NEXT opened an 8,900 sq. ft. store at Infiniti Mall in Malad, Mumbai, its first outlet in the city and the sixth NEXT-branded location in India.

The store operates under licence from Myntra Jabong India Pvt. Ltd. (MJIPL), the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, which holds the rights to distribute NEXT products in the country. The partnership positions MJIPL as the commercial and operational counterparty rather than NEXT Plc, a structure that shifts store-build cost, inventory risk and staffing obligations onto the Indian partner.

Why does the MJIPL licensing route matter for sourcing teams?

MJIPL is not a franchisee. As Myntra's B2B wholesale entity, it purchases NEXT product at wholesale and sells through its own channels and physical doors. For apparel suppliers shipping into India, orders, payment terms and quality specifications flow from MJIPL rather than from NEXT Plc's UK buying office.

The 8,900 sq. ft. footprint in Mumbai carries women's, men's and children's apparel, the first time NEXT's full tri-category offer is available in the Indian market through a single store. Cross-category rollouts typically compress assortments in licensed markets. NEXT's decision to carry all three lines in one location signals confidence in Indian footfall economics and a willingness to absorb the higher initial stock commitment that a wider range demands.

What does the Infiniti Mall, Malad, catchment reveal?

Malad sits in Mumbai's western suburbs, anchored by a working middle-class and upper-middle-class catchment already served by Infiniti Mall's retail mix. The selection of Malad over south or central Mumbai locations points to a buyer profile prioritising value-formal and smart-casual ranges over premium-mall traffic. For brands weighing India entry through the same MJIPL channel, the catchment data point is the operational signal worth tracking.

Where does this leave the India network?

The Mumbai door takes NEXT's India footprint to six stores, up from five before the opening. The licensing model — wholesale stock supply from NEXT UK into MJIPL — keeps capital expenditure off NEXT Plc's books for the new build, while leaving MJIPL responsible for fit-out, rent and payroll. For sourcing executives, the relevant metric is licensed-store throughput per shipped unit, which determines whether NEXT expands the wholesale allocation in subsequent seasons.

What stays unconfirmed

The report does not state opening sales targets, the rent at Infiniti Mall, the size of MJIPL's NEXT inventory commitment, or which NEXT UK buying offices are supplying the Mumbai store. Sourcing professionals evaluating parallel licensing deals in India should treat the store count and tri-category breadth as confirmed signals, and treat margin economics as an open question until MJIPL or NEXT discloses volume or wholesale value.

NEXT's next commercial milestone in India will be either a second Mumbai store or entry into a new metropolitan market, with the licensing structure likely to remain unchanged.