MAPPING INDIA
An insider’s guide to Indian architecture, design and fashion
commissioned by Dutch Design Fashion Architecture
MAPPING INDIA
An insider’s guide to Indian architecture, design and fashion
commissioned by Dutch Design Fashion Architecture June 2010
Contents Foreword
04
Introduction
05
A Great Peep Show
07
ARCHITECTURE by Anand Patel Architecture & Urban Planning in India
11
Introduction
11
The Architecture and Urban Design Field in India
12
Architecture in India: Perspective
14
Contemporary Architecture in India The State of Architecture in India
15
Education
16
Economy
18
Professional Organizations
19
Government policy
20
Key Players in Architecture & Urban Planning in India
22
India and The Netherlands
23
Architecture Events: India – The Netherlands
25
Growth Prospects
26
Awards
29
Journals, Blogs
29
References
29
DESIGN by Hrridaysh Despande
30
Introduction
30
History
30
Context
31
Design in India – Today and Tomorrow
31
Education
32
Organizations
34
Government
35
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
37
India Design Council
37
Ministry of MSME
38
Key players
38
Trade and Industry
39
Geographical distribution of design industry
40
Design Users
41
Internationalization
42
Media, awards and exhibitions
42
Recent creative exchange between India and the Netherlands
43
Indian Design Industry- A SWOT Analysis
43
Main trends and prospects
44
Conclusion
46
FASHION by Harmeet Bajaj
47
Introduction
49
Educational Institutions
49
Leading Institutes of Fashion Education
49
Organisations
51
Trade and industry
54
Designer wear market
55
Designers
55
The luxury brands
58
The big fat Indian wedding
58
The accessory market
59
Fashion jewelry
59
Key Professionals in the Fashion industry
61
Leading choreographers
63
Event companies
63
Leading set/exhibition designers
63
Media, Awards and Exhibitions
64
Media
64
Awards
65
Events and exhibitions
65
Government
67
Bi-lateral Trade Relations and Exchanges
67
Between India and other nations
67
Between India and the Netherlands
70
Potential areas for joint collaborations
70
Summary
71
Foreword In the spring of 2010 three key persons in their field
Indian colleagues and counterparts, as well as for anyone
engaged in a ‘mapping’ exercise of architecture, design
else wishing to engage with Dutch design.
and fashion in India, one of the largest and most
On behalf of the DutchDFA partners NAi, Premsela, BNO,
populated countries in the world. Brave enough to accept
BNA, BNI and Modint, I wish to thank Harmeet, Hrridaysh
this daunting assignment were architect Anand Patel,
and Anand for their invaluable contribution to a future
design professional Hrridaysh Despande and fashion guru
collaboration between India and the Netherlands.
Harmeet Bajaj. In the short time that was available to
Our gratitude also goes to Corien Beks, Theo Groothuizen,
them they collected a wealth of insightful data and
Rita van Hattum, Nannet van der Kleijn, Jorn Konijn and
information, but also took the trouble of explaining to us
Peter Kersten for reading and commenting on drafts of the
both the nature and the significance of the design
mapping. Dutch author and critic Gert Staal achieved the
profession in India, as well as providing us with insight into
remarkable feat of writing a summarizing introduction,
how its development interacts with the development of
whereas Gerrie van Noord as always was a fast and critical
Indian society. To all three I wish to express my profound
editor and translator. However, without the perseverance,
thanks for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and
charm and organisational skills of Mei-Lan Tjoa this
forbearance in dealing with our demands.
mapping would never have materialised. Thank you all.
The mapping was conducted in the context of the Dutch Design Fashion Architecture (DutchDFA) programme,
Christine de Baan, programme director
which aims to strengthen the international position of the
Dutch Design Fashion Architecture
most prominent sectors of the Dutch creative industries –
Rotterdam, June 2010
design, fashion and architecture – through a joined-up approach. This four-year strategic programme (20092012) takes place in a selection of focus countries (India, China and Germany) and relates to topical issues and local demands. The aim is to build long-lasting international partnerships while addressing the issues facing today’s world through design. Partnership, dialogue, exchange of ideas, collaboration, trade, can only take place on the basis of mutual trust, which in turn is founded on mutual knowledge. The DutchDFA programme is geared towards building relationships step by step and this mapping exercise provides a crucial stage in this process. The draft version of the mapping was presented by its authors in Amsterdam on 15 June 2010 to an audience of Dutch design professionals and administrators. On the invitation of DutchDFA, the ‘mappers’ were each accompanied by several key figures from their field. This group visited the Netherlands for a week, meeting their counterparts in education, culture and business, renewing old ties – such as with the networks developed between India and the Netherlands by BNO and NAi – and developing new acquaintances and even new friendships. New ideas for collaboration arose along the way and will be reflected in the DutchDFA programme of the coming years. At the same time DutchDFA has pledged to create an online ‘mapping’ of the Netherlands for our
4
Introduction Introductory remarks by Gert Staal, author and design critic in the Netherlands
The turbulent growth of India’s economy has led to a
great opportunities for the use of Dutch design expertise.
significant shift in how the country is perceived within a
But before that can be applied, local governments need to
short amount of time – both within India itself, but certainly
be convinced of the necessity of central planning. And,
also elsewhere. Although not all parts of the country, and
after the frustrating experiences with the English colonial
certainly not all layers of its population benefit equally
mode of city planning, they subsequently need to be made
from its growing welfare, progress is visible through
aware of the added value of what the Netherlands have to
factors such as increase in income, expansion of the real
‘offer’.
estate market, the job market and for instance the growth
What also has to be taken into account is that the Indian
of the retail sector.
appreciation for the design qualities that especially
Especially in cities, growth has become the default
Europe and Japan can bring to the table, will always be
condition. India currently has 42 cities with over a million
mirrored by a strong sense of national consciousness.
inhabitants. Within 20 years this number will increase to
In fact, on the basis of its historically grown creative ability
68. In the meantime, Mumbai and Delhi have passed the
and the increase in quality of its education, India sees
10 million mark; Kolkata and Bangalore are on the verge
itself as the Asian design factory of the near future.
of following in their footsteps.
The ambition is for international clients to come and buy in their design services. If foreign parties want to operate
Virtually every number highlighted in ‘Mapping India’
successfully within the Indian design market, they will at
indicates the acceleration that characterises the country’s
least have to show understanding for the specifically
current development. This speed is accompanied by a
Indian sensibility, and preferably incorporate it within their
growing awareness of the significance that the design
projects through collaboration with Indian designers and
disciplines have for the country’s future. Especially
architects.
because the rapid changes also reveal structural lacks, the answer is being sought in designing solutions: interventions in the areas of infrastructure, health care, planning, education etc. to which designers can contribute. At the same time the numbers show the
Breakthrough
country’s unprecedented potential (when it comes to
Research in the architecture, fashion and design sectors
production capacity and consumer urge), as well as its
all seems to point in the same direction: Dutch designers,
boundless needs.
and specifically those agencies with a strong, professional work method, will mainly be able to get a foot in the door
Self-consciousness
through collaboration with Indian partners. Indian companies here have a clear goal: they want to professionalise and (eventually) internationalise their own design practices through their partners.
It would be painting too simple a picture to assume that
Although developments in both architecture and in various
the Netherlands, with its knowledge and experience in
design sectors happen quickly (education improves,
urban planning, architecture, design and fashion, would
governments takes on a more proactive role and
find its bed readily made in India. First of all, across the
companies focus on innovation and expansion) an actual
country’s various regions, social classes and urban and
breakthrough is still due.
rural areas this market is incredibly diverse. Moreover, the interest in design expertise is clearly articulated in certain sectors (like in IT, automotive industries), while it is only
Education
partially or under-developed in others. The cities’ thus far
Professional education for architects and designers can
unplanned growth clearly demonstrates the dilemma.
benefit from collaboration with Dutch institutions in areas
There are many urgent issues (slum development,
like ‘design thinking’, professionalisation and knowledge of
sustainability, transport, economic development) that offer
international markets. The demand for architects and
5
designers is substantially bigger than the capacity that the existing institutions can deliver. The current number of
Active Alliances
5,000 new architects a year for instance is far too low to
It goes without saying that the Netherlands will continue to
be able to meet the actual need. This shortage also
build on the steadily improving relationships between the
seems to exist within other design education, which is
two countries. Government bodies and professional
often modelled after the example of several well-
organisations have laid the groundwork for collaboration,
established schools in India, such as the National Institute
especially in the area of education and consultancy in
of Design in Ahmedabad. There are opportunities for
relation to the professionalisation of the design sectors.
Dutch educational institutions to feed new courses in India
The Netherlands has, alongside England and Japan,
with curriculums that have proven their quality in the
gained prominence as a consultancy partner for the Indian
Netherlands.
design sector in the fields of graphic design and product design. There also seem to be options for the export of goods and
Government
for investments. When it comes to active alliances, several
Through collaboration with Indian and Dutch designers
matchmaking programmes have been launched and there
the government could develop more policy related insight
are opportunities specifically for collaborations with
in designers’ fields of operation and the application of
young, emerging agencies. They are eager to grow and
strategic design processes. Especially with regards to
learn, and offer a useful point of access to the local
communication, public space and infrastructure there is
market.
an unmistakable market for the integration of Dutch
Fairs, conferences and trade events (like Kyoorius
knowledge and experience. However, Indian government
DesignYatra Mumbai and LAKME Fashion Week in Delhi)
culture differs significantly from ours and is certainly
are important starting points for an exploration of
substantially more bureaucratic.
opportunities. Travelling exhibitions also seem to provide
Nehru’s legacy, which married a capitalist system with a
a useful platform. Important is always an understanding
form of state-led economy, shaped after Russia’s, has lost
for the Indian context, whether it’s defined as commercial
its relevance in contemporary India, but its conceptual
market, or the social-cultural contexts in which architects
framework hasn’t vanished yet. The introduction of the
and designers operate. It seems obvious to establish, but
National Design Policy in 2007 offers an important
is essential to emphasise that India is purely looking for
backdrop for Dutch designers who want to get a sense of
connections that stimulate its own professional activity,
what’s possible in India. The plan aims to establish a
enhance the quality of life of its own citizens and the
‘brand image’ for Indian design, for which the use of
viability of its own industry. Who dares to make the leap
foreign knowledge is indispensable. A similarly ambitious
from the Netherlands will have to realise one thing, using
plan from 2005 (JNNURM) is aimed at producing
the words of one of Mapping India’s authors: ‘Designers
regeneration in over 60 Indian cities, paying special
need to display sensitivity to the real needs of people and
attention to infrastructure, service provision for the poor,
also sensitize clients accordingly.’
and a reform of urban facilities. Gert Staal
Industry The use of design in the industrial sector is mainly limited to large (multinational) companies. Thus far there is little evidence of knowledge of design management among the many more mid-range and small companies, and therefore of their appreciation for this level of expertise.
6
A Great Peep Show
Excerpts from Whitewash by Gautam Bhatia, with thanks to Anand Patel
The government line is ‘unity in diversity’, of secularism, of
would be needed to rise to India’s 21st century ideal:
religious faith and personal beliefs, something that also
Hindu, Brahmin Male, urban dweller, young, fair, moneyed.
includes the freedom to practice idiosyncratic whims, fiscal fraud, nepotism and perverse deceptions.
To survive is to stick together, and also remain apart from others. Journalists acquire land and live together in a
It is said that the 20th century was the most creative period
landlocked subdivision called Press Enclave, lawyers in
of human history; its 100 years saw changes in
Niti Bagh, Punjabis in Punjabi Bagh, Bengalis in
governance, politics, social behaviour, art and science
Chittaranjan Park, Jews in Cochin, dwindling to a few
that had not been witnessed in the last thousand. Equally,
hundred, in Jewtown. Cooperation has come to mean
it is said of India, that the last decade of the 20th century
cooperating with people whose close proximity is unlikely
was more destructive than the thousand years that
to produce cultural, economic and ethnic ripples.
preceded it. Floods, cyclones, famines and other natural
A married, orthodox, Bengali Muslim chartered accountant
disasters aside, India saw the calculated demolition of a
with two children, and employed by a multinational
mosque; it experienced rioting on a monumental scale.
company, is not likely to live next to a South Indian lesbian
Political assassinations, insecurity, terrorism and fear
couple with an adopted Sikkimese baby. It is a much safer
became the order of the day. But with political ambitions
bet living with a neighbour who is racially, morally,
and party loyalties at stake, India chose to ignore it all,
sexually, spiritually and economically your equal, than
hoping it would go away. When a train fell into a gorge
attempting to savour the uncertain benefits of diversity.
killing 800, the India-Pakistan Cricket Match made a better viewing option than dead bodies on muddy ground.
Wherever you go, every turn or incident or meeting
When a killer earthquake hit Gujarat and people lay dying
reinforces your position, and you are reminded of your
under the weight of illegally conceived high rises, a
deprivations, your opportunities. In your sightline is
German relief supply plane stood for nine hours at the
someone worthy of emulation, someone else in a state of
airport awaiting customs clearance. When a Union
humiliation, another in desperation. The proximity of such
Minister, caught with cash stuffed in sofas and beds was
reminders baffle; and make you acutely aware of all the
re-elected instead of being jailed, it spoke of a new order
social, political, and economic collisions that are waiting to
in the making. In the riots that engulfed the nation and
happen to you in your life, in the life of India.
absorbed the elite in intellectual, often ineffectual, debate, in fodder scams of criminal scale in drought afflicted
Yet places in the city radiate the genial signs of shared
areas, in water riots in places where Ministers cars were
tolerances. There is an Islamic tomb in the old neighbour
washed twice daily, was the first sign that human life came
hood; a Hindu temple is quietly being `regularized’ down
a distant second to religious, political, caste, gender, and
the road; a delegation of Buddhist monks is attending a
personal ideals.
peace conference at the international centre. The day-today signals are those of a country tolerant in mind, where
Housing for the Economically Weaker Sections, LIG, Low
an unwritten code of religious and social conduct governs
Income Group. Build for Work Program, Nirman Yojna,
the passing of each day. But passive individuals given to
Work for Food Program, Karya Yojna. Euphemism upon
the rituals of secularism in their own life, become rapidly
euphemism. Every official act of magnanimity was tinged
fanatical when part of the larger collective of their own
with political ill will and doomed to failure. The poor in
community. The community provides the platform for
India were different in far too many ways to ever overcome
action, the political party the credo of hate. Every bit of
their handicaps. To be saddled by poverty, to live in the
pious rhetoric invariably has undertones of violence.
village, to be a Muslim or Christian or tribal; to be a woman, unmarried; to be dark, was the ultimate
Contradictory signs are everywhere. Doordarshan will
humiliation in 18th century India.. Nothing has changed in
transmit a commercial for a refrigerator across the land.
