Rihanna takes Fenty Beauty into India through Ambani family's Reliance Retail

Rihanna flew into Mumbai last week and turned a beauty brand expansion into a cultural event, formally launching Fenty Beauty in India through a distribution partnership with Reliance Retail and cementing the relationship with a private lunch at the Ambani family home.

The activation, called "Fenty Beauty Ki Haveli," opened April 24 at Phoenix Palladium and runs through May 4. It is designed as an experience, not just a retail display. Ornate decor, pink vendor-style carts and large branded backdrops recreate the atmosphere of a traditional Indian haveli, while giving visitors access to more than 50 foundation shades curated specifically for the range of Indian skin tones. New products on show include Shake 'N Play buildable liquid blushes in five shades and the Diamond Bomb all-over highlighter.

The commercial arrangement behind the pop-up is the bigger story. Through Reliance Retail, Fenty Beauty is now available in India via Tira Beauty and Sephora India, both in-store and online. Reliance Retail is the distribution arm of Mukesh Ambani's conglomerate and operates one of the largest retail networks in the country. It is not a partner any beauty brand walks away from.

Rihanna attended a private luncheon at the Ambani residence hosted by Isha, Shloka, Radhika and Anant Ambani. The gathering included presentations of Indian dance, traditional art and heritage displays, and went well beyond a courtesy call. It was a formal expression of a working business relationship. Rihanna last came to India in 2024, when she performed at the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar.

At the public launch event, Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor attended alongside influencers, fashion designers and industry figures. A video of Rihanna telling a crowd of fans "shukriya" after learning to say thank you in Hindi went widely viral. Another moment that circulated online showed her inviting a Mumbai paparazzo onto the red carpet for a selfie.

Fenty Beauty was launched in 2017 as a co-venture between Rihanna and luxury conglomerate LVMH. Its defining move was a 40-shade foundation range that exposed how narrowly the global beauty industry had been serving non-white consumers. The brand has grown into a multi-billion-dollar operation and sits alongside Fenty Skin and Savage X Fenty as the main pillars of Rihanna's business wealth. She became a billionaire in 2021, with Fenty Beauty the primary driver.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing beauty markets, and the push into it reflects a shift in where the next phase of Fenty's global growth is being targeted. The brand was already physically available in India through Reliance before the Mumbai event; the pop-up was designed to convert distribution into cultural presence.

Rihanna posted about the trip on Instagram after returning, calling it "one of the most unforgettable and heartwarming experiences."