Piyush Suri On Design Mumbai and the Boom in India

MILAN — When it comes to design, India is no longer just a source of craftsmanship; it has become a cultural destination for design, according to Piyush Suri, cofounder of Design Mumbai.

Driven by real estate projects, the B2B business and an uptick in ultra-high-net-worth individuals, India’s interior design industry remains on track to reach $51.4 billion in revenues by 2028, according to Suri. Design Mumbai, now in its second edition, was cofounded with Ian Rudge. Rudge is the cofounder of 100 Percent Design, a U.K.-based design event, while Suri is a designer, brand owner, event organizer and TV presenter for the BBC.

“India’s design and furniture sector has been expanding at a remarkable speed over the last few years. The broader Indian furniture market alone is growing at one of the fastest rates globally, driven in large by urbanization, hospitality development and the residential sector,” Suri said.

On Wednesday, Suri will cut the ribbon on the second edition of Design Mumbai, what is now India’s landmark contemporary design event for architecture and interiors professionals. The four-day event will unfold at Jio World Garden in the heart of the bustling financial pulse of India.

This 2025 edition will bring forth an international roster of names, including Spanish designer Lucas Muñoz Muñoz who designed the on-site Park Hotels Café using repurposed materials from the group’s refurbishment projects. For the occasion, Australian designer Adam Markowitz teamed up with Indian furniture brand Phantom Hands and the American Hardwood Export Council for a special collection, a tennis-themed installation by Jaipur Rugs will be unfurled, while Venezuelan artist Juan Gerstl will showcase a tunnel named “Travel Through India.”

Design Mumbai’s second edition will see a significant expansion in brands, both from leading global furniture houses to rising local studios and institutions.

The international contingent includes globally recognized participants, including Italian design brands like Natuzzi, luxury design firms Poltrona Frau and Ceccotti; Blå Station and String of Sweden, Mycel Inc. of Korea, and Baccarat of France.

With the second edition, Suri expects more cross-border collaborations. Brands like Racconti and Loco Design are also among the pillars speaking an internationally fluent design language and are redefining what Indian luxury looks like today. There is currently an influx of international brands looking to India for long-term partnerships. Likewise, Indian studios are increasingly exporting both product and talent, he added, underscoring the work of studios like Kohelika Kohli Karkhana, Chacko, Hearty Muse Atelier, Sarvatva, Objectry, Beso and AndBlack.

“Our design ecosystem is still very diverse and independent. What’s growing instead is a sense of collaboration… This signals a new global curiosity about India’s creative energy. The dialogue is no longer one-way, but is fully reciprocal,” he said. The inaugural edition attracted over 9,000 visitors and over 100 global brands last year.

Across the board and within key design calendar events and on the retail scene, Indian design creatives and brands are rising rapidly on an international stage. Last year, New Delhi-based luxury interiors company Diviana opened on one of Milan’s most exclusive addresses, on Via Monte di Pietà, just steps away from both the Bulgari and Armani Hotels and the arty Brera district.

In October, New Delhi-based designer Vikram Goyal, along with Berlin-based olfactory artist Sissel Tolaas, headlined Design Miami Paris with a sensorial installation.

Design Mumbai’s organizers said the sector’s prowess is being driven by the robust real estate and architectural sector predicted to grow collectively to $1 trillion by 2030 from only $200 billion in 2021.

India also plans to spend $1.4 trillion on infrastructure in the next five years and the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals is forecast to increase by 39 percent between 2021 and 2026. This data was originally compiled by market research company IMARC Group.