21st century India. Several lifetimes and good karmas
The fridge is laden with chicken, milk, fruit juices, eggs
7
and ham. But the ad is imbibed by a bonded labourer in
with activity, thirsting for things that once belonged only to
drought-ridden Bihar. A political leader still maintains his
another world. After half a century of sustained denial, the
links with Gandhi by dressing in a similar fashion; only the
thirst is endless. But turn into the side road and the scene
shawl is of pure silk, the dhoti of terrycloth.
changes. Drive along this dirt track for thousands of miles and the scene refuses to change. Mile upon relentless
India allows everything to coexist; mineral water and
mile, a primitive land unmade in any physical way
cholera, the personal computer and the hand plough,
stretches on, a lone tree in the distance, a charpai and a
lesbianism and arranged marriages. But what appears
mud hut. Talk to an old woman trying to sell a heap of
sad and funny and stupid at times is only the sad and
garlic in the emptiness; tell her about the new economic
funny irony of such juxtaposition. A towering, five-storied
order, the high Forex reserves and job outsourcing.
mansion, slapped with an expensive stone veneer and
Tell her about the world’s fastest growing economy after
flouting every building bylaw, becomes delightfully funny,
China, and watch the faded eyes light up. There is change
extravagant and sad when viewed across a grim cityscape
in the v illage: Sure, there’s been a six year drought, and
of mud shanties with a single water source and open
the only well has dried up. But Maggi Noodle packets are
sewage. That the residents of these mud shanties have
now available in the ration shop, and Bisleri mineral water
helped build the mansions, and survive by their
in plastic bottles. There’s no caste rivalry anymore; the
construction, only makes the irony sadder and funnier.
Dalits have relocated to a separate village, nearer to the Dalit well. What’s more, her husband has a steady job as
In India the desperation of daily urban life is in perpetual
a bonded labourer; even the children have work in the
conflict with the 21st century itch to become the world’s
matchstick factory. Sure there’s not enough to eat, but
most notorious consumers. Setting an unfamiliar course
food isn’t everything. Things are looking up.
on the path of perennially increasing gross domestic product, the new Indian has learnt to make his own
Outside the village, dried by famine, the billionaire
substantial contribution to the annual growth rate. Flatron
industrialist looks blankly at the gnarled face; past her
TVs, stainless steel fridges, call centers, cell phones with
shriveled skin, he sees the remote village wall. He knows,
cameras, Baroque houses with cupids pissing into Italian
behind it are other unimaginable states of malnourishment,
fountains, pool-side barbeque grilles, vacations in Brazil,
infant mortality rates that defy all norms, and many lives
Corinthian columned housing called Malibu Heights, plate
lived on only twenty rupees a day. Less than the cost of
glass malls, BMWs - all vie for space on the credit card.
pissing in a London pay-toilet. But he smiles. Inequality is
Risen from the ashes its owner is now in stiff competition
only an indicator of a thriving economy, he tells himself. In
for global goods and services - unsettled and unsettling, a
so formidable a divide, no unrest is possible.
mercenary, setting American standards of consumption and obligation. Defending the new gods of NASDAQ, he is
That two centuries can exist in such appallingly close
often consumed by middle-class guilt and returns to
proximity without even affecting each other is a surprise
desecrate old temple walls. He belongs at once to the new
that India offers all the time. If there is dissatisfaction in
India, brash and arrogant, relentless in his persuit to
the village, it rarely spills into the fancy farmhouse next
become someone else, but unable to shed the
door. If industrial workers die of chemical waste pollutants
undiscovered values of the old India, an imaginary
from their own factory, the owner simply hires new
Gandhian utopia. Outside his hermetically sealed malls
workers. As long as the boundary walls are high, the
and farmhouses, this other India awaits admission. The
fences electrified, as long as profits and dividends stay
pi-dog sniffs turd on an unfinished road. Citizens reel and
within the family compound, life is OK. Hyper-reality.
shuffle about in unhealthy purposelessness, filling forms
Against the denuded backdrop of fallow dry fields,
in triplicate with mother’s maiden name, clubbing
California houses huddle, embarrassed in their lushness,
daughters-in-law to death, exchanging packets of notes in
a little uncomfortable in the Indian sunshine.
darkened halls. Theatrical scenes in discordant play. Considered together, they produce the schizophrenic
But not for long. Everyone knows that the artificial India is
character of the new India. An India of despotic and
the real India now. As Mahatma Gandhi once didn’t say:
devious insanity that plays itself out daily through a cast of
The real India is not here, it’s in California.
shifty trustless accomplices - the new heroes. Small town Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, is the largest Along the new road, four-laned, with guard rails and green
manufacturer and exporter of brass objects in India, with
signage similar to any American highway, India bristles
an annual turnover of over 42 crore rupees. Despite its
8
supposed richness, in urban terms, Moradabad is truly the
For most people, born soon after partition and witnessing
armpit of the world. Squalid beyond belief, treeless, filled
something of the promise of Independence, India now
with rivulets of effluents, unmade roads, stagnant pools of
offered only a regressive refrain. Every shock of
water and with a roadside poverty to rival any of the small
communal violence, every message of narcissism and
towns of Bihar, in the public life of the city there is not a
greed in the papers, was a signal to retreat - to withdraw
hint of its industrial affluence. And yet, along its Eastern
behind high boundary walls; the only way of self
edge lies its only link to affluence -- the city’s larger
preservation was through self-absorption and selfishness.
houses -- each displaying a level of ostentation in indirect
Social obligations and ambitions withered away and all
proportion to the surrounding blight. In such a setting, the
that remained was the cold hard truth: each man for
houses become nothing but the carefully preserved and
himself. The boat was sinking, and fast. Save yourself.
fenced bits of ornament in a sea of grime - petrified statements of contrast.
I too learnt to survive in the only way possible. I became a modern day hero - an Indian without obligation or ideal.
The irony hits you every day. A three-bedroom apartment
I learnt to cherish all that was of value to the new India;
across the Dharavi slum in Mumbai costs one million
Money, split air conditioning, microwaves and Haryanvi
dollars. And there are enough takers for it. As there are for
guards for the house - all the buttressings that recreated
the Neo-classical and pagoda-style houses of Amby
an image of myself as a promoter of my own middle-class
Valley, a leisure home reserve of artificial lakes, artificial
cause. There was no other way. It was more important to
ski slopes and artificial beach fronts, built north of the city.
earn even if in evil ways, than carry the mantle of some
And physically protected from the mess of India.
half-baked proposition into the uncertain arena of national idealism. To save the country’s millions, to propose
But move higher up and away from the rarified ground
solutions for low cost shelters or do something as archaic
atmosphere of Amby Valley and include the perspective of
as believe in the country was an old Gandhian madness.
its surrounding countryside, a rawness hits the senses. When viewed with the parched village ponds, the lakes
Sometimes it is difficult to live in the eternal overdose of
flicker in mock hyper-reality. Against the denuded backdrop
India; its daily message of violence, the generous hostility
of fallow dry fields, California houses huddle, embarrassed
of its ordinary life; the persistent symbols of piety and
in their lushness, a little uncomfortable in the Indian sunshine.
fanaticism. Yet, despite the despair, the daily embrace of life also adds another dimension to the country. It provides
But not for long. Everyone knows that the artificial India is
the compassionate face of humanity in perpetual struggle.
the real India now. As Mahatma Gandhi once didn’t say: The real India is not here, it’s in California.
After 20 years of being back home, every day still affects me profoundly; every sight fills me with new rage, tears,
Who cares about Gandhi anymore. From the heroism of
greater compassion, even love. How uncomplicated the
Independence, India had happily reduced the heroic act to
place was, I always thought, and how much everything
money matters and fiscal prowess, making as the new
was a reminder of life and death.
heroes of our times the Richest Indian, the fourth richest Asian, the Most Affluent American of Indian origin, the
The book consequently is written with love. At the outset
only Indian in Fortune 500. The old heroes were still there,
this may not appear so, but, every aspect of derision and
but they were shelved and reduced to caricature.
despair has a corollary in affection. If I have hated and
Mahatma Gandhi, a distant guardian of Independence,
despised the happenings around me it is only because
CV Raman of science, Ramanathan Krishnan and
I have always thought of India as a welcoming family
MilkhaSingh of sport grinning down their respective
home full of cherished value and memory. Like a
shelves, a little weary, a little sad.
benevolent grand parent, happy in its poverty whose touch and embrace were a measure of my own comfort and
The new heroes were ordinary money-grubbing parasites,
security. And it is with great sadness that I see the
whose sole ideal was to be a millionaire by the age of 30 or
grandparent suffering and dying.
grow their hair long for the Guinness Book. There where no Mahatma Gandhi Margs, no New Jawaharlal Nehru
But among the unhoused millions, gas tragedies, thieving
Stadiums, no Satyajit Ray Chowks. Only Ansal Plazas and
bureaucrats, earthquake relief that never comes, large
Raheja Towers. Builders commemorating their own actions
scale urban despair and nuclear threats, the sadness is
in their own lifetime, to give you a taste of the new India.
naturally tinged with comedy. In India comic relief
9
becomes an effective tool to assuage collective guilt.
to stop laughing.
The daily quantum of human suffering, the weight of public expectation in helping to alleviate that suffering and, the
But there was another reason. For some time now,
cartoon characters that pose as potential providers and
I realized how little I am affected by the day to day affairs
rulers, altogether rate India high as a setting of daily satire
of India, how little its public, political and social life
and parody. The largest number of forest management
interests me. Even the daily news seems unreal -- like
and research institutes thrive when twenty thousand
narcissistic messages from some distant unstable planet.
hectares of wilderness is being eroded every day.
The aspects of India that enrich my personal life belong at
A railway tout encourages you to limp on the train so as to
divergent ends of the spectrum; sometimes the daily
take advantage of the quota for the handicapped. Six
offering is close to the meditative - the sight of the
grown men with doctoral degrees sit together in a train
sweeper woman’s movements across the floor, a lone
compartment and conduct a deep, heartfelt, debate on the
figure doing yoga under a tree; more often, it is in the
shunting schedule of the 242 Down Passenger train from
realm of the mundane - the daily march of children
Mehsana, a widely acclaimed book, Trains at a Glance, in
heading to school, the vegetable vendor’s chant.
hand. Where would this happen but in India.
Whatever it is, people, places and landscapes move me profoundly. But the middle ground, the India of daily squalor
Whitewash satirizes the medium of the newspaper as well
and dormant prejudices, is always hard to accept. In that
- its known personalities, advertising, classified ads, tenders,
world, I am not a player, just a viewer in the back row,
obituaries, and hue and cry notices. Film stars, politicians,
watching the audience with as much interest as the play.
cricket players - animated but in recognizable form - engage in fictitious interviews and scenarios. In attempting to poke
I suppose in every society the middle class bears the
fun at the current state of affairs within the country the
burden of dysfunction. People belong out of human need,
newspaper format of the book examines issues, persona
inadequacies. People of my background - privileged and
lities, people and ideas in a way that is wholly idiosyncratic
pretentious, a little aloof, and always judgmental - are
- at times, projecting the current image of India, at other
easily unhinged in an untamed country. Without the daily
times, an India that once was, and yet others, an India that
crossfire of survival and aspiration to occupy you, India is
may never be, and perhaps, should never be.
an inadequate ally, just an indulgence. A great peep show.
In so doing, it is meant to act as a form of corrective
Whitewash is therefore, not an objective book. No book on
measure to the real India, offering a set of unintellectual
India can be. It is a prejudiced work filled with love and
lenses behind which lies something of today’s morality.
hate and despair; by exaggerating and fictionalizing known events, personalities and situations, the book
Thieving forests officials, presidents, WMDs, dowry
I hope will caution against the excesses of our time and
deaths, adulterated foods, newly wed housewives,
act as warning for the future. By extrapolating the
crashed trains, striking airline pilots are all mixed and
madness of the present, the writing is meant to stir the
matched in the unstructured way it is possible only in
reader against complacency. Moreover the book is written
India. In Whitewash their actions are further embellished
about India from my personal viewpoint. It encompasses
to represent a grossly magnified picture of the world - an
thoughts, historical data, contemporary references and
exaggerated picture of people driven to grotesque levels
ideas, expressed from the vantage point of an ordinary
of greed, and indulging in heinous acts of depravity and
middle-class urban life. It may be chronologically and
barbarism.
historically an unconventional view, but, for a place which follows no established convention, I think it is the only
The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was not
perspective possible.
possible to exaggerate Indian reality. From my narrow middle-class cocooned perspective, self-conscious and
Gautam Bhatia is one of the most famous architecture authors in
self-serving, everything was an exaggeration. India
India. He has written Punjabi Baroque and Comic Century. He is
loomed as large as an untamable beast, baring its fangs
based in New Delhi. As a critic and satirist, he writes columns for
with such regularity, that it left me reeling in retreat. Life
Outlook magazine and Indian Express newspapers, and his
beyond the boundary wall had become a matter of such
columns have also appeared in New York Times.
serious - almost criminal - tragedy, that it was now a very highly developed form of comedy. At one time it was possible to laugh and cry at the same time. Now it’s hard
10
http://www.architexturez.net/+/subject-listing/000058.shtml
Architecture
Architecture & Urban Planning in India
Prepared by: Anand Patel, architect
Introduction India will have more than 590 million people living in
The Architecture and Urban Design Field in India
urbanized areas by 2030. 70% of new employment will be generated in cities. 700 to 900 million square meters of
Architecture in India carries a difficult burden. In a country,
new residential and commercial development needs to be
where situations and problems achieve a despairing
built every year (an entire new Chicago!) along with
magnitude, is there a way of thinking of architecture, other
2.5 billion square meters of roads to be paved in order to
than as mere problem solving? Should architecture even
accommodate this anticipated growth in the next 20 years.
innovate towards problems? Should it remit to finding
68 cities will have a population of above 1 million
solutions to the Bhopal Gas tragedy? Should artistic effort
inhabitants. About 1.2 trillion US dollars are required to
be directed towards making, not just adequate, but
meet this demand to rejuvenate and build Indian cities.
thoughtfully imaginative houses for those who need
Thus, cities will be central to India’s economic future.
shelter from a cyclone in Orissa?
Among all the States and Union territories, the National
Let us extrapolate.
Capital Territory of Delhi is most urbanized with 93 percent urban population followed by Union territory of Chandigarh
For an architect, architecture is a kind of memoir. A piece
(89.8 percent) and Pondicherry (66.6 percent).
of construction, the making of a building, even the viewing of a monument, is a form of autobiography; as personal an
Among the major States, Tamil Nadu is the most
autobiography as an architect can write. It carries notions
urbanized state with 43.9 percent of the population living
of professed aims and ideas influenced too by the people
in urban areas followed by Maharashtra (42.4 percent)
who build them, and those who live in them. Seen through
and Gujarat (37.4 percent). The proportion of urban
the architect’s eye buildings express the architect’s own
population is the lowest in Himachal Pradesh with 9.8%
perceptions of a place - the way he would make it for
followed by Bihar with 10.5 percent, Assam (12.7 percent)
himself, the way he would occupy it. And, to that degree,
and Orissa
architecture becomes a canvas of confession. Since
(14.9 percent).
architecture is such a conspicuous, immensely physical object in space, its presence in fact, influences everyone.
