India: the new frontier for design events

According to data from CSIL (Center for Light Industry Studies), India is a fast-growing market and is expected to close the year at +6% of real GDP. In 2023 India surpassed China to become the most populous country in the world, with more than 1.4 billion people. The crown may not have intrinsic value, but it symbolizes important things. According to United Nations projections, India’s population will almost certainly continue to grow for several decades, accounting for more than one-sixth of the increase in the world’s working-age population (15-64 years) between now and 2050. Moreover, 51 percent of India’s population will live in urban areas by 2047, something that will cause significant changes in the domestic market.

India: a country on the rise

The data testify that India has considerable potential for growth in the coming years. Indeed, despite impressive economic growth, per capita income remains low compared to China and other Southeast Asian countries. Today Chinese consumers are three times wealthier, and South Korean and Japanese consumers six times wealthier, than Indian consumers. Thus, the scope for growth is considerable, and forecasts for expansion in the coming years include furniture, living design, and hospitality markets.

In recent years, a policy push by state and central governments has encouraged the creation of furniture parks and clusters across the country. The scope is to increase the capacity and scale of furniture manufacturers, including by reducing logistics and supply chain costs. These policies have also encouraged foreign investment to set up manufacturing facilities in the country, which is therefore increasing. India is also investing heavily in logistics infrastructure. The development of multimodal logistics parks will optimize the movement of goods in the country, reducing the cost of transportation per ton. The office sector will also be growing by 20-22 percent per year, with coworking space expected to grow from $1.94 billion to $2.72 billion by 2029.

India: a new destination for design events

With such favorable economic indicators, it is no coincidence that European event organizers have chosen India to launch new design exhibitions or Indian editions of well-known trade shows. In fact, the first edition of Design Mumbai takes place from November 6 to 9. It’s a highly curated exhibition featuring the best that design from India has to offer, and some very select exhibitors from abroad. The fair thus hosts several very established or emerging brands, as well as new talents from all areas of interior design. Local craftsmanship also includes eco-conscious lighting collections made from natural materials and zero-impact designs using recycled industrial materials. Design Mumbai runs at the Jio World Garden.

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Jio World Garden, Design Mumbai venue

Orgatec, on the other hand, the world’s leading office and contract exhibition, will debut November 4-6, 2025, at the Jio World Convention Centre. Orgatec’s ambitious plan is to bring the platform dedicated to the entire office world, with intelligent solutions for tomorrow’s work, to the evolving country, and to a vibrant city like Mumbai.
Mumbai’s choice is certainly not by chance. Mumbai, in fact, is a megacity of more than 20,000,000 inhabitants, the third largest city in the world in terms of presence of billionaires. It’s India’s commercial and entertainment capital; Mumbai’s economy generates 5 percent of India’s GDP, 25 percent of industrial production, 40 percent of maritime trade, and 70 percent of its capital transactions.

So, let’s start planning the trip to Mumbai in the first week of November 2025.