Themed residential villas. Branded apartments. Golf cities. Mumbai opens up to uber-luxe, high-gloss designer residences that match the best in any global city across the world.

Yoo in India

Indian luxury developers, dealing with a slowdown, have found several ways to break the ennui that consumers of luxury real estate – people who travel frequently and are inexorably in sync with trends internationally – often experience. The new-age luxury residential enclaves in Mumbai are suffused with world class facilities, and developers are pushing the boundaries by offering themed and branded homes. “The big changes have happened in the last five years or so,” says John Hitchcox, the indefatigable property mogul and CEO of Yoo, the American design and real estate company, which has partnered with Lodha in Mumbai and Pune’s Panchsheel Group in Pune to construct a range of stunning homes designed by the best names in design – Parisian product designer and Yoo’s creative head, Philippe Starck, and Jade Jagger, the fashion and interior designer daughter of musician Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones fame.

The consumers, say experts, are largely well-travelled, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI). “There was a time when luxury properties were aimed at Non Resident Indians, who either wanted a home back in India or wanted to invest in real estate,” says architect Ritul Mehta, who is designing a series of Bali-style villas for a project that is still at the drawing board stage. “Now, the focus has shifted to affluent Indians, who have both the money and sensibilities to appreciate branded homes. It requires global exposure to appreciate a home that’s an expression of an architect or a designer like a Jade Jagger or, closer home, Pinakin Patel. You buy a bespoke home, and you need to either desperately want a status home, or understand the designer’s perspective and his style, to appreciate these homes.”

Jade Jagger Apartments Lodha Fiorenza

In neighbouring Pune, the stocky skyline has a new designer vertiginous quality to it. From Swarovski-studded lobbies to homes designed by the world’s foremost product and interior designer, Philippe Starck, the staid Pune real estate market is going through a renaissance.

The biggest projects include Donald Trump branded homes to Hadaspur, at the eastern edge of Pune and Amanora’s Gateway towers, a glittering edifice, with both the façade and the interiors crafted by fashion brand Swarovski. The 45-storey towers, with its sky bridges and terrace gardens, will boast Swarovski studded interiors and light fixtures. Aniruddha Deshpande, Managing Director, City Corporation Ltd, which has collaborated with the brand on the project, says, “Globally, Swarovski has been present in the real estate segment, and this association is a step towards bringing their design expertise to India and offering the discerning Indian customers a truly world-class experience.”

Amanora Pune

A few trends that have found favour in recent years:

Branded Homes

Clearly the biggest trend in Mumbai, its satellite suburbs, and even in neighbouring cities like Pune is branded homes. Among the trendsetters is Lodha. The luxury developer has partnered with Yoo, an American real estate company, for Lodha Fiorenza and their new apartment block in the sprawling New Cuffe Parade township. Lodha Fiorenza designed by Jagger under the brand, Yoo by Jade Jagger has signature residences inspired by different Indian elements, like jewel tones and the Art Deco façade of the Taj Mahal. Privileges include a rooftop party lounge, an observatory with scenic views of the lush Aarey Milk colony, besides an infinity-edge cantilevered swimming pool.

More recently, flamboyant American entrepreneur Donald Trump announced the branded Trump Towers, to be called Namaste Tower, at Hughes Road. Designed to resemble a hand joined in the traditional Indian greeting, the tower, which is still on a concept stage, will boast 40 to 45 apartments with one apartment each floor, and encompass podium decks, parking zones and 24-hour concierge services.

Amanora Gateway

Theme Homes

Venice in Thane, Disney-style homes in Mumbai – it couldn’t have got trendier. Consider a township that makes you feel you are in the tropical paradise of Bali, instead of humid city of Mumbai. “An upcoming trend is to create independent villas in an enclave format, modelled on the luxury villa developments in cities like Bali and Phuket,” says Gulam Zia, National Director, Research and Advisory Services, Knight Frank India.

Sports Cities

In Mumbai, which is crunched for space and overrun by concrete, residential complexes are the last bastions for sports facilities. From Nirmal Lifestyles US Open Apartments with extensive jogging and cycling tracks, baseball and badminton courts, and an Olympic-size swimming pool in the central suburb of Mulund, to Ajmera’s i-Land at Wadala, which boasts a track for racy dirt biking, an archery zone, a shooting range, cricket pitch, tennis courts and a football ground, developers are looking at you getting fit in exciting new ways.

Namaste Trump Prototype

An interesting development in this space is Lodha’s Golf Links in Thane. The luxury villas and terraced residences are built around a 9-hole golf course and showcase large outdoor decks, a private garden and enchanted views of the putting greens. Designed by Col K D Bagga, considered among India’s best golf course designer, the Golflinks course borders a sparkling waterbody and has facilities to train in this gentle sport, loved by CEOs worldover. Within the complex are also golf simulators that let you play virtual golf.

For the lovers of dolce vita, buying into these complexes they come to a global lifestyle.