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GKB drops 'Opticals' from its name as it opens its 100th store in Khar West, Mumbai, with Sanya Malhotra as brand ambassador
GKB, the Kolkata-born eyewear retailer, announced on 9 October 2026 that it is repositioning toward premium, fashion-led eyewear after more than six decades as GKB Opticals. Sanya Malhotra is its national brand ambassador.
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The numbers
Figures from India Retailing,
| First store opened: | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Khar West store size: | approximately 1,000 sq. ft. |
| Customers served: | over one million |
Why it matters for the brand
GKB is dropping 'Opticals' and signing Sanya Malhotra as national brand ambassador, so rival eyewear chains should expect competition to shift from clinical, price-led offers to fashion-led, premium positioning, delivered through compact stores of about 1,000 sq. ft. like its 100th outlet in Khar West, Mumbai.
What to track next
- Announcement of new GKB store openings, and whether they cluster in premium urban locations
- Launch of a GKB fashion or premium eyewear collection, or a sharper price-tier shift
- Visibility and scale of the Sanya Malhotra campaign across TV, digital and social
- Competitor ambassador signings or premium-range launches in response
- Customer or trade reaction in GKB's legacy Kolkata markets to the dropped 'Opticals' name