In terms of absolute number of persons living in urban
The presence of building around us provides a persistent
areas, Maharashtra leads with 41 million persons, which is
frame of reference - as permanent as roads or fields -
14 percent of the total population of the country. Uttar
from which there is no escape. Buildings are explicit, big,
Pradesh accounts for about 35 million followed by Tamil
always visible. They line the street, they are at the end of
Nadu 27 million.
the road, they make the town. The final products of a difficult endeavor, they involve questions of aesthetics,
It is within this framework that we are looking at the
design, construction, layout, structure, materials, details,
emerging trends and demands in the architectural and
ornamentation, personal likes and public taste - all things
urban design practice in India, especially through its cities
that can be individually identified to convey the way a
and new towns.
building is made. Through them, architecture becomes a treasure trove of unfolding links and discoveries, connecting histories of culture to expressions of style and personal histories, making the past visible in the present.
11
Architecture in India: Perspective
contemporary Europeans were engaged in most progressive thinking in architecture, Sir Edward Lutyen’s
No doubt we have a great architectural heritage of
was a masterpiece in high renaissance architecture, the
temples, mosques, palaces and forts. So much so that
result of a way of thinking typical of the early nineteenth
whenever architecture is thought of in conjunction with
century in Europe. It is interesting to note that at the same
India, images of the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and South
time as the construction of Delhi, Europe was having the
Indian temples are conjured up in our minds.
period of modern architecture movement in such schools as the Bauhaus.
Do we have anything today as representative of Modern Architecture, which could be compared with our old
Independence woke us to a changed situation. “Time had
buildings? Or in even simpler terms - ‘what represents
moved on. In place of religion or royal concern with
Modern Architecture in India’?
architectural immortality, this situation demanded attention to those problems that had so far been ruthlessly
The answer to this question also depends on the spirit
neglected. The ordinary man, his environment and needs
behind it. If the curiosity behind the question concerns the
became the centre of attention. Demand for low cost
quantum of construction done in post-independence years,
housing became urgent.
the answer can be one impressive list of statistical figures, a fine achievement for building science and technology.
Industrialism that was to follow in India spawned its own problems of townships and civic amenities for workers.
But, if on the other hand the questioning mind is concerned
Fresh migration from rural areas to existing cities also
about new architectural and planning thought generated in
strained already, meager housing capacities of existing
the same post-independence years, which have resulted
cities. The very scale of the problem was and still is
in buildings and cities suited to our socio-economic,
unnerving. 8,37,00,000 dwelling units needed throughout
cultural and climatic circumstances, our achievements are
the country and the demand rises annually at the rate of
not very impressive so far. But considering the fact that
17,000 dwelling units, not to mention rural housing.
formation of thoughts and ideas, in this relatively young
To face staggering problems of such magnitude, twenty-
field, has been going for only the last quarter of century
five years ago, there were few Indian architects in the
and with the limited resources that we have, it is evident
country and practically no planners. There was only one
that we are on the verge of making a break-through.
school of architecture in Bombay. But there was the will to build, with the limited resources and technological know-
Architecture traditionally, i.e., before the arrival of British
how at our disposal.
on the Indian soil, was from the social point of view, a creation of spectacular sculptural forms hewn out of stone.
We marched ahead and built an impressive number of
Architectural material was stone; tools, chisel and
houses and other buildings of utilisation nature. In the
hammer, and the aim was glorification. In contrast, the
process we made mistakes and learnt from them.
every-day needs of a common man were ruthlessly
Each fresh attempt was a step closer to building of forms
neglected. Then the British arrived on the scene, it was
more suitable for the Indian climate and socio-economic
through them that the first introduction to elementary
conditions. In this process, architects also became aware
modern building construction and planning was introduced
of the need for a certain amount of research work in new
into India. Their aim, however, was to house their
ways of building and planning if we were to face the
organisations, and their people and whatever was
problem squarely as they say. Since government was the
necessary to control an empire as big as India. Apart from
agency with the largest resource, it had to carry the
self-serving military cantonments and civil lines, they also
heaviest responsibility for construction. Need for various
left the basic p roblems well alone. It was no intention of
kinds of organisation on the national and regional level
the British to educate Indians in the art and science of
was felt. Following is the list of governmental bodies that
architecture. Consequently Indian minds, during the
we have today, which in some way or the other are
British reign, were completely out of touch with the
responsible for building industry in India.
progressive thinking taking place in the rest of the world. The most significant architectural phenomenon that took
(1) CENTRAL PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (C.P.W.D.)
place during the first half of this century in this country
(2) TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ORGANISATION
was building of Imperial Delhi. This was an anachronism
(3) HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
of the highest order, b ecause, while at that time
(4) CENTRAL BUILDING RESEARCH INSTITUTE
12
(5) NATIONAL BUILDING ORGANISATION
adopted in India. Some realized that concrete and plastic
(6) HINDUSTAN HOUSING FACTORY
forms were after all not the solution for all Indian
(7) STATE HOUSING BOARDS & DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES
architectural problems, howsoever sensational they might be.
Apart from all these, are state housing boards in all the mentioned above bodies which are responsible for
There was another parallel phenomenon going on at the
implementation and designing of the housing needs, and
same time, which was to influence the course of modern
general controlled growth of the existing cities according
architecture in India to come. Indian architects were going
to drawn up master-plans for development. For financial
to Europe and America to seek higher education and
help they depend on agencies like HUDCO.
cultural inspiration. The Indian architectural community took its inspiration from ideas developed in the western
Together with the help of the entire organisations, by no
world. During the sixties these architects who received
means an exhaustive list, government performs various
their education in the western countries commanded high
roles, from public works to deployment of financial resour
positions as professionals as well as teachers. They
ces, from research to distribution of funding to building
taught, practiced and experimented with what they had
industry. Much has been done much remains to be done.
learnt in the west against the harsh realities of India. The process of fermentation of ideas was turned on. There
On the architectural horizon today find us with a new
were many realizations that were to form the rational basis
generation of architects and planners. Today we have
for architecture to come.
nearby fifteen architectural schools throughout the country and certain equipment and knowhow of naturalized
First of these realizations was that if we have to do
building science and technology and a growing
anything worthwhile in India for Indians under Indian
experience with new material and methods and large
socio-economic and climatic conditions, the west was no
scale planning. All this had not been easy.
place to look for inspirations or solutions. We will have to evolve our own patterns of development and physical
However, it was not huge, building institutions, but
growth, our own methods and materials of construction
individuals that have been responsible for evolving a new
and our own expression of foregoing. This realisation
aesthetics bridging the hiatus between traditionalism and
created a sense of vaccum and because of the poignancy
modernism. Painstakingly these individuals have worked,
of the feeling of vaccum, the search began, and architects
over the years, learning both from abroad and our
started looking in different directions for various answers.
experiences with traditional architecture, to bring about
In each direction partial perception of truth was declared
various schools of thought responsible for the spirit of
as the total truth. The fact however, remains that in each
modern Indian architecture. The emphasis now lies not on
direction we have moved closer to the rational basis of
awesome monumentality, but factionalism with
modern architecture. One of the first places where Indian
accompanying virtues of economy, simplicity and utility.
architects looked for inspiration for expression of total architecture of India, is our own village and folk
It is relevant here to go into the development of these
architecture. Architects studied with keen interest the way
ideas. As a matter of fact some ideas of modern
people solved problems long before western influence
architecture were not to come to us until 1950, when Le
was felt in India. From desert settlements of Jaisalmer, to
Corbusier at that time was a leading figure in architectural
village developments of hills, plains and sea-coasts, all
circles c reated Chandigarh, one of his most ambitious
became the focus of study. Complex vernacular plans
projects. This had a tremendous impact on the mind of
were analysed and looked into for inspirations. It is the
Indian architects, who had so far only seen-either glorious
contention of these farsighted architects, with a hard
temples or forts of the past or the Imperial British capital
nosed realism, that in such kinds of dense developments,
of New Delhi in the name of modern architecture.
with simple methods of construction and conventional low
Overwhelmed, they found this expression of modern
cost materials, when laid out in a planned manner, that we
architecture quite acceptable. It was grand and sensational
will find the answer urban h ousing for our really poor
and at the same time was based on rational basis of
masses. While some of these architects were busy
climatic analysis and planning freedom. In the years to
looking for answers in what we already have in our
follow, buildings spring up all over India, which had similar
traditional settlements, others were exploring how industry
expression and the same materials. But ideas of Le
can be made use of in solving the aspect of building
Corbusier had to be crystallized before they could be
problems. Prefabrication has potential in large scale
13
housing, large span structures and industrial buildings on
Walls have eyes
anywhere were repetitive units can be employed. But so
Auroville-based Anupama Kundoo is first on the list and it
far in India, industrialization of the building industry has
is her own residence that Shah holds up as an example of
not made great headway for lack of technological
the “contemporary Indian”, identifying it in her attention to
infrastructures to support it, therefore its influence is only
three areas: “Eco-friendly building materials, alternative
limited to fascination of imagery. However, one aspect of
technology, and an architecture that is energy-efficient
technology that can be successfully applied in architecture
and climate-responsive”. Called “The Wall House”,
is invention and manufacture of new building materials
Kundoo’s house is only 2.2 metres wide, made of exposed
from industrial waste to replace the traditional building
brick that’s scaled down to the smaller proportions of the
materials like steel and cement of which there are
local achakal brick. It’s most distinctive feature is a two-
tremendous shortages.
storey-high vaulted verandah at the entrance, made of interlocking clay tubes, which is not just cheap, it is also
There is the growing realization among architects that just
great for insulation. Energy and costs have been further
to build visually beautiful buildings will be useless, unless
lowered by the use of solid stone and recycled wood.
it is backed by infrastructure of services, such as water
supply, electrical supply and communication system of
Modern temples
rapid mass transit, etc. In other words it is not an
Starkness of form ties in Kundoo with Bimal Patel. And
individual building but the total environment that matters.
Shah picks on three structures by the Ahmedabad-based
All this calls for serious attention on patterns of physical
architect, the most distinctive being the container
growth that will take care of layouts of all these services in
terminals operations centre in Chennai. A solid block
an organised manner.
oriented in east-west, the entire south facade of the building is a plain, blank wall, the north being entirely of
Contemporary Architecture in India
glass, looking out over the containers stacked far into the distance. This does not just reduce the energy consumption, the blank wall also provides a space for a
“Is there an architectural style that you can identify as
mural by Water D’Souza — a motif that fuses the industrial
“contemporary Indian”? Jagan Shah, architect and
with the spires of south Indian temples.
historian, feels there is and picks on 20 mid-career architects — he calls them the “new moderns” — for an
See through
exposition of the “contemporary Indian” (Contemporary
In this line-up of architects, Kapil Gupta and Christopher
Indian Architecture, Roli Books).
Lee are probably the most “international”. Shah picks on three of their much-acclaimed structures, including the
So what is the “contemporary Indian”? No, it’s not an
Jeweltech factory. From the outside the building looks like
architectural style that merely tacks on “Indian” motifs or
a solid square monolith, encased in glass. Inside, it is like
symbols to the structure, or mimics vernacular
a panopticon with a glass “canyon”, a reworking of the
architecture. No, in a globalised world, an architect can’t
traditional Indian courtyard, running through the entire
simply get by on national identity.
height of the building. It serves as a surveillance devise and also divides the factory floor and administrative
What ties together the architects Shah picks on are
sections.
“multidisciplinary insights” and a widening of respective
agendas to include concerns about climate, ecology and
Local touches
gender. It is through the description of structures by them
Shah holds up Rahul Mehrotra’s design for the TISS
that he comes to a definition of the “contemporary Indian”.
campus at Tuljapur as an example of how a structure can
Shah refers to two other vital issues which have had an
be traditional and native to a place and also incorporate
impact on “creative” expression — the diminishing role of
modern needs. The campus is an undulating, low
the state in commissioning public buildings, and the fact
structure made of local stone. Full of open spaces —
that with globalisation, architects are concentrating on
courtyards and terraces — it fulfils the need for interactive
delivery schedules, quality, detailing, engineering and
spaces and also provides relief from the hot and humid
programming skill.
climate.”
The Business Standard, March 29, 2008
14
The State of Architecture in India
Nevertheless, their desire to incorporate new ideas was evident even then, because the Handbook was updated eight times in the 70 years before independence, with each successive edition including the latest British
The modern practice of urban planning in India was
advances in urban planning practice. In all the decades
initiated after the War of 1857. The British realized that
since independence, however, the Indian PWD, the heir to
they had come within a hair’s breadth of losing their
this legacy, re-published the Handbook only twice and did
empire in urban areas because their organic morphology
not attempt any major changes to its contents. Thus the
made them d ifficult to control. There was a concerted
dated references to Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City and
effort thereafter to rebuild Indian towns on more familiar
the New Town plans developed in England between the
terms that they could ‘understand’. In her study of
two World Wars are retained as models for use in India.
Lucknow, Veena Talwar Oldenburg compellingly
demonstrates this imperialist logic underlying our legacy
While it is possible that the irrelevance of the Handbook’s
of modern urban planning and, indeed, by extension, of
contents has led to its recent neglect, it is clear that its
modernity itself.
ideas have fundamentally moulded the imagination of the Indian urban planner. In fact, its lingering presence in
Arindam Dutta makes another crucial point, arguing that
current practice illustrates two debilitating characteristics
the process of making a plan or designing a ‘solution’ is
of urban planning in India: first, the unthinking acceptance
already predetermined by the architect or urban planner
of foreign models to serve local purposes; and second,
before understanding the specifics of the ‘problem’ at
the inability or unwillingness among professionals to
hand.3 Not surprisingly, such plans fail to meet the
update their knowledge base and intellectually engage
actual needs of society and are frequently resisted,
with the specific complexity of Indian urbanism both as a
subconsciously or explicitly, by local inhabitants who must
sociocultural construct and as a technical entity.
bear the brunt of these ill-conceived solutions. In order to establish the authority of its master plans then, the
Instead, contemporary local urban planners ape the
government today has to deploy the police powers of the
colonial British in their desire to protect empire by
state to ‘enlighten’ society, compel its acquiescence and
disciplining urban space and punishing its ‘disorderly’
ensure that ‘solutions’ are duly implemented.
manifestations assumed to be the expressions of a rebellious populace. So deeply embedded is this punitive
Dutta’s argument helps explain the process of sealings
vision that the notion of a planning model that mediates
and demolitions imposed on Delhi in the recent past.
and facilitates a necessarily chaotic urbanization, and that
The destruction is rationalized by urban planners (who
is sensitive to the needs of vast swathes of disadvantaged
created the problem) and bolstered by the judiciary (who
inhabitants, becomes tragically inconceivable.
refuse to know better) as a cost that society must bear in order to institutionalize urban planning practice. As Dutta
This failure is not a new malaise. As far back as 1924,
says, ‘It is because the origins of modernity in the colony
government records about the construction of New Delhi
are... tied up with the ends of imperialism that its outlines
identified the problem of local developments not following
operate as a historical teleology in reverse: first the
the Master Plan formulated by Edwin Lutyens. As Stephen
institutions and then the “enlightenment”.’
