H&M India countdown has begun

For H&M fans in India, the wait is almost over - five years after rival Zara, the Swedish fast fashion giant is finally making its entry into India this Friday with a first flagship store in Delhi.

On the dot at 11 am on Friday, 2nd October 2015, H&M's first Indian store will open its doors in South Delhi's swanky Select Citywalk mall. The mall usually opens its doors at 10 am, which is early in a country where most commercial shopping complexes do not get into gear before 11 am (and even foreign chains oblige as anyone who has ever waited for morning coffee at Starbucks can confirm). Will Select Citywalk make an exception for H&M fans and open its doors earlier?

H&M offers incentives for those queuing up

H&M sure seems to hope for crowds and is doing its best to help the process along: the company announced on its website that the "first three fashionistas in line" would receive a gift card worth up to 15,000 rupees and the next 500 fans a gift card worth 1,000 rupees. In addition, the first 1,000 people in line can expect a limited-edition H&M goodie bag.

In terms of reception, H&M can hope for a loyal fan base in India that knows the products from shopping trips abroad or has been ordering them online: "When I had gone to Dubai, I did most of my shopping from H&M. I love their products; their design, quality and pricing is very consumer friendly. Besides, their fashion is very aesthetic and stylish. I love it! Can't wait for it to come to Mumbai too!" commented Mumbai-based fashionista Laxmi Punjabi.

And it's not only the 20-somethings who favour the Swedish brand: "Absolutely love the brand. It has stylish clothes even for the 40+ woman and the quality of the fabric (at least in the West) is really nice. Can't wait for it to hit Mumbai," enthused Mumbai-based media professional Shaheen Allabux.

So, while Mumbai is waiting to be next, for now all eyes are on Delhi, waiting to see if Select Citywalk will need some serious crowd control.