Eyewear in India has largely been a purchase-driven by necessity. A prescription changed, a pair broke, or a new frame was needed, and the decision often came down to comfort and practicality. However, that mindset is changing fast. As fashion, social media and global luxury trends reshape the way consumers discover and express themselves, eyewear is finding a place alongside watches, footwear and accessories as a visible marker of personal style.The shift is particularly evident among younger consumers, who are entering the premium eyewear market earlier, arriving in stores with stronger preferences and looking beyond familiar luxury names for distinctive designs and independent labels. At the same time, premium consumption is growing beyond traditional metros, opening up a wider market for global eyewear brands in India.For Dayal Opticals, a third-generation business with over six decades in the category, this evolution has meant more than expanding its portfolio or retail footprint. It has meant rethinking what a luxury eyewear experience should look like, from curation and consultation to digital discovery and access to international launches. In conversation with Adgully, Sarvash Kalra, Director, Dayal Opticals, discusses how the Indian eyewear consumer is changing, what younger buyers now expect from premium brands, and how the next phase of luxury eyewear could unfold in India. <img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image/ce71fcad3110691a2032f57976e66d2f.jpeg' class='content_image'>How has the evolution of eyewear from a functional necessity to a fashion and lifestyle category changed consumer buying behaviour in India? Eyewear is no longer something consumers simply need. It is something they choose. That shift has completely changed the category. Earlier, a pair of glasses was largely a functional purchase; you bought one, wore it every day and replaced it when necessary. Today, consumers increasingly view eyewear the way they view watches, shoes, or bags: as an extension of personal style. We are seeing customers own multiple pairs for different occasions, experiment more confidently with shapes and colours, and actively follow new collections and launches. Discovery has changed too. Many customers now walk into a Dayal Opticals boutique already knowing the brand, silhouette or even the specific frame they want. For us, that is perhaps the biggest evolution of the category: eyewear has moved from correcting vision to expressing identity. Dayal Opticals has evolved from a traditional optician to a destination for premium and luxury eyewear. What have been the biggest strategic shifts behind this transformation? The transformation was never about becoming bigger for the sake of it. It was about becoming more selective while scaling with purpose. One of our biggest shifts has been towards sharper curation. Rather than trying to offer everything to everyone, we have focused on bringing together established global houses alongside newer and more directional eyewear labels that we believe add something distinct to the Indian market. The second has been strengthening our relationships directly with brands. This gives us greater visibility into global collections, faster access to new launches and, importantly, opportunities to introduce international brands and collections to Indian consumers. At the same time, we have steadily expanded our retail presence and today have 20 boutiques across North India and Mumbai. For us, expansion has never simply been about adding stores; it has been about ensuring that the quality of the Dayal Opticals experience remains consistent as the business grows. The third shift has happened behind the scenes. We have invested in inventory planning, technology, training and a more consultation-led approach to selling. Luxury eyewear cannot be built only around expensive products; the experience around those products has to be equally considered. The objective has remained simple: curate better, understand the customer better and scale without making the experience feel mass. As a third-generation leader, how are you balancing the brand equity built over 60+ years with the need to stay relevant to today's more fashion-conscious and digitally savvy consumer? Legacy gives you credibility. Relevance makes sure you continue to deserve it. Being a third-generation business means we have inherited a great deal of trust, but we don't look at that trust as permanent. It has to be earned with every customer and every generation. We are, therefore, very comfortable modernising the parts of the business that need to evolve: technology, digital discovery, sourcing, inventory, communication and the brands we introduce. At the same time, there are certain things we deliberately don't want to change: giving customers time, recommending what genuinely suits them and ensuring the right fit rather than simply closing a sale. Today's customer is extremely informed. They can distinguish very quickly between a legacy brand that has genuinely evolved and one that has simply changed its packaging. For us, modernisation is not about leaving our legacy behind. It is about making that legacy relevant to the next generation. What does it take to build a luxury eyewear experience in India, beyond the products themselves, and how important are store experience, curation and service in shaping that perception? Luxury eyewear doesn't begin with the price tag. It begins with how confidently you can guide the customer. The product is obviously important, but the product alone cannot create a luxury experience. The environment, curation and quality of consultation around it matter just as much. Physical retail remains particularly