Meet Aashica Khanna, member of RR Circle 2026-2027

As a fourth-generation hotelier and the executive director of Ananda in the Himalayas, Aashica Khanna has spent most of her career shaping what wellness is for a generation that doesn’t view wellness as a luxury. Speaking of luxury, Khanna, who has had a ringside view of how the concept has evolved, shares, “[There has been] a defining shift from material adornment and external validation to something more internal,” she says. “People are investing in luxury for how it makes them feel and how it enriches their lives, rather than just their surroundings.” While scarcity was once used as a metric to determine luxury; today luxury lies in quality, craftsmanship, consciousness, time, health and peace. Wellness, she says, embodies this shift, making it an investment in oneself. This idea also extends to her view of India’s evolving relationship with luxury. “True luxury was never about excess; it was about culture, craftsmanship, and depth,” she notes, adding that Indian brands must earn “emotional and cultural relevance” rather than imitating their global counterparts. Khanna is convinced that the country’s strength lies in its cultural depth. 

When asked about the secret to longevity in business, Khanna’s advice is practical. “Stay curious, stay humble, and never stop learning. Businesses evolve because people evolve,” she shares. It is this perspective that shapes her admiration for brands built on consistency such as Hermès (for its timeless craftsmanship) and Oberoi Hotels (for elevating Indian hospitality). On Robb Report India completing a year, Khanna reflects, “Robb Report has moved beyond showcasing products to exploring ideas and experiences shaping luxury today,” and calls it a publication that “represents informed luxury” built on context, insight, and curation. For an industry increasingly driven by aggressive promotion, Khanna believes credibility remains a luxury title’s greatest asset one that can only be earned over time.