its presence on e-commerce platforms is also a key part of the growth campaign. Design will continue from Italy, production will remain in India, and focus will be on increasing store profitability.

In short, Da Milano is a brand that started from an export business but, through family vision, strategic branding, advertising campaigns, and brand promotion efforts, has become a leading leather brand in India. Today, it is not only growing domestically but also making its presence felt abroad—and is well on its way to becoming a globally recognized brand..

Written by: Sanjay Satalkar
Consultant – Advertising and Marketing