You can call him a prince if you like. But Sawai Padmanabh Singh is making a habit of living life on his own terms.
Technically, he’s Jaipur’s Maharaja. Realistically, he’s something much harder to pull off: a modern prince who isn’t stuck in a museum version of his life.
He may carry the weight of royal lineage—the great-grandson of Maharaja Man Singh II and heir to Jaipur’s storied City Palace—but Pacho, as he’s known to friends and half a million Instagram followers, wears it lightly. At 26, the young maharaja is many things: a polo champion, a cultural custodian, a quietly influential voice in India’s evolving arts and heritage scene. But most of all, he’s a man crafting a modern identity rooted in legacy, but refreshingly free from the burden of it.
Born in New Delhi, educated between Mayo College in Ajmer, Millfield in England, and then studying Cultural Heritage Management and Art History in Rome, Pacho has always moved between worlds with an easy grace. But don’t mistake the glamour for detachment. Behind the Italian tailoring and magazine covers is a man putting in the slow, often invisible work of keeping a centuries-old legacy alive—and relevant.
Whether it’s hosting global creatives at the City Palace for art and fashion soirées, championing conservation efforts, or dropping a capsule collection inspired by the Marwari horses of Rajasthan, he moves with an effortless sense of purpose, and, of course, impeccable style. He may have graced the covers of international magazines and walked for Dolce & Gabbana, but off the field (and runway), there’s an unassuming sincerity to him that makes the grandeur feel grounded.
It’s this duality that defines him: royal blood, modern blueprint. He doesn’t yell about it. He doesn’t need to. While most young royals are content being heritage influencers, Pacho is busy doing the real thing—preserving traditions, restoring architecture, supporting women’s empowerment initiatives through the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation, and pushing cultural sustainability beyond lip service.
In an era obsessed with fast fame and louder-than-life personas, Pacho stands apart. He represents a new kind of Indian royalty: global yet deeply rooted, polished yet refreshingly real.
As Esquire’s legacy of style, substance, and storytelling takes root in India, it feels only fitting that Padmanabh Singh, a man who carries the past with one hand and the future with the other, graces our latest cover.
We hope you enjoy the cover shoot and images—it’ll all be unveiled very soon.
Credits
Chairperson: Avarna Jain
COO: Jamal Shaikh
Editor: Rahul Gangwani
Style and Creative Direction: Vijendra Bhardwaj
Editorial Mentor: Saira Menezes
Managing Editor: Sonal Nerurkar
Cover design: Jit Ray
Photos: Tarun Vishwa
Interviewed by: Bandana Tewari
Grooming: Deepa Verma
Bookings & Production: Varun Shah
Chief Assistant Stylist: Mehak Khanna
Fashion Team: Komal Shetty
Artist Reputation Management: C&C Talent