Legg observes in his study of Delhi’s post-colonial
development, ‘the would-be panopticism of the imperial
To institutionalize the ‘modern’ process of planning, the
city became impossible to regulate from the very
Public Works Department published The Handbook on
beginning. ’5 A 1939 report that Legg cites reproduced the
Town Planning in 1876.4 The Handbook contained
1914 sanctioned layout of New Delhi – a map of stark and
guidelines for undertaking urban development projects all
clearly defined functional zones – and contrasted it,
over the country and it is easy to trace the origins of many
equally starkly, with a map of the actual layout of New
current professional philosophies and practices to this
Delhi – which, by 1938, illustrated a dazzling array of
book. These guidelines were formulated at a time when
mixed land-uses and what to the official gaze were
the British had begun systematic efforts to ensure civic
‘haphazard developments’.
health and hygiene in their own cities at home, so they
merely transferred the models they had developed for
Even then the problem then was not identified as one of
those cities to the colonies.
supply and demand or of needing to understand local characteristics of urban living; then, as today, it was
15
understood to be one of the lack of strict regulation. Thus
Clearly, there is an urgent case to be made for changing
the main r ecommendations of official reports invariably
the way urban planners conceive urban space. This, in
reinforce the imperative to regulate development such that
turn, requires a comprehensive re-formulation of our
it conforms to official plans. In subsequent post-
disciplinary assumptions and pedagogic practices.
independence government policies, stricter enforcement
At present our academic institutions emphasize the rote
of the law remained the leitmotif of recommendations to
transmission of received knowledge and routine methods
solve the persistent problems of ‘illegal’ development.
for minimally informed and vocational ends. Unsurprisingly,
Indeed, this collective fixation with enforcement on the
there is little or no local theorizing of the urban planning
part of both urban planners and government policy-makers
experience in India. By habit and circumstance, local
– so that the issue becomes one of law and order rather
urban planners have accepted images of cities derived
than that of inadequacies in the planning process itself –
from cultural, s ocial and economic contexts different from
is arguably the most significant obstacle to contemporary
theirs and recycled them into teaching curricula.
India urban planning. This situation cannot change unless practitioners Legg identifies another significant dimension of the
undertake focused studies of Indian cities based on
problem of urban planning in India: urban planners deal
innovative hypotheses that challenge received wisdom.
with the city as an abstract entity rather than as a living
Such research would enable urban planners to conceive
organism. Consequently, there is no intellectual or moral
Indian cities in indigenous terms in order to incorporate
commitment to the plans that they make – merely a feeling
the c ulturally plural, socially evolving and economically
of victimization when inhabitants do not follow their
constrained characteristics of Indian society. We must
prescriptive abstractions. Perhaps this professional
critically interrogate the mentality represented by the PWD
indifference to the socio-spatial consequences of their
Handbook in order to decolonize our own concepts of
policies is also rooted in the Nehruvian development
Indian cities.
paradigm that sought to combine the existing capitalist system with a Soviet-inspired model of centralized
As we begin to analyze the intellectual and socio-political
economic planning.
history of urban planning and chart thoughtful parameters for contemporary practice, we would do well to regard
In the Nehruvian paradigm, planning was a ‘scientific’
cities as human spaces in which we live and participate
process, the domain of ‘objective experts’, its goal the
rather than as alien and unruly objects, which we seek to
furtherance of national interests (which, presumably,
tame with our objective expertise. Instead of perennially
would trickle down as local benefits). The aim was to rule
viewing what exists locally in negative terms and using
‘from a distance’ by targeting supposedly discrete, self-
western standards as positive, we must understand that
contained and static objects such as an economy or a
our inherited and supposedly neutral urban planning
population. Post-independence urban planning also fell
practice is driven by a logic of aggressive and purposive
under the sway of such planning ‘from a distance’.
control of the population.7 Our vision must be one that
fosters social welfare rather than one which relies on
Regrettably, urban planners seem to be the last to realize
punitive sanctions in single-minded service of the abstract
that cities are neither abstract nor static entities and that
patterns on paper which we call master plans. Our current
unless they seriously engage with the specific ground
historical condition demands that the existing planning
realities of Indian urbanism, the profession will not be able
paradigm be cast aside; changing the way planners
to cope with the fact and type of contemporary
conceive the city is an important beginning in this
developments documented in the ACHR report. The force
process.
of this tragedy is coming to the fore in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in 2010. With a view to ‘impressing the world’, the government has
Education
embarked on a series of ill-advised, costly and unsustainable projects such as urbanizing the ecologically
The Built Environment Design professions are inclusive of
fragile flood plains of the Yamuna river and undertaking
all that is life, living, human aspirations and activities.
extravagant image building beautification projects such as
It deals with man and nature interactive relationships.
the complete makeover of Connaught Place: Nero fiddles
The sage author of “Aparajita Prchchha” says “architecture
while Rome burns!
began with the beginning of this universe”. In India our
schools are in different academic associations: liberal
16
education, arts, technology and autonomous environments.
bricklayers, masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers
The Council of Architecture norms recognize this and
etc. Everyone is specialized in his own area hence beyond
provides for liberal individual personality development of
comparison.
each school. Geographically, India contains each of the global geo-climatic zones, it has variety of traditions, above all, we have seen that we have large and varied
The Need for Design Schools in India
practice zones. Such a situation demands intense academic involvement.
India is fast becoming one of the world’s leading consumers of manufactured goods. Be it cell phones,
There are about 150 odd universities, technical institutes,
sneakers, cars or home furnishings; Indians are lapping it
colleges and schools offering an accredited (by the All
all up. And the manufacturers of the world cannot ignore
India Council of Technical Education, AICTE and the
the fact that there needs to be a new design sensibility for
Council of Architecture) degree in architecture - equivalent
this new client base.
to a B.Arch. or Diploma in Architecture. Together they enroll about 6000 students in a 5 year architectural
Jayashree Bhosale at Economic Times writes about this
program. This in turn adds about 5000 eligible architects
need for an “Indianised” design and by extension the
to India’s human resource pool of building design
Indian designers. In the whole post-secondary education
professionals. However, these numbers are far short of
boom, pure design schools have not been at the forefront.
the actual demand for architects in the country at the
And that is a niche waiting to be filled.
moment. India is now a potential design pool. Just by sheer Amongst the highly rated institutes for architectural
numbers! http://www.designinindia.net/
education are the following few, • Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, (CEPT) Ahmedabad • Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture, (KRVI) Mumbai
There’s a whole new talent dimension that India has yet to cash in on: design. The demand for professionals in this field is going up by the day, as international brands call in on one of the world’s key manufacturing and consumption
• Maharaja Sayajirao University, (MSU) Baroda
centres. But with just a handful design schools in the
• Chandigarh School of Architecture, (CSA) Chandigarh
country, it’s an opportunity waiting to be tapped.
• School of Architecture and Planning, (SPA) Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kharagpur and
“There are only five to six good design schools in the
Roorkee • Manipal Institute of Technology, (MIT) Manipal
country. Had the supply of experienced designers been enough, some of the top manufacturing companies of India would not need to hire design heads from abroad,”
Growth and prosperity of an economy, to an extent is
says Forbes Marshall director, Naushad Forbes, who is
reflected in its physical appearance. The industry
also a visiting faculty at Stanford. The Indian industry can
responsible for this is the construction industry, which for
meet just an estimated 10% of the demand for design
quite sometime is experiencing a boom. Times have
professionals, as design schools take in only about 500
changed and so has our focus. From, the basic necessity
students annually.
of housing and shelter of yesteryears, emphasis is now given on comfort, luxury and style. All this has importantly
“A lot of design companies from abroad are looking to
led to creation of avenues for those interested in making a
collaborate with Indian design companies. There is lot of
career in this sector. In the last few decades our economy
cross-cultural design taking place. In areas of clean
has witnessed hectic and massive construction activities,
technologies and eco-friendly design, Indian designers
new structures have been raised, townships have evolved,
can contribute a lot as we are used to the concept of
evident of growth in the sector.
recycling and reusing,” says Falguni Gokhale, director, Design Directions, the company that designed the water
The construction task involves both the designer and
purifier, Tata Swach.
constructors. Any built structure is an outcome of close coordination and participation of a number of people,
The product design teams of multinational companies
technical and non-technical, including architects,
usually consist of people of various nationalities, and there
contractors, surveyors, engineers, designers along-with
is a place on these teams for Indians. “As India is a huge
17
market, it is necessary for an MNC to have Indian
accelerated India’s economic growth rate. By 2008, India
designers to understand the needs of the Indian
had established itself as the world’s second fastest
consumers,” says Florence Rohart, footwear designer with
growing major economy. However, the year 2009 saw a
Adidas, Germany.
significant slowdown in India’s official GDP growth rate to 6.1% as well as the return of a large projected fiscal deficit
Institutes like DSK Supinfocom in Pune are looking to tap
of 6.8% of GDP, which would be among the highest in the
this opportunity, and recently held a week-long master
world.
class with a four-member team of footwear designers from brands like Puma, Camper and Newfeel participating. “We
India’s large service industry accounts for 62.6% of the
are looking for possible internships and placements for
country’s GDP while the industrial and agricultural sector
our students with big brands in different products,” says
contribute 20% and 17.5% respectively. Agriculture is the
vice chairman Shirish Kulkarni.
predominant occupation in India, accounting for about 52% of employment. The service sector makes up a
India Inc is filling in some of the supply gap, but we still
further 34%, and industrial sector around 14%. The labor
have a long way to go. Indian automotive companies like
force totals half a billion workers. Major agricultural
Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra and Bajaj Auto have
products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea,
good design talent and studios that match the best in the
sugarcane, potatoes, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats,
world. The demand for professionals in emerging markets
poultry and fish. Major industries include telecommuni
is particularly encouraging as design as a career in
cations, textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel,
western countries has become saturated and fiercely
transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum,
competitive, says Sudhir Sharma, CEO, Indi Designs and
machinery, information technology enabled services and
erstwhile founder director of Elephant Design. Further, he
software.
says, most developed countries have developed expensive design practices, which are not viable in today’s
McKinsey & Company recently came up with a
economy.”
comprehensive report titled “India’s Urban Awakening: Building inclusive cities, sustaining economic growth”.
Though there is a large number of vacancies, designers eventually start their own business. “Only 20% designers
India has a young and rapidly growing population—a
stick to a job,” Mr Satish Gokhale.
potential demographic dividend. But India needs thriving cities if that dividend is to pay out. New MGI research
Economy
estimates that cities could generate 70 percent of net new jobs created to 2030, produce around 70 percent of Indian GDP, and drive a near fourfold increase in per capita
The economy of India is the eleventh largest economy in
incomes across the nation.
the world by nominal GDP and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) In the 1990s, following
Handled well, India can reap significant benefits from
economic reform from the socialist-inspired economy of
urbanization. MGI offers a range of recommendations, the
post-independence India, the country began to experience
vast majority of which India could implement within five to
rapid economic growth, as markets opened for
ten years. If India were to follow the recommendations, it
international competition and investment. In the 21st
could add 1 to 1.5 percent to annual GDP growth, bringing
century, India is an emerging economic power with vast
the economy near to the double-digit growth to which the
human and natural resources, and a huge knowledge
government aspires.
base. Economists predict that by 2020, India will be among the leading economies of the world.
Surging growth and employment in cities will be a powerful magnet. MGI projections show India’s urban
India was under social democratic-based policies from
population soaring from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million
1947 to 1991. The economy was characterized by
in 2030. And this urban expansion will happen at a speed
extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership,
quite unlike anything India has seen before. It took India
leading to pervasive corruption and slow growth. Since
nearly 40 years (between 1971 and 2008) for the urban
1991, continuing economic liberalization has moved the
population to rise by nearly 230 million. It will take only
economy towards a market-based system. A revival of
half the time to add the next 250 million.
economic reforms and better economic policy in 2000s
18
India has the potential to unlock many new growth
which came into force on 1st September, 1972. The Act
markets in its cities, many of them not traditionally
provides for registration of Architects, standards of
associated with India including infrastructure,
education, recognized qualifications and standards of
transportation, health care, education, and recreation.
practice to be complied with by the practicing architects.
MGI projects that, to meet urban demand, the economy
The Council of Architecture is charged with the
will have to build between 700 million and 900 million
responsibility to regulate the education and practice of
square meters of residential and commercial space a
profession throughout India besides maintaining the
year. In transportation, India needs to build 350 to 400
register of architects. For this purpose, the Government of
kilometers of metros and subways every year, more than
India has framed Rules and Council of Architecture has
20 times the capacity building of this type that India has
framed Regulations as provided for in the Architects Act,
achieved in the past decade. In addition, between 19,000
with the approval of Government of India.
and 25,000 kilometers of road lanes would need to be built every year (including lanes for bus-based rapid
Any person desirous of carrying on the profession of
transit systems), nearly equal to the road lanes
‘Architect’ must have registered himself with Council of
constructed over the past decade.
Architecture. For the purpose of registration, one must possess the requisite qualification as appended to the
Cities can also deliver a higher quality of life. Urban scale
Architects Act, after having undergone the education in
benefits means the cost of delivering basic services is
accordance with the Council of Architecture (Minimum
30 to 40 percent cheaper in concentrated population
Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 1983.
centers than in sparsely populated areas. But to reap such
The registration with Council of Architecture entitles a
benefits, India needs to meet an unprecedented policy
person to practice the profession of architecture, provided
challenge. If it fails to do so, this could seriously
he holds a Certificate of Registration with up-to-date
jeopardize its growth and risk high unemployment.
renewals. The registration also entitles a person to use the title and style of Architect. A firm of architects, of
Although urban India has attracted investment on the back
which all partners are registered with COA, can also use
of strong growth, its cities are still failing to deliver even a
the title and style of architect. Limited Companies, Private/
basic standard of living for their residents after years of
Public Companies, societies and other juridical persons
chronic underinvestment. Unless it steps up investment in
are not entitled to use the title and style of architect nor
its cities, India could well lose the productivity dividend of
are they entitled to practice the profession of architecture.
urban living. Today, in per capita terms, India’s annual
If any person falsely claims to be registered or misuses
capital spending of $17 is only 14 percent of China’s $116
title and style of architect, such acts tantamount to
and less than 6 percent of New York’s $292.
committing of a criminal offense, which is punishable under section 36 or 37 (2) of the Architects Act, 1972.
MGI estimates that India needs to invest $1.2 trillion just in capital expenditure in its cities over the next 20 years,
The practice of profession of an architect is governed by
equivalent to $134 per capita per year, almost eight times
the Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989
the level of spending today. If India taps into five sources
(as amended in 2003), which deals with professional
of funding used in cities around the world—monetized
ethics and etiquette, conditions of engagement and scale
land assets, higher property taxes, user charges that
of charges, architectural competition guidelines etc.
reflect costs, debt and public-private partnerships, and
Pursuant to these Regulations, the Council of Architecture
formula-based government funding—its largest cities
has framed guidelines governing the various aspects of
could generate as much as 80 percent of the funding they
practice. An architect is required to observe professional
require from internal sources.
conduct as stipulated in the Regulations of 1989 and any violation thereof shall constitute a professional
Professional Organizations Council of Architecture India (COA)
misconduct, which will attract disciplinary action as stipulated under section 30 of the Architects Act, 1972. There are 135 institutions, which impart architectural education in India leading to recognized qualifications.
