Bhumi World, a leading developer in Mumbai, announced the launch of the upcoming Outlet Mall of India, which is set to be Maharashtra’s first dedicated outlet mall and scheduled to open for public in May 2026. The development signals Bhiwandi’s transition from an industrial hub to a fast-emerging retail, leisure and lifestyle destination within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Designed as a next-generation ‘retailtainment hub’, the mall will bring together 150 national and international brands under a year-round discount format, ‘Always On Discount’ offering premium fashion and lifestyle products at compelling value. Beyond shopping, Outlet Mall of India has been conceptualised as an experience-first destination, with entertainment playing a central role in driving footfall and engagement. At its core is a 2,500 seater open-air amphitheatre, designed to host live concerts, stand-up comedy, brand launches, and cultural events throughout the year. Complementing this is a 1-acre curated flea market, offering pop-ups, indie brands and rotating experiences that create a vibrant, community-driven atmosphere and encourage repeat visits. 

The project also introduces one of the region’s most ambitious food and beverage ecosystems, addressing a significant gap in organised dining in Bhiwandi. A dedicated ‘Food Avenue’ features a curated mix of QSRs, fine dining and six rooftop restaurants, designed to operate as a standalone destination beyond retail hours. A key highlight is a 25,000 sq. ft. flagship brewery, among the largest in Maharashtra, alongside a dynamic cluster of over twenty food trucks creating a high-energy, festival-like dining environment that complements the mall’s entertainment offering. In addition, it also features state-of-the-art golfing and go-karting facilities, enabling a comprehensive entertainment experience to customers.

Speaking to Retail4Growth during the launch, Prakash Patel, Managing Director, Bhumi World, shares the vision for Outlet Mall of India, their approach to bring in immersive experience to discount shopping, and how this format will gain momentum in India.

Tell us about your vision for Outlet Mall of India, and do you see this format gaining wider traction?

Our vision is to create a premium, organised outlet platform to serve Indians who aspire to wear premium brands but are unable to achieve this due to pricing and budget constraints. That is exactly why India needs the outlet concept with unmatched value all year round. We recognized that the outlet mall culture was missing in India and felt a strong calling to introduce it.

We are receiving a lot of inquiries from Gujarat, Haryana, and Delhi NCR, where brands want to bring the outlet concept to these regions. I believe that in the next five years, we will see almost 50 outlet malls across India, spanning major cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, and Kochi - essentially all cities with a significant population base. The opportunity is immense.

One of our biggest challenges was convincing brands to offer 50 to 70 percent discounts, 365 days a year — a proposition that required a fundamental shift in how brands thought about their retail strategy in India.

What led you to believe this was the right time for this concept in the country?

India's retail journey spans 40 to 50 years. It began on the high streets with independent stores being the primary shopping destination. Around 1999-2000, the shopping mall era started with small shopping centres and gradually scaled up to large format malls. That evolution defined the next two decades of Indian retail.

Then came e-commerce. Post 2018-19, online platforms started gaining a larger share in retail, and that shift accelerated dramatically during the pandemic. But lockdown also revealed that consumers began to crave experience alongside convenience. When malls reopened, people returned, but with a new expectation: they wanted experiential shopping, not just transactions.

However, one factor had been deeply conditioned by e-commerce the discount. Online platforms had made discounts an expectation, almost a norm. Malls, on the other hand, couldn't offer that consistently. Discounts were seasonal, limited, and never available 365 days a year. That gap is exactly where the outlet mall concept finds its purpose.

What has been one factor that has attracted various brands to the Outlet Mall of India?

Many people wonder how an outlet mall can sustainably offer discounts all year-round. The answer lies not in discounting the product, but in discounting the real estate.

In prime city locations, retail real estate costs anywhere between ₹1,200 to ₹1,500 per square foot. In an outlet, that same cost drops to ₹150 to ₹200 per square foot, with a saving of almost 90%. That saving is passed directly from the retailer to the end consumer.

What also sets us apart is that almost 90% of the stores here are company-owned, unlike most outlet destinations, where the majority of stores are franchisee-operated. This gives brands complete control over their retail outcome, ensuring an authentic and consistent brand experience at every touchpoint.

How have you leveraged digital displays and screens to create a premium retail experience within the mall, and what role do they play in elevating the overall ambience and offerings?

We have almost 10 digital screens inside the mall. Also, we have the largest screen in the MMR region - a curved LED display on the exterior of the mall, spanning an impressive 150 by 80 feet, visible from both sides.

We also have two dedicated screens specifically designed for anamorphic content — similar to those viral videos seen internationally. These two screens will offer an immersive, larger-than-life visual experience.