The company is currently in the test marketing stage for the range, which saw an advertising campaign break recently in Mumbai and major cities.
The first wave of the campaign was aimed purely at generating awareness for the brand in this category, TBWA\India developed the campaign, creating the ambience of a fashion shoot - but using the handbags to obscure the models' faces be obscured.
TBWA\India's creative duo Narayan Kumar and Cyrus Sahiar were behind the campaign.
"There are no premium brands in this category in India and we see a business opportunity as well as an opportunity to widen the appeal of the brand," said E P Suresh Menon, executive director, sales and marketing, Samsonite India.
Samsonite estimated that the organised market for premium luggage totalled US$26 million, with the brand having captured an 80 per cent share since it entered India in 1997.
The handbags are positioned in the premium segment, and are made of genuine leather, with imported hardware for the logos and zippers.
Samsonite was quick to point out that the premium launch did not mean that it would be ignoring the mid segment of the market for luggage priced between $21-$43 and valued at $43.25 million, according to the company's estimates.
Samsonite's offensive against heavyweight VIP in this segment saw the company launch its American Tourist brand.
Samsonite is banking on the launch and supporting marketing activities to deliver 20 per cent share of the mid-priced segment in the next three years.
Its mainline campaign that runs worldwide - 'Travel made easy' - was conceptualised by TBWA Brussels and directed by Laurent Chanez in Belgium and Venezuela.
The company gets 80 per cent of its turnover from its franchise brand shops - The World of Samsonite. Its current network stands at 140 franchised stores, with plans to add another 20 by year-end.