‘You won’t need to go to Bengaluru’: IKEA CEO dials Chennai influencer

IKEA hints opening a store in Chennai after its CEO dials an influencer in a playful video.

IKEA may have just dropped its strongest hint yet about expanding its physical footprint to Chennai, thanks to a playful social media video featuring the company’s CEO Patrik Antoni. The light-hearted teaser has sparked excitement online after Antoni personally responded to a Chennai-based influencer who had publicly asked when IKEA would open a store in the city.

The video, which many viewers interpreted as a cleverly staged collaboration, opens with an IKEA employee rushing to Antoni to flag a social media post claiming that the Swedish furniture giant is opening a store in Chennai. Reacting with mock concern, Antoni says the claim is “not fully true” and suggests that the influencer should be “stopped,” setting the tone for what unfolds next.

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Antoni is then shown calling Chennai-based Instagram creator Trishia Santhus, addressing her directly in the video. Introducing himself as IKEA’s CEO, he tells her that she would no longer need to travel to Bengaluru’s Nagasandra IKEA store to shop, adding that IKEA would soon begin delivering to Chennai. However, when Trishia presses him for a specific date, Antoni cheekily winks at the camera and ends the call , leaving the most anticipated question unanswered.

While the video stops short of officially announcing a launch timeline, many viewers took it as a clear signal that IKEA’s arrival in Chennai is imminent. If confirmed, the Chennai outlet would become IKEA’s seventh operational store in India, following Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Pune.

The campaign quickly drew reactions on social media, with users praising IKEA’s marketing approach while sharing their excitement and expectations. Some users joked about avoiding the store during its initial days due to anticipated crowds, while others focused on IKEA’s food offerings. “I just want to know when I can get the meatballs, mash, peas and lingonberry jam,” one user commented.

A few commenters even speculated about the possible location of the store, with one guessing it could open inside Lulu Mall, while welcoming the brand to Chennai and calling it a favourite among home-makers.