A quiet but structural shift is underway in M3M India's residential portfolio, and it is being driven from outside the country. As the Gurugram-based developer stitches together a string of collaborations with global luxury names, non-resident Indian buyers are showing up in numbers large enough to reshape how the company plans its pipeline. According to market data cited by property analysts, M3M's own disclosure of ~20% NRI participation in branded projects, with an ambition to push branded residences to half its portfolio, reflects a bet that this shift is structural rather than cyclical. That single statistic explains why M3M has, in the space of roughly a year, signed off on partnerships with Jacob & Co, Elie Saab and Stefano Ricci, on top of its existing Trump Towers association.
The clearest evidence of this pivot is the Jacob & Co collaboration. Building on the success of Trump Towers Gurgaon, M3M India took its vision a step further in October 2025 with a collaboration with the legendary luxury designer brand Jacob & Co, resulting in M3M Jacob & Co. Residences on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, Sector 97, Noida, representing a total investment of ₹2,100 crore. The project is being pitched as a first for the category: M3M Jacob & Co. Noida is India's first-ever luxury branded residences by Jacob & Co., crafted in collaboration with M3M India, offering 3, 4, and 5 BHK ultra-luxury apartments with spacious layouts, bespoke interiors, and panoramic views of the Yamuna River and golf course. Pricing reflects the ultra-premium positioning, with prices starting from ₹31,000 per sq ft for 3 BHK, ₹32,000 per sq ft for 4 BHK, and ₹36,000 per sq ft for 5 BHK residences. Promoter Pankaj Bansal framed the partnership in blunt terms: "This collaboration with Jacob & Co. reflects our focus on elevating the standard of luxury living in India."
Barely three months later, M3M doubled down with a second global name. M3M India and Smartworld Developers have teamed up with international fashion and lifestyle brand Elie Saab to develop two high-end branded residential projects across the Delhi-NCR corridor, with a combined investment of approximately ₹3,500 crore, bringing ELIE SAAB's signature aesthetic to premium living spaces in Gurugram and Noida, ahead of a targeted completion by 2030. The Gurugram leg of the deal is sizeable in scale: the Gurugram development by M3M India will be located in Sector 111 within the Smart City Delhi Airport zone and will comprise around 300 large-format apartments, designed as expansive four-bedroom residences with sizes ranging between 4,200 sq ft and 4,650 sq ft. Industry commentary has been explicit about who these homes are being built for, noting the project aims to appeal to discerning buyers and NRI investors seeking branded residences in Gurugram.
Sector 111's Dwarka Expressway stretch, dubbed the "Billionaire's Block," is emerging as M3M's flagship NRI-facing address. Beyond Elie Saab, the developer is also lining up a Stefano Ricci-branded tower in the same micro-market. Listings describe it as an upcoming ultra-luxury residential project in Sector 111, Gurugram, on the Dwarka Expressway, a joint effort between M3M and the Italian luxury brand Stefano Ricci, spread across approximately 15 acres and offering large 5.5 BHK residences with a super area of around 7,300 sq ft. The project remains in pre-launch, with an approximate cost of ₹30 crore and expected possession around May 2032.
Why are NRIs so central to this strategy? Part of the answer lies in the broader NCR luxury market, where global comparisons now shape buying decisions. Industry voices tracking the trend note that international exposure is changing what buyers expect from a project: buyers today are evaluating projects through an international lens, not only comparing one Gurugram project with another but comparing it with what they have experienced in Dubai Marina, Canary Wharf or Singapore's integrated residential districts, which changes design expectations completely, with wellness infrastructure, hospitality-led services, spatial openness and predictability in delivery becoming central to decision-making. A separate market-wide analysis of NRI buying patterns found that this cohort's footprint has grown sharply in scale: Non-Resident Indians represent a uniquely powerful demand cohort, with NRI participation in premium home purchases having risen from 7–10% in 2015–18 to a projected 18–20% by 2026, as NRIs already familiar with branded living in Dubai, London, New York, and Singapore increasingly seek comparable experiences in India.
The premium these buyers are willing to pay is not marginal. A recent survey of India's branded-residence landscape put the number plainly: branded residences consistently command a 20% to 35% premium over non-branded luxury properties in the same location, attracting a globally minded buyer pool, generating stronger rental yields, and holding value better during market slowdowns. That premium, combined with FEMA-compliant purchase routes that let NRIs buy freely through NRE/NRO accounts, is what makes M3M's brand-led bets commercially viable even at ticket sizes north of ₹8-30 crore.
For prospective buyers, the takeaway is twofold. First, M3M's branded pipeline (Jacob & Co in Noida, Elie Saab and Stefano Ricci in Gurugram's Sector 111, alongside the existing Trump Towers association) is still largely in construction or pre-launch stages, with most possession dates clustered around 2030-2032, so early-stage pricing windows remain open. Second, this is a segment where brand due diligence matters as much as location due diligence: buyers should scrutinize the depth of the brand's design involvement, the developer's delivery track record, and unit economics before committing, rather than assuming a global name alone guarantees appreciation.
