Harsh Goenka, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Call Out Fendi’s ₹8.3 Lakh ‘Navratri Bag’, Question Indian Craft Credit; Netizens React

Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has come under scrutiny on social media after its heavily embellished handbag was compared with colourful mirror-and-bead bags traditionally associated with Indian festive markets, particularly during Navratri.

The discussion gained momentum after RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka and Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw questioned whether Indian craftsmanship had been adequately acknowledged in connection with the design.

Fendi’s multicolour baguette bag draws attention

At the centre of the debate is Fendi’s “Baguette 26424: Multicolour Re Edition bag with embroidery and mirrors.” The elaborate accessory features a vivid mix of embroidery, beads and mirrors, giving it an appearance that many social media users said resembles decorative bags and accessories commonly sold in parts of India.

Fendi describes the handbag as being embroidered entirely by hand. According to the product information cited in the online discussion, the design incorporates approximately 39,500 beads and 475 mirrors, while its creation requires more than 138 hours of craftsmanship.

The bag is listed as being made in Italy and has a price of roughly ₹8.3 lakh, a figure that became another major talking point online.

While the visual similarity has driven the controversy, the debate has also raised broader questions about the relationship between luxury fashion, traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage.

Harsh Goenka questions Fendi’s pricing and inspiration

Harsh Goenka shared an image of the Fendi handbag on social media and drew a comparison between the luxury accessory and similar-looking products sold in Indian markets.

Questioning the substantial price gap, he wrote, “After the Prada Kolhapuri chappal scandal, here comes the Fendi “Navratri" bag. Charging ₹8.3 Lakhs for a design that looks exactly like a ₹500 bag available in the streets of Gujarat. And zero credit to Indian artisans. When will luxury brands stop colonising our crafts?”

Goenka's post quickly attracted attention, with users debating whether the design should be viewed as an example of cultural appropriation, independent fashion inspiration or simply the use of a globally shared decorative aesthetic.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw calls it cultural appropriation

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also weighed in on the controversy after reacting to Goenka's post.

She described the episode as cultural appropriation and argued that traditional Indian craftsmanship should receive greater recognition when elements associated with it appear in commercial luxury products.

“This is a case of cultural appropriation & not in good taste. Repackaging India’s traditional craft as luxury, without credit to the artisans who created and preserved it, undermines our authentic talent and heritage.”

She added, “Indian craftsmanship deserves recognition, not imitation.”

Her comments broadened the discussion beyond the Fendi handbag, with users turning their attention to the longstanding challenges faced by Indian artisans and the limited global visibility of many indigenous craft traditions.

Social media users debate India’s own role

The conversation has also prompted criticism of India's fashion and business ecosystem.

Some users called for consumers to boycott Fendi, with one post stating, “India as a whole must simply boycott fendi , all its products , all its showrooms. let tukaram find an excuse to shut down their shops here. let custom , gst check their documents.”

Another user described the matter as plagiarism and argued that legal action should be considered, “Let’s start calling it for what it is “PLAGIARISM" #StolenFromIndia. Need some litigations to start on these so called unoriginal designer luxury brands. Recall, India was successful a few decades ago on stopping turmeric, basmati, neem on getting patented by Westerners."

However, not everyone placed the responsibility entirely on international fashion companies.

One social media user argued that India needs to build stronger global fashion brands around its own design heritage, “That’s our problem that we failed to create global brands with our designs, products et. al. You can’t stop anyone copying and they hv created brand equity!!”

Another user suggested that cultural ownership alone may not provide sufficient protection in commercial markets, “Why is it that we expect the capitalists to accommodate cultural emotions? They are capitalists for a reason. The craft has to be patented. Thats how the capitalists do it and then sue in billions whoever copies.”

A separate comment questioned whether Indian society and institutions do enough to support the artisans responsible for preserving traditional techniques:

“Why will they stop? What have we done to promote our own crafts? What respect to we give to our own artisans? Do we ensure that this craft moves from one generation to another and more than fills the stomachs of the artisans?”

Published on: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 12:50 PM IST