important in eyewear because a frame is incredibly personal. Customers want to see how it sits on their face, understand proportions, explore different silhouettes and receive an informed opinion. That is also why curation matters. A luxury boutique should not feel like an endless wall of frames. A well-edited collection tells the customer that someone has already done the work of identifying what is worth considering. And then comes service, which is perhaps the most important layer. Our teams are trained to recommend rather than simply sell. Sometimes the best service you can offer a customer is telling them that the most expensive frame in front of them isn't the right one. In luxury retail, trust is ultimately the experience customers remember. With global independent eyewear brands gaining traction in India, how does Dayal Opticals identify brands and trends that are likely to resonate with the Indian consumer? A brand can be globally successful and still not automatically be right for India. At Dayal Opticals, we look beyond international hype when evaluating a new brand or collection. Fit, design relevance, quality and the potential to resonate with the Indian consumer are all important considerations. Over the years, Dayal Opticals has also been at the forefront of bringing international eyewear brands and innovations exclusively to the Indian market. From introducing new global names to giving Indian consumers early access to technology-led products such as Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta and TAG Heuer eyewear, we have consistently looked for what is coming next rather than simply following what is already established. Our long-standing relationships with international brands give us a strong understanding of what is happening globally, while our interaction with customers across India gives us an equally important understanding of what will work locally. We also pay close attention to demand signals: what customers are asking for, what they are discovering while travelling, what is gaining attention internationally and where we see genuine interest rather than short-lived hype. For us, leadership in luxury eyewear is not just about carrying the world's leading brands. It is also about identifying what the Indian consumer should discover next. How is the brand balancing digital and performance-led marketing with investments in brand building, consumer experience and long-term recall? Today's luxury customer moves between screens and stores constantly, so our marketing has to do the same. Our approach is increasingly digital-heavy, with social media, performance marketing, search, content, influencer collaborations, email and CRM playing an important role in discovery and engagement. But performance is only one part of the strategy. For long-term brand building, we continue to invest in PR, exclusive launches, events, brand collaborations and experiential marketing. Equally important is what happens after a customer discovers us: the in-store consultation, curation, service and personalisation have to deliver on the promise made through our communication. Digital gives us reach and relevance; strong experiences and consistent storytelling build recall and long-term preference. <img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image/78357ce99de101244a02aa0ecf7858a3.jpeg' class='content_image'>As Gen Z and younger millennials become an increasingly important consumer group, what changes are you seeing in how they discover, evaluate and buy premium eyewear? The younger luxury consumer isn't waiting for a certain age to start buying premium eyewear. That is one of the clearest shifts we are seeing. Consumers are entering the category much earlier, sometimes while they are still in college, because eyewear has already become part of how they think about fashion and personal identity. Their discovery journey is also very different. Social media, creators, celebrity culture and global fashion exposure often shape the initial interest. By the time many younger customers enter a boutique, they have already researched the brand, materials, shapes or specific references they want to try. At the same time, being digitally informed does not necessarily make them easier to sell to. In many cases, it makes them more discerning. They ask questions, compare options and want to understand why a particular frame works for them. They don't necessarily want to be sold the most obvious luxury choice. They want to discover the one that feels like their own. Looking ahead, what shifts in consumer behaviour, retail and luxury consumption do you expect to shape the premium eyewear market in India over the next three to five years? The next phase of luxury eyewear in India will be defined by greater choice, wider access and a more informed consumer. We expect eyewear to become an even stronger part of personal style, with consumers experimenting more with brands, shapes and designs. Independent labels will continue to gain attention, while craftsmanship, design and individuality will increasingly matter alongside brand recognition. Another significant shift will be where this demand comes from. Premium and luxury consumption is moving beyond traditional metros, with consumers in emerging cities gaining greater exposure to global fashion and international brands. This is also shaping our expansion strategy at Dayal Opticals. Over the next few years, we plan to strengthen our presence across select Tier 1 and Tier 2 regions, while bringing the same global curation, personalised consultation and luxury retail experience to these markets. The opportunity ahead is to make global eyewear more accessible to discerning consumers across a wider India.