The Council of Architecture (COA) has been constituted
The standards of education being imparted in these
by the Government of India under the provisions of the
institutions (constituent colleges/departments of
Architects Act, 1972, enacted by the Parliament of India,
universities, deemed universities, affiliated colleges/
19
schools, IITs, NITs and autonomous institutions) is
Amendment’s aspiration to devolve power and redistribute
governed by Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards
wealth at the state and city level. The Urban Renewal
of Architectural Education) Regulations, 1983, which set
Mission focuses on three areas: integrated infrastructure,
forth the requirement of eligibility for admission, course
basic services to the urban poor, and wide-ranging urban
duration, standards of staff & accommodation, course
sector reforms, offering cities access to national funds if
content, examination etc. These standards as provided in
they comply with the general agenda put forward by the
the said Regulations are required to be maintained by the
National Ministry of Urban Development.
institutions. The COA oversees the maintenance of the standards periodically by way of conducting inspections
Cities applying for JNNURM funding are required to
through Committees of Experts. The COA is required to
commit to the implementation of a series of measures that
keep the Central Government informed of the standards
include property tax reform, decentralization, proper city
being maintained by the institutions and is empowered to
budgeting, preparation of a City Development Plan (CDP)
make recommendations to the Government of India with
through multi-stakeholder consultations, and detailed
regard to recognition and de-recognition of a qualification.
project reports. It requires the implementation of Metropolitan Planning Commissions to oversee the development of integrated metropolitan regional plans.
The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA)
JNNURM also operates as a toolkit for municipal governments, helping cities to implement projects at a
The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) is the national body
local level. JNNURM has been largely welcomed by
of Architects in the country. Having started in the year
different constituencies in India as a new commitment to
1917, the institute today has more than 15000 members.
cities, but is seen to suffer from an intrinsic process of
The Institute has a major role to play in promoting the
decentralization that requires support from the national
profession of architecture by organizing and uniting in
government. In addition, there is growing concern that a
fellowship the Architects of India to promote aesthetic,
basic lack of skills within the public sector will lead to
scientific and practical efficiency of the profession both in
commercial consultants with little local knowledge having
Practice and in Education. IIA is represented on various
a disproportionate influence on the drafting of City
national and international committees connected with
Development Plans, cutting out local stakeholders from
architecture, art and the building industry and are also
the consultation process. While the Urban Renewal
actively associated with International Union of Architects
Mission is seen as a critical political initiative that attempts
(UIA) Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) and
to find solutions to the urban questions raised in a rapidly
South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation of
urbanizing country, accommodating the needs of the
Architects (SAARCH).
urban poor and managing private interests and speculation are its major challenges.
Government Policy
The Mission
Ministry of Urban Development
The aim is to encourage reforms and fast track planned
Latest Initiative: Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
development of identified cities. Focus is to be on efficiency
Renewal Mission (JNNURM)
in urban infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms, community participation, and accountability of ULBs/
In December 2005, the Indian government launched the
Parastatal agencies towards citizens.
seven-year, US$ 11 billion Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to guide urban
Objectives of the Mission
development across the country. The aim is to improve
• The objectives of the JNNURM are to ensure that the
basic services in over 60 cities including those with a population of over 1 million, all state capitals and selected cities of religious, historical and tourist importance. The Mission represents a fundamental change in attitude of the Indian government, which had previously focused primarily on rural development. JNNURM reflects the realization that cities are the engine of India’s growth and attempts to reinvigorate the 74th Constitutional
20
following are achieved in the urban sector • Focussed attention to integrated development of infrastructure services in cities covered • Establishment of linkages between asset-creation and asset-management through a slew of reforms for long-term project sustainability • Ensuring adequate funds to meet the deficiencies in urban infrastructural services
• Planned development of identified cities including peri-urban areas, outgrowths and urban corridors leading to dispersed urbanization • Scale-up delivery of civic amenities and provision of utilities with emphasis on universal access to the urban poor • Special focus on urban renewal programme for the old city areas to reduce congestion; and • Provision of basic services to the urban poor including security of tenure at affordable prices, improved
Some interesting facts about India: • Tea industry in India generates income and livelihood for nearly 20 million • AT Kearney ranks India as the 6th most attractive investment destination • India has been ranked as the top destination for retailers in AT Kearney’s Global Retail • Development Index (GRID) • Global Economic Survey ranks India as the sixth-fastest growing country in terms of
housing, water supply and sanitation, and ensuring
• Construction
delivery of other existing universal services of the
• India has the fifth largest Electricity generation capacity
government for education, health and social security.
in the World • India has an extensive road network of 3.3 million km – the second largest in the World
Scope of the Mission The Mission shall comprise two Sub- Missions,
• Roads carry about 70% of the freight and 85% of the passenger traffic • India has 125 airports; of these 11 are designated
Sub-Mission (1) for Urban Infrastructure and Governance: This will be administered by the Ministry of Urban
international airports • In 2004-2005, Indian airports handled 60 million passengers and 1.3 million tonnes of cargo
Development through the Sub- Mission Directorate for
• India is one of the ten largest retail markets in the world
Urban Infrastructure and Governance. The main thrust of
• Travel and Tourism is a US$12 billion (by revenu)
the Sub-Mission will be on infrastructure projects relating
industry in India
to water supply and sanitation, sewerage, solid waste
• 3.5 million international tourist arrivals in India in 2005
management, road network, urban transport and
• India is among the top 10 global suppliers of aluminium
redevelopment of old city areas with a view to upgrading
and steel in the world
infrastructure therein, shifting industrial and commercial
• About 35 million tonnes of steel are produced in India
establishments to conforming areas, etc.
• India is also the largest producer of sponge iron in the
Sub-Mission (2) for Basic Services to the Urban Poor:
• India is amongst the largest producers of cotton
world
This will be administered by the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation through the SubMission Directorate for Basic Services to the Urban Poor. The main thrust of the Sub-Mission will be on integrated development of slums through projects for providing shelter, basic services and other related civic amenities with a view to providing utilities to the urban poor.
• India is the largest consumer of gold jewellery in the world; accounts for about 20% of world consumption • India is the largest diamond cutting and polishing centre in the world • Healthcare delivery is one of the largest service-sector industries in India • The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been ranked the third best technology universities in the world for 2005, according to the prestigious Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)
21
Key Players in Architecture & Urban Planning in India A. Srivatsan
Architect / Journalist
http://www.thehindu.com/
Aditya Dev Sood
Architect / New Media
http://www.cks.in/
AGK Menon
Architect / Academician
http://www.intbau.org/
Akhtar Chauhan
Architect / Academician
http://www.rizvicollege.com/
Anand Bhatt
Architect / Information Technology
http://www.ab-a.net/
Aniket Bhagwat
Architect / Landscape
http://www.landscapeindia.net/
Anil Laul
Architect
http://anangpur.org/
Anirudh Paul
Architect / Academician
http://www.krvia.ac.in/
Apurva Amin
Architect
http://apurvaamin.com/
Aupama Kundoo
Architect / Researcher
http://anupamakundoo.com/
B. Shashi Bhooshan
Architect
http://en.netlog.com/shashi_bhooshan/
Balkrishna V. Doshi
Architect / Urban Planner / Academician http://www.sangath.org/
Bijoy Jain
Architect
http://www.studiomumbai.com/
Bimal Patel
Architect / Urban Planner
http://www.hcp.co.in/
BR Balachandran
Architect / Urban Planner
http://www.alchemyurban.com/
Brinda Somaya
Architect / Conservation
http://www.snkindia.com/
Canna Patel
Architect / Interior Designer
http://www.hcpia.co.in/
Charles Correa
Architect / Urban Planner / Academician http://www.charlescorrea.net/
Chitra Vishwanath
Architect
Christopher Beninger
Architect / Urban Planner / Academician http://www.ccba.in/
CP Kukreja
Architect
http://www.cpkukreja.com/
Gautam Bhatia
Architect / Critic
http://gautambhatia.com/
Gerard Dacunha
Architect
http://www.nrityagram.org/
Gurjeet Singh Matharoo
Architect
http://www.matharooassociates.com/
Hafeez Contractor
Architect
http://www.hafeezcontractor.com/
Hasmukh C Patel
Architect / Academician
http://www.hcp.co.in/
Hiren Patel
Architect
http://www.hirenpatelarchitects.com/
Ismet Khambatta
Architect / Furniture Design
http://www.tdwfurniture.com/
K. Jaisim
Architect / Academician
http://www.jaisim-fountainhead.com/
Kamu Iyer
Architect / Academician
http://www.dharavi.org/
Kapil Gupta
Architect
http://www.serie.co.uk/
Kiran Kapadia
Architect
http://www.kapl.in/
Kiran Venkatesh
Architect
http://www.informarchitects.com/
KT Ravindran
Architect / Urban Planner / Academician http://www.spa.ac.in/
M.N. Ashish Ganju
Architect / Academician
http://www.greha.org/
Madhavi & Miki Desai
Architects / Researchers
http://www.archicrafts.com/
Manit Rastogi
Architect
http://www.morphogenesis.org/
Naushir Talati
Architect
http://tparch.net/
Neelkanth Chhaya
Architect / Academician
http://www.cept.ac.in/
Nimish Patel
Architect / Conservation
http://www.abhikram.com/
Nisha Mathew /Soumitro Ghosh
Architects
http://www.mathewghosh.com/
Pankaj Joshi
Architect / Research / Conservation
http://www.udri.org/
PK Das
Architect / Activist
http://www.pkdas.com/
Prabhakar Bhagwat
Landscape / Academician
http://www.landscapeindia.net/
Pradeep Sachdeva
Architect / Urban Planning
http://www.psda.in/
Prem Nath
Architect
http://www.premnath.com/
PVK Rameshwar
Architect / Urban Design
http://www.cept.ac.in/
Quaid Doongerwala / Shilpa Ranade
Architects
http://www.dcoop.in/
Rahul Gore
Architect
http://www.opolis.in/
Rahul Mehrotra
Architect / Urban Planner / Academician http://www.rmaarchitects.com/
22
http://www.inika.com/chitra/
Raj Rewal
Architect / Academician
http://www.rajrewal.in/
Raja Aeideri
Architect
http://www.indiabuildnet.com/
Rajiv Kathpalia
Architect / Academician
http://www.sangath.org/
Ranjit Sabikhi
Architect
http://www.sabikhi.com/
Ratan Batliboi
Architect
http://www.rjbx.firm.in/
Ravindra Vasavda
Architect / Researcher / Academician
http://www.architexturez.net/
Riyaz Tyabji
Architect
http://www.cept.ac.in/
Robert Verrijt / Shefali Balwani
Architects
http://architecturebrio.com/
Rohan Shivkumar
Architect / Academician
http://anarchytect.blogspot.com/
Rohit Mujumdar
Architect / Activist
http://crit.org.in/
Samira Rathod
Architect / Interior Designer
http://www.samirarathod.com/
Sanjay Mohe
Architect
http://www.mindspacearchitects.com/
Shakti Parmar
Architect
http://www.shaktiparmar.com/
Shantanu Poredi / Manisha Agarwal
Architects
http://mo-of.com/html
Shivanand Swami
Urban Planner / Academician
http://www.cept.ac.in/
SK Das
Architect
http://www.skdas.org/
Suhasini Ayer
Architect / Sustainable Design
http://www.auroville.org
Swati Ramanathan
Activist
http://www.janaagraha.org/
Tehmasp Khareghat
Architect
http://www.architectkhareghat.com/
Uttam Jain
Architect / Academician
http://www.ucjain.com/
V Naresh Narasimhan
Architect / Urban Planner
http://www.vagroup.com/
The names listed in Bold are the most eminent or known practitioners of architecture in India. This list is entirely of my own making and does not purport to be any quantitative or qualitative survey of the profession or the professional practitioners in India today.
India and The Netherlands
view to the Dutch interests in the agricultural sector. There is also a bilateral workgroup in India, which aims to
Bilateral Relations
remove the b arriers with regard to plant health between India and the Netherlands. The Ministry of Economic
The Netherlands and India entered into diplomatic
Affairs is currently making preparations for the assignment
relations immediately after India’s independence.
of a scientific and technical attaché (STA) and is also
When one looks at the export and import volume, the
preparing to open an office for the Netherlands Foreign
Netherlands and India are not significant trading partners.
Investment Agency (NFIA).
Dutch exports to India may have increased by 42% in 2004, but in spite of this, the Dutch share in Indian imports
There is bilateral cultural and educational collaboration
is getting smaller. The total Dutch export to India is only
between various field organizations (universities, theaters,
0.2 percent of all Dutch export. The Netherlands is an
museums) in the Netherlands and India. The cooperation
important investor in India, however. In view of the
between Indian and Dutch scientists is furthered through
tremendous trading and investment potential of the Indian
joint multi-disciplinary (mainly socio-economic) research
market, there seems to be room for improvement for the
(e.g. through the “Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternatives
Dutch export of goods to and the Dutch investments in
in Development? (IDPAD) and the “Kerala Research
India. Therefore, the Dutch Trade Board (DTB) has set up
Programme on Local level Development?), exchange-
a public-private workgroup and has drawn up an action
programmes and seminars. The Dutch government
plan to promote the economic relations with India. India
provides grants to Indian students within the framework of
has a large range of tools at its disposal. The Netherlands
the Huygens programme (OC&W) and the “Netherlands
has an expansive trading network in India, consisting of
Fellowship Programme” (OS).
the embassy in New Delhi, the consulate general in Mumbai, and two Netherlands Business Support Offices
In view of the rich heritage from the period during which
in Chennai and Ahmedabad. A council for Agriculture,
the VOC had trading posts in India, the Netherlands sees
Nature and Food Quality is situated at the embassy with a
the mutual cultural legacy from the 17th and 18th
23
centuries as an important basis for cultural cooperation,
these developments, most of the airports are in desperate
and supports various related activities. The Netherlands is
need of getting modernised. The Indian g overnment is
aiming to broaden the cultural cooperation, with an
progressing in liberalising the air traffic; the country has
emphasis on the maintenance of the mutual cultural
already arranged ‘open skies’ deals with the United States
heritage. The Netherlands will enter into an MoU with
and China. The Netherlands made the same arrangement
India, on the basis of the existing cultural agreement.
in May 2005, resulting in an enlarged frequency of flights.
In addition to the mutual cultural heritage, the MoU will focus on visual arts, film, new media, music, design, and
Construction
contacts with the Hindu community in the Netherlands
The economic growth of India has caused a stimulance
(more than 130,000 people with a Suriname-Indian
for the construction of houses, offices and appartment
background and around 20,000 Indians). An MoU
buildings. Expectations are that for each year until 2011
between the Netherlands and India will also be drawn up
6 million new houses will be build. Opportunities in this
for the r estoration of the VOC archives.
sector lie in the supply of building equipment, resources and in the construction itself.
