It’s a unique intersection of three dynamic visions. In 1562, the architect of Humayun’s tomb Mirak Sayyid Ghiyath designed India’s first garden tomb with its char bagh style and dome-within-dome structure which prefigured the design of the Taj Mahal. Closer in time if not in space was Louis Vuitton, whose 250-mile journey on foot from his native French village in the remote Jura to Paris in 1835 launched a momentous career devoted to travel. Vuitton’s prescient reading of the potential represented by the growth of modern travel inspired the birth of the world’s largest travel goods brand. Walking with me at Humayun’s Tomb at this moment is Louis Vuitton’s current president Yves Carcelle, who carries the 150-year-old legacy of Vuitton close to his heart. Carcelle is a modern-day visionary himself, credited with transforming the renowned luggage brand into the world’s biggest luxury brand.

Accompanying us is Tikka Shatrujit Singh, advisor to Louis Vuitton, who played a key role in the launch of LV’s first store in India in 2003. Singh, a blue blood from the Kapurthala royal family, is holding forth on Mughal history and architecture. “This tomb belongs to the great grandfather of the builder of the Taj Mahal. The Mughals originally came from places like Uzbekistan and Afghanistan where there was little water, so a typical Mughal style monument had water channels and gardens in geometrical format. Just like this one.”

The entry to Humayun’s Tomb follows a long processional track punctuated by gateways offering magnificent views of the main edifice. Singh likens the monument’s structural design to the great imperial palaces in Beijing with one courtyard opening into another. Carcelle, an Indophile who has been travelling extensively—Mumbai, Goa, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Pondicherry, Chennai, Bangalore, Ananda—is mesmerised by the marvel of red sandstone in front of him. “The light is beautiful. I must bring my wife Rebecca here. She’d love this place.” he says excitedly. Singh nods in agreement “Morning is the best time to visit.” As we walk, a peacock preens its exquisite plumage and struts past, oblivious to our presence.

Fifty-nine year old Carcelle, who runs the multi-billion dollar fashion and leather goods division of the world’s largest luxury group, was recruited as the brand’s president in the early 1990s. Using a cutting-edge revamping strategy, Carcelle brought in new designers like Marc Jacobs to give a contemporary spin to Vuitton’s styling, expanded the product line and terminated franchise agreements so that LVMH regained exclusive control of retailing. Today the fashion division accounts for a sizeable chunk of its parent company LVMH’s total sales.

The visionary streak again shone bright when Carcelle pioneered the global luxury movement in India. LV was the first major group to set up shop in India with a store at The Oberoi in Delhi in 2003 shortly followed by another in Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel. Despite the skepticism surrounding the opening of a luxury store in a country of starving millions, Carcelle anticipated India’s dynamic growth in the early 2000s and entered the market three-to-four years ahead of time. While doomsayers questioned whether there was a market for premium luxury in India, Carcelle saw the Indian customer as sophisticated and in the know of international trends.

When I ask Carcelle about LV’s journey in India in these four years, he reminds me that Louis Vuitton goes back all the way to the time of Indian royalty. The brand was unable to open formally before 2003 because importing leather goods was barred. As soon as the ban on import leather goods was lifted, they started to look for a location. Hotels were a logical choice being part of the mythos of travel. “LV was born with travel so we feel very comfortable in hotels, especially if they are heritage hotels. It has been a tradition to launch in hotels in new markets be it The Peninsula in Hongkong, The Oriental in Bangkok, or the The Metropole in Hanoi,” he explains.