Index India Furniture Fair Makes Room for Local Design Talents

The immense success of the Index India Furniture Fair has been partly driven by its groundbreaking design initiative Index Design Boulevard at Index Fairs, Mumbai, which has helped the organizer to raise the trade fair to a new level.

Inaugurated in 2008, the Index Design Boulevard was specially important as the first product exhibition in India to make room to showcase the works of well known, local designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Alfredo Haberli, Ron Arad and Tord Boontje, with the focal exhibits curated by iconic international designers, such as Alessandro Mendini.

An interesting aspect of the Index Design Boulevard was the space known as "Inspired Functional," where young Indian designers were offered space to create concept spaces for home, office and display. This year, the Design Boulevard will go a step further by giving formal credit where it is due. The organizers of Index Fairs will be honoring inspired young designers from premier architectural and design institutes with the Index Design Excellence Award or IDEA.

Also notable is that the Index India Furniture Fair, also known as India's "big event" for furniture, lighting and interiors, is professionally-oriented, focusing on trade and specifiers (interior architects and project buyers). Already the trade fair of choice for leading companies entering the Indian market, the event has attracted large participation from Italy and other nations in the past. Among other established credentials, Index India Furniture is also the AUMA list this year, simplifying participation by German companies to tap the benefits of a dynamic new market.

Another promising fact is that the Indian market continues to be a resilient emerging economy in a time when western counterparts have been lagging. With the current rate of economic growth at 7% in India, coupled with Indian manufacturers' inability to keep up with demand and the nation's dependence on imports, this fair sets up opportunities for both local and foreign suppliers.

Index Furniture, the specialized fair for finished furniture, will be held concurrently with the other specialized Index Fairs for lighting, intermediates and kitchen and bath goods Sept. 18-22, 2009 in Mumbai. The fairs are organized by Universal Expositions Ltd., part of the Universal Media Group.