In June 2006, the cabinet approved an inter-ministerial policy document that will form the framework for the
Infrastructure
relations with India during the coming years. Considering
The infrastructure has made some impressive and
the Indian context, the expected developments and the
important changes in the last couple of years. Especially
Indian priorities, the Netherlands will mainly use its
the number of regional roads and highways has grown
bilateral relations with India for economic, scientific and
enormously. The government of India is supporting the
technical, and cultural collaboration. The increase in
improvement of the infrastructure with a project called the
intensity of these relations requires the further adjustment
‘National Integrated Highway Development Project’.
of the Dutch immigration policy, which has therefore been
Phase one of this project is to connect the four most
given priority. To promote international security and
important cities Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai; also
regional stability, the Netherlands will collaborate with
known as ‘The Golden Quadrilateral’. Phase two is to
India and its neighbors on counter-terrorism, water
connect the north and the south from Srinagar to
management, environmental management, development
Kanyakumari and to establish an east to west connection
cooperation and sustainable energy. Finally, the
from Silchar to Portbander with a total length of 7,300 km.
Netherlands will work with India on international legal
The project is planned to be finished in 2009.
order and human rights, both through its bilateral relations and through multilateral channels.
Water Transport Water transport plays an important role in the transport of resources. India has several harbours and many rivers
High-opportunity sectors India
that connect the different parts of India. In reality only 2,000 km of the 14,500 km of waterways are used for
The Indian market is a great opportunity for Dutch
transportation. Reasons behind this are technical
companies to invest in. India is one of the largest
problems; rivers are impossible to be used and the
economies in the world and has become more open to
infrastructure is insufficient. Dredging companies, harbour
foreign investors after it liberalized its market. From this
development projects and delivery of specialised ship
moment on many multinationals have started outsourcing
building materials could be a solution to this problem.
much of their b usiness to India as it has a highly skilled labour force and a sound economic policy. For Dutch
Doing Business with/in India
companies India is very attractive to invest in since the
There are a number of important issues to consider with
opportunities in this country seem to be endless.
regard to doing business with and in India. The most successful companies have adopted and developed a
Airports
methodical, long-term strategy, and have prepared
Indian airports are essential because they provide 40% of
thoroughly before doing business with and in India.
the international trade and 95% of the passenger flights. India has 5 airports that take care of 44 million passengers
Government interference
per year. Expectations are that the number of passenger
Government interference in some fields is still relatively
will rise to 90 million by 2010. To cope with this growth the
high. Government contacts are an essential ingredient of
amount of flights needs to increase as well. Because of
doing business in India. However, government officials are
24
typically transferred to other departments, hampering
Agents
long-term, intensive contacts.
Enlisting the services of a local trade agent is certainly not a superfluous luxury. Factors such as non-transparent
Infrastructure
markets, market size, the importance of personal contacts
Infrastructure projects, including roads, waterways,
and the nature of bureaucratic challenges in India make it
airports, energy supply and financial sector are still under
difficult to enter the Indian market without local knowledge.
development.
For many businesses, a good distribution network is the key to success in India. However, networking is laborious
Government finances
and highly time-consuming. That is the precise reason
Both central government and sub-states are facing a
why collaborating with a good local partner is essential.
considerable financial deficit.
Nevertheless, there is also a growing trend among many multinationals to build their network independently, due to
Investment climate
major problems with Indian partners after a number of
The investment climate is not open in all areas. Certain
years. Your agent/partner must therefore be subjected to
sectors are still “no-go areas” for foreign investors.
meticulous screening. The EVD provides guidance and
In some instances, special approval procedures and
information on the selection as well as legal arrangements.
investment ceilings have been put in place.
With regard to selecting an ideal business location, the aim is to carefully assess and analyze ‘offers’ from
Bottlenecks affecting Trade Policy
different sub-states. As always, it is important to source a
An example of this is the anti-dumping initiations against
good local partner with an informal government network,
India by the European Commission (in particular in the
who should be able to successfully and effortlessly
area of agricultural products, textiles and clothing, and
conclude this process. Nevertheless, the general
chemical products). The import of goods from India is
consensus is that, for the foreseeable future at least,
additionally hampered by the stringent product standards
setting up collaborative agreements will remain a time-
and quality standards imposed by the EU.
consuming affair, taking a minimum of four to six months. (http://www.evd.nl/)
Bottlenecks affecting the free movement of persons This is a long-term issue, in particular regarding visa applications and document verification. This particular bottleneck has eased in recent years for knowledge
Architecture Events: India – The Netherlands
workers- workers who come in on the invitation of a number of companies “recognised? the Immigration and Naturalisation Department.
Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), Rotterdam Ole Bouman, 11 – 12 December 2007
Exhibitions and trade fairs
The NAi organized a tour of two Indian architecture
Visiting or participating in trade fairs is one of the best
colleges and conducted lectures and group discussions
ways to get to know certain market segments in India.
with the faculty and students. The NAi director Ole
In contrast to its British and German counterparts, the
Bouman took notes during these discussions at the
interest expressed by the Dutch entrepreneurs, with the
School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and at the KRV
exception of the agricultural sector, has been somewhat
Institute of Architecture, Mumbai. Some conclusions from
subdued. India plays host to a large number of exhibitions
that visit are to be found on his blog at,
and trade fairs, of differing standards. Participation fees
http://www.nai.nl/toolbar/nieuws/detail_nieuws/_rp_left1_
are comparable to those charged in the West. It therefore
elementId/1_202107/_pid/left1
makes most sense to visit a trade fair first, before deciding entrepreneurs wishing to promote their activities in India, it
Indo-Dutch collaboration summit focused on Industrial Design
certainly pays to organize a seminar to target specific
Sunil Malhotra, World Trade Centre, Rotterdam,
market segments. In contrast to many Western countries,
25th September 2009
India’s seminar circuit is currently thriving.
…good design can be really good business. There’s a
(http://www.evd.nl/)
case to be made out for design collaboration without
whether to participate or not. For businesses and
borders. Couple of good reasons here …
25
• European design reflects high quality, the idiom being
urbanized industrial regions.
minimalistic and functional. Whereas India’s design
Like Shanghai, Johannesburg and Mexico City, all the
sensibilities are more embellished. Their combination
Indian cities – Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore –
will raise the aesthetic appeal without compromising
have been following a continuous trajectory of population
design values.
growth from the start of the twentieth century. In contrast,
• Pure economic tenets come into play when we see the
the cities in the richest, early urbanising countries have
sheer number of people both on the supply side (design
seen population growth slow and reverse, although New
talent is plenty in India) and the demand side (India is
York and London are now in a new cycle of – relatively
emerging as one of the largest markets). Leveraging the
slow – growth. Berlin alone amongst the Urban Age cities
‘great Indian talent pool’ is an opportunity.
has experienced a slight decline in the last decades.
• The life sensibilities of India’s cultural make-up have always been in the mould of sustainability, something
In the 1990s, India’s population grew by a dramatic 23%,
the world has woken up to only recently. Add to this the
but this fast growth was outpaced in the main cities. In
rich craft-based traditions and you have a universal
Delhi the number of residents jumped by 70%, although
design paradigm that’s as powerful as Buddhism.
this was partly due to a boundary change, and Bangalore
http://nidesk.net/?page_id=434
grew by 38%. Mumbai’s population grew by 21%, falling back slightly on its relative position. In contrast Kolkata’s
Building India, ARCAM Amsterdam
population was almost flat, at least by Indian standards,
Franz Ziegler, 15.11.08 - 24.01.09
at 4% growth. Projections suggest population growth
The exhibition presents a general introduction to present-
nationwide will continue but at a reduced rate of 14% to
day India, to the current state of architecture and urbanism,
2010, with growth in Bangalore pulling ahead of that in
and the building task for the next ten years. Tendencies
Delhi and other cities. Mumbai and Kolkata have much
since the economic liberalization in the nineties are
longer histories as large cities, than the other Indian
explained, just as the economic boom and its effect in the
cases. Both reached a million population by 1910 and
urban centres. The main part of the exhibition focusses on
have developed at a similar time as New York, London
India’s future, seen through the eyes of young Indian
and Berlin. In contrast, Delhi and Bangalore became large
architects. Five architects were asked to present their city,
cities much more recently. Delhi reached a million
allocating key projects that are important and representative
residents by 1950, Bangalore during the 1950s. Mumbai
of the architectural and urban culture of their city. http://
reached ten million by 1990 and Delhi did so by 2000.
www.arcam.nl/exposities/archief09_nl.html?-session=arca
Kolkata is due to do so by 2020, and it is likely that
m:C0A801371136e1BFE1pJM16674B0
Bangalore will do so over the next decades. While there is at least one major agglomeration of several million
Dutch Engineering / Architecture Companies with Operations in India:
inhabitants in every world region, a new generation of
DHV Global Engineering Center, Noida, Delhi
and parts of Africa. The shift to cities is both the product
http://www.dhvgroup.com/Offices/Asia/India/DHV-Global-
and a catalyst of economic growth. The challenge ahead
Engineering-Center,-Noida
is to mobilise the wealth of resources that cities generate
Royal Haskoning, Mumbai
to make urbanisation more environmentally sustainable
http://www.royalhaskoning.com/en-GB/RegionsAndOffices/
globally, and local urban environments more liveable and
Pages/OfficeIndiaMumbai.aspx
inclusive for their rising numbers of residents.
megacities is rapidly emerging across Asia, Latin America
3D Blue Print India Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad http://www.3dblueprint.in/
Growth Prospects
Urban Reforms India is a part of the global trend towards increasing urbanization in which more than half of world’s population
The world is experiencing intense urbanization by the
is living in cities and towns. 27.8 per cent of India’s
hand of extensive yet uneven processes of growth and
population (285 million) live in urban areas as per 2001
expansion. More than half of humanity now lives in cities,
census.
and 80 per cent of the Earth’s land surface has come to reflect the influence of city-based human activity.
It is important to note that the contribution of urban sector
Dominating the urban world is a selective group of dynamic
to GDP is currently expected to be in the range of 50-60
and highly specialized cities, as well as massively
percent. In this context, enhancing the productivity of
26
urban areas is now central to the policy pronouncements
Second Generation Reforms
of the Ministry of Urban Development. Cities hold tremendous potential as engines of economic and social
Regulatory Framework
development, creating jobs and generating wealth through
The participation of the private sector in financing and the
economies of scale. They need to be sustained and
delivery of infrastructure at the municipal level, especially
augmented through the high urban productivity for country’s
in the water and sanitation sector, requires a regulatory
economic growth. National economic growth and poverty
framework to protect consumers, apply environmental
reduction efforts will be increasingly determined by the
standards and support the delivery to the poor. As there
productivity of these cities and towns. For Indian cities to
are a variety of models of regulation from centralized to
become growth oriented and productive, it is essential to
decentralized systems, guidelines will be developed at the
achieve a world class urban system. This in turn depends
National level to ensure consistency across the country.
on attaining efficiency and equity in the delivery and
Appropriate training program and capacity support to
financing of urban infrastructure.
regulators will also be developed in partnership with the private sector and urban research institutions.
Resource Gap The India Infrastructure, Report, 1996, assessed the total
Model Legislation
annual investment needs of water supply, sanitation and
The Central Government is in the process of preparing a
roads sectors at Rs. 28,036 crores per year on an average
model legislation for facilitating private sector participation
during 1996-2006. Whereas funds to that extent are not
in urban infrastructure. This is necessary, as the present
available.
legislative scenario does not encourage private sector participation in this field. A model Municipal Act which will
To overcome these constraints and challenges, the
be recommended to the State Governments, would
Ministry of Urban Development has initiated institutional,
include modification and simplification of Municipal
fiscal and financial reforms. First generation urban sector
bylaws, provision for enhanced borrowing, allowing the
reform - known as the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act
entry of private sector and authorizing concessionaires to
of 1992, recognizes the principles of local self-governments
penalize users for non payment of tariffs.
and empowers urban local bodies with financial resources through Central Finance Commission and State Finance
Municipal Accounting System
Commissions. Subsequently, in order to strengthen these
The Task Force constituted by the O/o C&AG of India had
local bodies, second-generation reform have also been
recommended for introduction of accrual basis of
started. In the last decade, enormous progress has been
accounting system for the urban local bodies (ULBs) and
made in removing impediments to efficient investment.
suggested model budgeting and accounting formats for that purpose. The Task Force Report was circulated to all
Resource Mobilization Effort
States/UTs for adoption of accrual basis of accounting
In August, 1996, the Central Government guidelines
system as well as the budget and accounting formats.
entitled ‘Urban Development Plans Formulation and
Further to provide a simplified tool kit to the ULBs for
Implementation’ were circulated to all State Governments
recording the accounting entries, Ministry of Urban
for adoption. These guidelines, apart from other issues,
Development in cooperation with the Office of C&AG of
suggest innovative approaches for fiscal resource
India has prepared a National Municipal Accounting
mobilization. In the backdrop of the New Economic
Manual (NMAM) and circulated to all States/UTs in
Policy, it was suggested that the traditional system of
January, 2005. The Manual comprehensively details the
funding based on Plan and budgetary allocations be
accounting policies, procedures, guidelines designed to
reduced and ultimately withdrawn due to fiscal deficit.
ensure correct, complete and timely recording of
Subsidies need to be rationalized and urban development
municipal transactions and produce accurate and relevant
plans and projects need to be placed on a commercial
financial reports. The NMAM would help the States
format by designing commercially viable urban infrastructure
prepare their state-level accounting manuals in
services and area development projects. This can be
accordance with their own requirements for use by the
achieved by restoring a proper match between functions
ULBs. This initiative is expected not only to enhance the
and source of revenue by giving additional tax measures.
capacities of ULBs in municipal accounting leading to
Other innovative resource mobilization measures include
increased transparency and accountability of utilization of
using land as resource, increase in the non-property taxes
public funds for the development of urban sector but also
and using Public-Private Partnership in service delivery.
will help in creating an environment in which urban local
27
bodies can play their role more effectively and ensure
Pooled Financing for Municipal Infrastructure
better service - delivery.
Traditionally, municipal corporations and urban local bodies have relied on subsidized funds for providing urban
Public-Private Participation Guidelines
services which constraints the constraints the introduction
Central Government will develop guidelines for
of user charges and efficient project operation and
involvement of the private sector in infrastructure, which
maintenance. In view of the huge resource gap, direct
will ensure competitive biding process in a transparent
access to capital market would now be an accepted viable
manner. These guidelines will not only protect the
option. However, access to capital market requires
consumers but also ensure integrity of the process.
financial discipline and enhanced credit rating. It has been
This would support municipalities in designing the PPP
the experience that only bigger municipal corporations are
process on the lines of the BOT Centre in Philippines or
in a position to take the advantage of the resources
the PPP in the Ministry of Finance in South Africa.
available in capital market. Medium and smaller municipalities are unable to do so due to weak financial
Fiscal Incentives Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
position and lack of capacity to prepare viable project
Hitherto Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB)
being proposed for smaller and medium municipalities.
allowed direct investment in providing urban services on a
The objective of a State level pooled finance mechanism
case-to-case basis. This scenario has changed with the
is to provide a cost effective and efficient approach for
decision of the Central Government removing restrictions
smaller and medium sized ULBs to access the domestic
on FDI in urban infrastructure facilities, which are now
capital markets for urban infrastructure and to introduce
open both under FIPB and the automatic route as per
new institutional arrangements for mobilizing Urban
sector specific guidelines. Guidelines have since even
Infrastructure Finance.
proposals. A State level pooled financing mechanism is
issued for FDI in development of integrated township including housing and building material.
