Delhi’s heritage-rich Sundar Nursery transformed into a radiant blend of culture, luxury, and Innovation as RBL Bank unveiled its newest premium credit card offerings – LUMIÈRE and NOVA. The serene gardens, framed by Mughal-era monuments, made for a striking backdrop as industry leaders, lifestyle enthusiasts, and prominent guests gathered to witness the bank’s powerful step into India’s fast-evolving premium banking space.

As dusk settled, the venue gleamed with warm amber lights, setting the tone for an evening that blended finance with fine living. The launch wasn’t just a corporate announcement, it was crafted as an immersive lifestyle experience. Curated installations highlighted the cards’ offerings across travel, dining, and luxury privileges, giving guests a glimpse of the aspirational world RBL seeks to build for its premium customers.

Adding to the evening’s charm was an electrifying performance by Kailash Kher, whose soulful voice and raw energy turned the event into a cultural celebration. His renditions echoed through the historic lawns, creating a magical crescendo befitting the introduction of products positioned to redefine modern Indian affluence.

A New Era of Premium Banking by RBL

With LUMIÈRE and NOVA, RBL Bank signals its intention to challenge long-established players in the premium card segment. While India’s affluent consumers are constantly exploring elevated experiences from curated getaways to fine-dining exclusives – RBL’s new offerings are designed to meet this demand with a blend of practicality and indulgence.

The introduction of these cards also reflects a broader shift: the rise of the discerning Indian customer who values not only luxury, but also personalisation, transparency, and meaningful benefits. Whether it’s airport privileges, concierge services, curated brand tie-ups, or superior reward structures, the bank aims to weave convenience and aspiration into one cohesive platform.

A Conversation with Bikram Yadav, Business Head – Credit Cards, RBL Bank

Following the launch, we sat down with Bikram Yadav to understand the strategy and vision behind RBL’s entry into the premium credit card space.

1. RBL Bank is entering the premium credit card segment with this new launch. What gap in the Indian market did you identify that led to the creation of this product?
   RBL Bank is entering the premium credit card segment with this new launch. What gap in the Indian market did you identify that led to the creation of this product?

RBL Bank identified a distinct gap in the premium segment of its own credit card portfolio, which served as the driving force behind this launch. While RBL Bank has built a significant presence in the mass and mass affluent credit card market over the past decade, capturing around 5% market share and establishing itself as the fifth-largest consumer finance player in India, it did not have a tailored product for high-net-worth and wealth customers, a segment that rivals already cater to with dedicated offerings.​

Recognizing the rapid expansion of India’s affluent base and the rising preference for luxury, experience-driven financial products, the bank sought to create credit cards with bespoke, personalised privileges and features that align with the sophisticated lifestyle needs of HNI clients. Wealth customers now represent a significantly large, addressable market, and a dedicated premium card was essential to offer benefits that go beyond standardized solutions, curating exclusivity, flexibility, and memorable experiences that match their evolving aspirations.​

This launch is RBL Bank’s strategic response to both the market opportunity and the gap within its own portfolio, ensuring that every customer segment, from mass to wealth, has access to products that truly reflect their lifestyle and expectations.

2. Premium cards like HDFC Infinia and Axis Magnus have set high benchmarks. What differentiates RBL’s new premium offering from the existing players?
   So if you were to see that we have not designed these cards on value features, they are largely lifestyle features, excess features, and they fit into personalization space a lot more so it’s little more curated than a panned solution, so which means that every customer would be treated as per his choice, and not that a standard product which will fit into multiple products. Personalization is the key differentiator for us and the access that we’ll get to customers.
3. Who is the core customer you envision for this card, and how does the product cater specifically to their lifestyle and spending behaviour?

In our Indian economy, we are all upwardly mobile. We are producing more billionaires than ever before, more millionaires than ever before. And from a saving economy, we are moving to a consumption-based economy. Now, when we are saying that this product is designed on personalization. It will give the segment specific access to the customers. Some of the features are that if you have a business class ticket, you get a complimentary upgrade to first class. If there are some events which interests you, suppose, if you talk of Wimbledon, and if you want to go and see, the concierge will do all the logistics behind and try to get you to attend that. So these are the kind of things, which are usually not available across the counter, so a curated solutions is what this product .

4. Could you highlight some of the key benefits or exclusive partnerships that come with the card; especially in travel, dining, and luxury experiences?
   This card has zero international surcharge. So, wherever you go, there is no surcharge that would be levied on the card, that is one class leading feature we have, you know, lounge upgrades, air miles, or whatever is a lifestyle feature, most of them would be available. The reward points can be converted to vouchers of premium, high street brands like Jimmy Choo, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo. You think of any of any luxury outlet and you can use this card there.
5. With customers increasingly valuing transparency and flexibility, how has RBL ensured a balanced structure in terms of reward redemption, fees, and usage benefits?
   So, we live not only for this segment of customers, we live for every customer. All our customers are told exactly what we have to deliver to them. It’s communicated to them in written. Any change that we do to our offering is announced to them one month in advance, and if they want to do anything with their relationship within that period, there’s no penal charges or there’s no adverse charges to them, everything that we issue to the customers comes with a free look up period where customers can see experience and if they want to return within the free lookup period, there are no questions asked. So transparency, and upfront declaration of everything is what we stand for as a brand.
6. The credit card market in India is becoming fiercely competitive. What is RBL’s long-term strategy to strengthen its premium portfolio and customer loyalty?
   So see, we have just entered this space now. This is our first and most ambitious product launch as, yet. Once we have found our feet through this, we would see that, how do we go up the stairs and down the stairs and create a suite there as well.

A Stylish Step into the Future

The event’s atmosphere mirrored the ethos of LUMIÈRE  and NOVA – elegant, experiential, and thoughtfully curated. By choosing Sundar Nursery, a space where history meets modern cultural vibrancy, RBL Bank subtly communicated its vision: a brand rooted in reliability yet evolving boldly with contemporary India.

With the premium credit card landscape heating up, RBL Bank’s latest offerings arrive at the perfect moment—when the country’s aspirational class is seeking products that go beyond transactional utility and fit seamlessly into a lifestyle defined by experiences.

If the launch evening was any indication, RBL isn’t just introducing new cards—it’s introducing a new way of engaging with luxury, aspiration, and modern Indian identity.