City Restructuring Government of India is also encouraging citywide reforms
External Assistance
and restructuring so as to ensure that cities are managed
Since independence, externally assisted urban sector
efficiently and become creditworthy (to attract private
projects have accounted for US$ 2300 million. A review of
finance ) which will enable them to prepare long term
these projects indicated a need to adopt a programme
plans for infrastructure investments and implement
approach rather than a project approach for availing
poverty alleviation programs.
external assistance. It also indicated the need to encourage a multiple donor scenario and tapping low cost
Citywide reforms and restructuring will, however, result in
funds for urban infrastructure.
significant transaction costs during the period of transition. Leaving cities to finance these costs by themselves will
Tax Free Municipal Bonds
delay and make it difficult to implement these reforms. It is
Several Municipal Corporations like, Bangalore,
to partly offset this disadvantage that the Ministry of Urban
Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Nasik, and Madurai
Development is proposing to set up a performance based
successfully issued Municipal Bonds for raising resources
City Challenge Fund for catalyzing city level economic
for urban infrastructure. The Central Government had
reform programmes. The resources from the Fund would
announced tax exemption in case of bonds issued by
be given as grants but should ideally be matched by equal
Municipal / Local Governments. Guidelines were issued
allocations either from the cities themselves or from the
by this Ministry on 8.2.2001 for regulating issue of tax free
respective State governments. Access to the fund would
municipal bonds. Under the guidelines, such bonds will be
be on a competitive basis.
issued for raising resources for capital investment in creation of new infrastructure as well as augmentation of
Establishment of an Urban Academy
existing systems. Tax free bonds worth Rs. 100 crore by
The proposed Urban Academy is visualized as a centre of
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation have been permitted
excellence in Urban Matters such as urban water supply,
for improving infrastructure. Hyderabad Municipal
sanitation, urban transport, urban governance, municipal
Corporation has also been permitted to issue tax-free
finance, etc. It will be a n ideal town-planning habitat,
municipal bond for Rs. 82.50 crore.
wherein experts from India and abroad can experiment with new layouts, building materials, landscaping, heritage preservation etc., and it will have Synergic links with all
28
other institutions specializing in urban matters. This will coordinate all Training and Capacity Building Initiatives
• BLOG by Kavita Rairath IndianByDesign.wordpress.com
and efforts of Change Management Forums.
• BLOG by Anand Bhatt
Conclusion
• What Makes India Urban? Exhibition November 2009,
Architexturez.org
In conclusion, it is evident that the New Economic Policy launched in India in 1991-92, did see several important initiatives in the urban sector designed to encourage
http://www.aedes-arc.de/
• SPADE http://indianbydesign.wordpress.com/
private sector participation in urban infrastructure projects. These initiatives would need to be taken to their logical conclusion. A series of new Reform Measures are being
References
put together for implementation during 10th Plan Period. Through these, we hope to reverse the declining standards of urban infrastructure in the country.
• Gautam Bhatia - Whitewash: The Tabloid that is, About the India that Isn’t, 2008 Viveka Foundation Articles by Prof. AGK Menon and MN Ashish Ganju, http://www.architexturez.in
Awards
• The Urban Age Program, London School of Economics,
• The Indian Institute of Architects Awards:
• Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development,
http://www.urban-age.net
Annually Gold Medals IIA Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal By Nominations for Lifetime contribution to the field of Architecture IIA Madhav Achwal Gold Medal By Nominations for Lifetime contribution to the field
http://www.urbanindia.nic.in
• Council of Architecture, http://www.coa.gov.in
• Indian Institute of Architects, www.iia-india.org
• The Netherlands – India Chamber of Commerce and
of Education
Trade,
http://www.iia-india.org/awards.shtml
www.nicct.nl
• The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: Every 3 years http://www.akdn.org/architecture/
• JK Cement Architect of the Year Awards: Annually
• The Business Standard, http://www.business-standard.com
• Wikipedia – India reference
http://www.aya-jkcement.com/ • British Council India: YCE Design Award: Annuallyhttp:// www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iydey2007.htm
Anand Patel: Anand Patel has been a practicing architect in India and
Journals and Blogs
Europe for over 10 years. He studied at the Technical University Delft and at the University of Amsterdam. In 2008 he set up his private practice in India, Anand Patel
• Indian Architect & Builder, http://www.iabforum.com/indian_architect_builder.html
• IIA Journal, http://www.iia-india.org/aboutiia.shtml
& Associates with the aim to develop a collective of professionals that will provide condition-specific architectural design and technical services. He has many built projects to his credit.
• Journal of Landscape Architecture,
Anand has lectured and is a visiting faculty at the School
http://www.lajournal.in/About.htm
of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad, National Institute of
• MARG, http://www.marg-art.org/
Design, Ahmedabad, Technical University Berlin, Germany and University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria.
• Seminar, http://www.india-seminar.com/
• Home Review, http://www.home-review.com/homereview/
• Elle Décor, http://www.elledecor.co.in/
29
design
Prepared by: Hrridaysh Despande, design professional
Introduction
India has done well so far in terms of producing
Today the Indian Design Industry is like a teenager. It is
in quantity, we were never found wanting in terms of
neither too small to be overlooked nor too big. Like any
quality of our design education. With changing times, our
teenager, it requires mentoring which partnership with a
design education also needs to evolve to the next level.
design evolved nation like “The Netherlands” can provide.
The challenge is to move towards a more holistic,
international quality designers. While we may have lacked
multidisciplinary design education to develop design Design as a discipline is comparatively new for India.
professionals who can position design more strategically
The origin of modern design could be traced from the
as an integration of the aesthetic, business, technological
point of establishment of National Institute of Design in
and sociological concerns. Another challenge is to embed
1960 at Ahmedabad.
design in the teaching and learning of other disciplines and capabilities, such as in business and engineering
History
schools. Architecture, Interior, Animation / New Media, Fashion
In a traditional sense the practice of design is age old in
Design are leading domains within the design industry.
India. India has always had a rich culture and craft
Other segments are far behind at present. With the
tradition. The rituals, practices, festivals, all are nothing
change in economic scenario design domains such as
but design manifestations as each of them has a profound
graphic design, industrial design, Human Computer
purpose behind them. These traditions and crafts provide
Interaction is growing at a fast clip.
a wonderful backdrop and inspiration to understand and to look at Modern design.
It is since 1991 that the Indian economy opened up. In accordance with the growth of the economy the
During the British rule in India, the British introduced their
industry also matured and vice versa. First internal and
educational system within the country. It was during this
then international competition set in. manufacturers and
time that first art colleges in India were setup. In 1850 the
businesses started searching of ways and means to
art school in Madras was founded as private enterprise by
remain unique and competitive. It is with this quest of
Dr. Alexander Hunter, in 1854 The School of Industrial
competitiveness that the role of Design in India also
Arts was started in Kolkata. The J. J. School of Arts was
started getting recognized.
started in 1857 in Bombay now Mumbai. In 1866 Jeypore School of Industrial Art was started. It was with the
As of date, the majority of design users are big
advent of these institutions that commercial graphics got
businesses. Most of the small or medium sized
introduced in the Indian system.
enterprises (SMEs) lack the resources or understanding of how to use design as a competitive advantage. Design
It was during these times that exhibitions were organized
has to be reached to the Small and Medium enterprises.
to promote Industrial Art. One such example is the International Industrial Exhibition 1883–84 in Calcutta to
A tectonic shift is underway. Design and Development of
demonstrate the success of using the modern technique
new offerings is now moving to India. The reasons are
in traditional manufacture. The main purposes of the
many and obvious. The centre of gravity of design is slowly
exhibitions, was to promote trade in the commercial
but surely moving towards India, opening doors to huge
products of India, to improve ordinary and art manu
opportunities. India with its “thinking” and qualified
factures and to promote trade in these manufactures.
designers is well poised to leverage this opportunity. Surely there are some structural imbalances. It is a matter
30
Sir JJ School of Art started as an Arts and Crafts
11th largest passenger car market and is expected to be
institution and initiated architecture in 1900. In 1935
the third largest automobile market by 2030.
department of Commercial Art was established which in a way laid down the foundations for Graphic Design in India. In 1958 Government of India invited Charles and Ray Eames to make recommendations for a training program to support small industries. Their recommendations resulted in the ‘India Design Report’. Based on their report
Design in India – Today and Tomorrow
in 1960 the Government setup National Institute of Design
The strength of Indian design stems from its deep cultural
at Ahmedabad. The institute started with programs in
roots and the bright context of its economic position.
Industrial design and Visual Communication. This was
Design is extremely important to the future of India.
followed by setting up of Industrial Design Centre under
Design is a powerful integrator contributing to Indian
the aegis of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai in
culture, environment and economy at the same time in a
1969. Both these institutions carried the mantle of design
balanced manner. Beyond aesthetics design has the
in India in the modern era followed by many others.
power to give expression to people’s values and aspirations.
Context
India has a vibrant design industry and an ever-increasing number of design users backed by a strong platform of
Rapid socio-economic changes have swept across India.
design education. Indian designers are an eclectic mix of
India is witnessing the creation of many new markets
talent, insight and experience. Design in India has
and a further expansion of the existing ones. With over
matured over the years and continues to grow from
300 million people moving up from the category of rural
strength to strength.
poor to rural lower middle class between 2005 and 2025, rural consumption levels are expected to rise to current
In the year 2007, India became one of the few countries to
urban levels by 2017.
adopt a National Design Policy. The vision behind the national design policy was to have “A Design Enabled
Indian incomes are likely to grow three-fold over the next
Indian Industry”. Now that the policy is adopted, the key
two decades India will become the world’s fifth largest
intention of the government through the policy
consumer market by 2025 Today it is the 12th largest
implementation is to consolidate multiple design
consumer market. Compared to urban areas, the ‘lower
specialties into a unified industry, to tangibly demonstrate
middle income’ group in rural areas has nearly doubled.
contributions of design, as an industry, to the nation’s
This major consumer base accounts for 41 per cent of the
business, government, and the public, highlight our
Indian middle class having access to 58 per cent of the
exemplary designers and training of designers with the
total disposable income. Of the next 250 million Indian
skills necessary to d emonstrate the industry’s value. To
wireless users, around 100 million (40 per cent) are
enable the policy implementation and to realize the
expected to be from rural areas.
consolidation of the design industry, the Indian Government announced establishment of Indian Design
The FMCG sector has been registering double-digit
Council (IDC) in March 2009.
growth in sales since the last couple of years. With the rapidly increasing number of millionaires in India, market
The design industry lags behind other professional services
for luxury brands is growing annually at a compound
domains in numerical terms when looked at in terms of
average growth rate (CAGR) of about 35 per cent.
turnover and number of employees. At the same time,
A combination of changing lifestyles, higher disposable
the contribution of Design to Industry is immense.
income, greater product awareness and affordable pricing have been instrumental in changing the pattern and
In India, there is no standard definition of the term
amount of consumer expenditure leading to robust growth
‘professional designer’. There are some, who are properly
of consumer durables industry.
trained at Design Schools there are many who work as designers and there are numerous people who call
India is the second largest two-wheeler market in the
themselves a designer.
world, the fourth largest commercial vehicle market,
31
of time that these impediments are reduced and then
There are around 19 Institutions having programs on
removed. There surely are a lot of things that remain to be
Industrial design and 29 Institutes offering the graphic
done. Again the apparent benefits will expedite these steps.
design programs. Total numbers of Industrial Design
India being geographically large and demographically
programs on offer are around 35, of which 20 are on post
vast, things takes little longer to take root. Being a
graduate level, 10 on under graduate level and 4 Diploma
democracy decision-making involves a certain hierarchy
level and 1 at certificate level respectively. For Graphic
and lot of people and hence things are a little slow. Finally
Design there are a total of 57 programs. Of these 14 are
what comes out is a long lasting advantage. At the same
offered at postgraduate level, 29 at under graduate level
time we are transparent. Every part of the country is
and 7 each at diploma and certificate levels.
visible. Every area of growth is known; every shred of a problem is amplified. This is the inherent strength of India.
As of date the total industrial design program intake is 665 students per year at different levels, of which 400 are
Right from the beginning of design education about
at postgraduate level, 217 are at under graduate level and
50 years back the design institutions in India has been
48 are at diploma level. On the other hand Graphic design
producing designers who are socially conscious. Social
institutes have a total annual intake of 1080 students.
consciousness is not something that has come lately in
Of these 236 are enrolled at postgraduate level, 794 at
the minds of Indian designers. A lot of Indian designers
under graduate level, 30 at diploma level and 20 at
are engaged in betterment of the society using design
certificate level.
principles and process. For Indian designers, empathy comes naturally. Sustainability is not an add-on concept
Design education in India lack coherent structure.
for them, but something that is deep rooted in them
By coherent structure it means that proper accreditation or
through the cultural heritage and what the Indian design
affiliation procedures are not present. Lack of coherence
schools have taught as inherent value system of design.
creates difficulties in terms of student mobility, problems in understanding the outcome of a given program. Only
We still need to do a lot of work to improve the true
architecture education is accredited and requires
understanding of design in the national mind and to arrive
licensing. The recently constituted India Design Council
at a national design culture. Conscious efforts are clearly
has accreditation of design qualifications as one of its
needed to enhance global competitiveness of Indian
mandate. Some architectural courses are offering Interior
design industry. Design industry that improves
design as a specialization now. Many universities have
competitiveness of other industries, itself is in the need of
initiated 3-year bachelors program in interior design,
more recognition and support.
which tend to be more interior decoration than interior design.
As the emphasis for many Indian businesses shift from low – cost production to original new offerings, design
Within graphic design, there is a sizeable presence of
could be the only change agent. To harvest this change,
program called “Applied Arts”. Applied arts is a 4 year
we need to develop our design industry, invest in national
program post 12 years of school education and it is
design promotion and prepare to produce more designers
mandatory to have approval from All India Council for
and design thinkers.
Technical Education to initiate this program besides university affiliation. The output of applied arts programs
Education
is mainly employed within the advertising industry. Programs in the classic graphic design, industrial design and other design disciplines are offered by a handful of
Design education in India is exploding. Exploding is the
institutions. This number is growing with every passing
right metaphor when one looks at the number of new
year. As of date the traditional universities within India do
design institutions being setup in the country. Till about
not have these programs approved. University of Pune is
2004, design education was imparted by a handful of
the first university to approve these programs as
institutions. All these institutions were Government owned.
Bachelors degrees. University of Delhi is soon to
It was in 2004 that a few institutions from the private
introduce design programs.
sector entered in design education. Since then, there is no looking back.
In addition to the designers qualified through the number of design programs, there is also a good number of
32
professionals working or operating as designers who are
Two recent examples illustrate this phenomenon. In both
not formally trained. This is mainly so in the field of
cases it is a French collaboration. DSK Supinfocom
graphic design, where for example fine arts students have
(http://www.dsksic.com/) has set up a campus in Pune in
acquired some graphic design skills and are working as
collaboration with Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
graphic designers. HCI is another such field where due to
Valenciennois (CCIV) and is offering programs in the
lack of qualified people within the specific domain of HCI,
areas of Animation, Gaming and Industrial Design.
people with other qualifications are discharging HCI
Another one is the recent example of Ecole Intuit.Lab
duties.
(http://www.ecole-intuit-lab.co.in) setup in Mumbai in collaboration with French institute intuit.lab. They are
The Indian design education system offer diverse
offering programs in Graphic Design and allied areas.
programs choices at all levels such as certificate, diploma,
This could be an interesting model for Dutch Design
under graduate, postgraduate programs. However most of
Institutions to spread their presence in India. There are
the postgraduate programs are essentially after-graduate
a lot of investors, interested in initiating design
programs. This means that at the post graduate level
institutions and collaboration for them is extremely
instead of offering instruction that is advanced in nature as
important. A recent and perhaps the only example of
compared to under graduate level, instruction offered is
Indo-Dutch e ducational cooperation is in the form of
similar in content to under graduate programs. The
Retail Design Management Program
eligibility for admission to these postgraduate programs is
(http://india.retaildesignmanagement.com/), which is being
“any graduation”. Hence the postgraduate program does
executed by Kyoorius Exchange and TU Delft.
not build on the knowledge acquired by the student during under graduate studies. Rather it starts with fundamentals
Research in the field of design in India, is miniscule.
of design and cover the under graduate program content
Publications by faculty are rare. There are no design
in two years. Barring a few exceptions like Industrial
research journals that get published in India. Barring a few
Design Centre of IIT, Bombay and Centre for
exceptions there have been no conferences held in India
Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT),
where papers were invited, peer reviewed and then published.
Ahmedabad there are virtually no Ph.D. programs in the
There is a lack of well-trained design faculty in India. Due to
field of design.
continuance of lack of good faculty, the schools may have to source bring faculty from other parts of the world.
There is much to indicate that many design graduates do not fully possess the new competencies of design
The number of design schools opening up in India is a
demanded by the corporate sector, including international
good sign. This will produce a large number of designers,
competencies. It is important that the Indian design study
thereby bringing better standards in design awareness as
programs enable designers with this new set of
well affectivity. It will create a push from within the design
competencies. While the quality of education provided can
fraternity for the society and industry to adopt design in its
be said to be high, it is strongly oriented towards craft
many different avatars.
elements. The present educational curricula offer fewer generic design skills and little business orientation. The institutions in India need to graduate from craft to industry
List of Design Institutions
oriented skills and knowledge. A representative list of some prominent design education Most of the new design schools are following the NID /
institutions is given here for ready referral only. The order
IDC pattern. Even though the new design schools had an
in which the names are listed are random. Mention of a
opportunity to reorient themselves in new ways of design
particular institution in this list does not in any way imply
education, they have chosen to blindly follow the
that these institutions are the only or the best institutions
benchmarks set by NID and IDC. The primary reason is
for design.
that the faculty teachings at these new institutions are alumni or erstwhile faculty members of NID or IDC. There
Interior Design
is another interesting trend that is emerging. The new
• Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology
design schools are opening as collaboration schools i.e.
(CEPT), Ahmedabad
they have collaboration with one international design
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
institution and they are kind of replicating the pattern of
• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology,
the collaborating institution in India.
Bangalore
33
Graphic Design
It is suggested that the Dutch Institutions interested in
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
developing cooperation with Indian Design Institutions
• Industrial Design Centre- IIT Bombay, Mumbai
should look at the new and upcoming design institutions.
• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology,
The main reason for this suggestion that these new
Bangalore • MIT Institute of Design, Pune
institutions are more open and flexible and hence the collaboration / cooperation with get some meaning and activity rather than just being on paper.
Industrial + Automotive + Retail Design • Industrial Design Centre IIT Bombay • Department of Design IIT Guwahati • National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad • DYP-DC Centre for Automotive Research and Studies, Pune
Organizations Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
• Instrument Design & Development Centre, IIT Delhi
http://www.cii.in/
• Design Programme, IIT Kanpur
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create
• School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of
• Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISC,
industry in India, partnering industry and government alike
Bangalore
through advisory and consultative processes. CII is a non-
• MS Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
government, not-for-profit, industry led and industry
• MIT Institute of Design, Pune
managed organization, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded over 114 years ago, it is
Animation + New Media Design
India’s premier business association, with a direct
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
membership of over 7800 organizations from the private
• Industrial Design Centre IIT Bombay, Mumbai
as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and
• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore
an indirect membership of over 90,000 companies from around 385 national and regional sectoral associations.
Human Computer Interaction • National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
To enhance the focus of CII in the area of Design, a
• Industrial Design Centre IIT Bombay
National Committee on Design was constituted. CII
• Department of Design IIT Guwahati
National Committee on Design is the reference point in India on Design and works closely with the stakeholders
National Institute of Design (NID) and Industrial Design
for strategizing and implementing all the Design initiatives
Centre at IIT, Powai, Mumbai feature in all the sub-lists.
in the country.
They are the oldest design institutions in India and have been the founding institutions of design in India. Other
IIID - Indian Institute of Interior Designer
institutes mentioned have been in existence for a long
http://www.iiid.org
time and have done a very good job of turning out well-
The Indian Institute of Interior Designers was founded in
trained designers. They are blessed with good faculty,
1972. Today it comprises of over three thousand members
good infrastructure and good intent. There are a few
spread around the country having eleven Chapters and
exceptions in the list, which are young institutions. But
four Centres. The IIID is a full member of the IFI-
they are listed in here as they show a lot of promise. As
International Federation of Interior Architects / Interior
regards international cooperation, not much is known in
Designers and the APSDA-Asia Pacific Space Designers
the public domain. NID has the highest number of
Association and an associate of the JDF-Japan Design
international cooperation MoU’s. In fact most of the well-
Foundation.
known international institutions have a MoU with NID. The only hitch is what happens, as a part of these MoU’s
DesignIndia
is not known. There is very little activity seen externally on
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/designindia/
the international front at NID. Institutes like IIT, Kanpur has
DesignIndia is one of the premier e-groups of Designers
cooperation with University of Art and Design in Finland,
from India comprising Designers, Design students, Design
Shristi does a lot of work with Nokia, MS Ramaih has
entrepreneurs, Design faculty, etc. DesignIndia is an
cooperation with Coventry University, UK. Rest of the others
Interaction platform for the hottest topics in design.
may have international cooperation, but is not known.
DesignIndia started in 2002 by Sudhir Sharma has over
34
2500 members today. Membership to this e-group is
& reinforce the uniqueness of Indian designs, to update
closely monitored and only professionals are allowed
the sector about the changing global scenario with
membership.
reference to technical advancement, to support product development and upgrade quality & to cater to the needs
India Design Association (InDeAs)
of changing taste & Design concepts of international
http://www.in-de-as.org/
buyers.
InDeAs is an association for addressing the interests of networking, showcasing and events platform for India’s
Association of Indian Design Industry (AIDI) and Pune Design Foundation (PDF)
design community (drawn from across the spectrum).
AIDI and Pune Design Foundation had individual
The Association promotes and creates awareness about
existence till sometime back. Now they have agreed to
the design profession in the country. InDeAs has presently
merge together to form a pan-India national body of
a membership of 318 with commitments of 8 corporate
designers. As a result the individual activities of PDF and
memberships.
AIDI are at a standstill. Moreover, there is no seen activity
the design community in India. InDeAs is a pan-India
as regards the formation of pan-India body.
National Design Business Incubator http://www.ndbiindia.org/
Further remarks
NDBI is an initiative of the National Institute of Design
Confederation of Indian Industry is by far the most
(NID), Ahmedabad, set up with the support of Department
consistent and active organization promoting design in
of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
India. In the past, CII has had several interactions with
The mandate of NDBI is to nurture a culture of entre
Dutch Designers and Bodies like BNO.
preneurship in the creative minds of young designers, so that their ideas metamorphose into newer and niftier
The Indian Institute of Interior Designer is most active
products or services capable of being marketed and sold.
body of Interior Designers. They are well organized, have
The outcome is creation of a new class of entrepreneurs,
structured presence in major cities and have a very strong
the Designpreneurs. The initiative is a part of a
membership base.
commitment by NID to build on India’s design strengths aimed at translating the dream of “made in India, designed
DesignIndia, even though just a Yahoo e-group is very
for the world” a reality. First and the only one design-led
strong with its membership base of designers. Design
business incubator in the country, NDBI not only support
India promoters are currently thinking of giving a physical
designers to turn their ideas and concepts into successful
form to this e-group. With the folding up of AIDI and PDF,
competitive businesses but also provide an environment
the only designers association in existence is InDeAs.
where they can develop the essential business
They show a reasonable membership base, but have not
management skills and systems that enable them to grow.
heard of any specific activities of this group.
National Centre for Design & Product Development
National Design Business Incubator is an NID run activity
http://ncdpd.com/home.aspx
a Government initiated setup. Both these institutions could
Set Up in 1999 under society’s act by Development
be worth exploring for cooperation.
and National Centre for Design & Product Development is
Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. The Centre is involved in activities such as market
There is no formal relationship in between these
driven design services with the help of international /
organizations. There are some cross memberships, but
national designers, technology support for quality / mass
beyond that there is nothing. Initiation of close cooperation
production, quality control and merchandising services,
with CII, IIID and Designindia is suggested.
sustainable supply chain management system, design training to the artisans / manufacturers / exporters, skill development programs, implementing of schemes and projects of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) for setting up of Design centres, design workshops,
Government
awareness Programs / Seminars, etc. The Centre’s vision
Realizing the increasing importance of design in
is to provide design inputs to handicraft exporting
economic, industrial and societal development and in
community about trends & forecast periodically, to create
improving quality of products and services, the
35
Government of India initiated a consultative process with
National Design Policy has undergone the following
industry, designers and other stakeholders to develop the
journey:
broad contours of a National Design Policy. The vision
• December 2004 – Government intent for Design Policy
behind initiating a ‘National Design Policy’ is to have a
• 2005 – Stakeholders Meetings At Mumbai, New Delhi,
“design enabled Indian industry” which could impact both
Bangalore & Calcutta
the national economy and the quality of life in a positive
• 5th CII-NID Design Summit: Design Policy Focus
manner.
• 2006 – National Design Policy Draft Preparation • 8th Feb 2007 – Announcement of National Design
The Union cabinet approved the National Design Policy in
Policy
February 2007 with the aim to globally position and brand
• 2’nd March 2009 India Design Council constituted
Indian designs and making “designed in India” a by-word
• First meeting of India Design Council held on June 18,
for quality and utility. The policy envisages:
2009
• Preparation of a platform for creative design development, design promotion and partnerships
The Policy will look at a wide range of issues from the
across many sectors, states, and regions for integrating
demand as well as supply side. It will look into design
design with traditional and technological resources;
education, design use, setting of design standard, etc.
• Presentation of Indian designs and innovations on the
The policy seeks to create a brand image for Indian
international arena through strategic integration and
designs through the constitution of `India Design Mark’.
cooperation with international design organizations;
India Design Mark will specify certain criteria for designs
• Global positioning and branding of Indian designs and
such as aesthetic appeal, originality, centricity,
making “Designed in India” a by-word for quality and
innovativeness, ergonomic features, safety and eco-
utility in conjunction with “Made in India” and “Served
friendliness. It will facilitate creation and protection of
from India‘;
intellectual property in the area of designs.
• Promotion of Indian design through a well defined and managed regulatory, promotional and institutional
The policy efforts will be directed towards making India a
framework;
major hub for exports and outsourcing of designs.
• Raising Indian design education to global standards of excellence; • Creation of original Indian designs in products and
The vision is to make India an Asian hub of design in the coming years and to make design industry worth one percent of GDP.
services drawing upon India’s rich craft traditions and cultural heritage; • Making India a major hub for exports and outsourcing of designs; • Creative process for achieving a design-enabled innovation economy; • Enhancing the overall tangible and intangible quality parameters of products and services through design; • Creation of awareness among manufacturers and
The policy envisions declaring the National Institute of Design (NID) a global centre for excellence. NID pioneered design education in the country since 1961. NID is the only institution which offers UG / PG and Research Programs under one roof as a specialized design Institute. NID has three campuses focusing on UG education, PG Programs and Research & Development in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bangalore respectively.
service providers, particularly SMEs and cottage
It plans to setup four more National Institutes of Design in
industries, about the competitive advantage of original
different regions of the country including one in the
designs;
northeast states. It will seek support from the state
• Attracting investments, including foreign direct
governments for the allocation of land for the purpose.
investments, in design services and design related R &
The process of setting up a NID campus in Bhopal is
D; and
already initiated and it would come up soon.
• Involving Industry and professional designers in the collaborative development of the design profession;
The policy will encourage establishment of department of design in all Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), the
One can find the national design policy on the website
National Institute of Technology (NIT) and private sector
http://www.dipp.nic.in/design_policy/national_design_
colleges. Plans are afoot to accord the status of “Deemed
policy.pdf
to be U niversity” or “University” to National Institutes of Design so that they can award Bachelors in Design and Masters in Design degrees instead of the diplomas
36
awarded at present where the plan is to start under
decided that The India Design Council Secretariat will
graduate design programs.
operate from CII office in New Delhi and the council will
have a full-time Executive Director and another person to
The policy will create a Chartered Society for Designers
assist him.
on the lines of the Bar Council to govern the registration of design professionals and the various matters relating to standard-setting in the profession. The national design policy will help to effectively define
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
government’s role in the promotion of design industry. What is now most important is that policy should be
The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was
followed by its implementation. The constitution of India
established in 1995 and has been reconstituted in the
Design Council will now pave way for its effective
year 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial
implementation.
Development. Earlier separate Ministries for Small Scale Industries & Agro and Rural Industries (SSI&A&RI) and
The India Design Council (IDC0 has had roughly 4
Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (HI&PE) were
meetings thus far. The council is still in its infancy and is
created in October 1999. Design as a domain comes
still in the exploration phase. In the second meeting, held
under the purview of Department of Industrial Policy and
concurrently with 9’th CII-NID Design Summit at Delhi,
Promotion.
presentations from 3 countries were a part of the meeting agenda. Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization
Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is responsible
(JIDPO), Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) and UK
for formulation and implementation of promotional and
Trade and Investment (UKTI) made presentations. These
developmental measures for growth of the industrial
presentations were made to express the intent of
sector, keeping in view the national priorities and socio-
respective bodies to cooperate and help the India Design
economic objectives. While individual Administrative
Council. As per the known information, a matrix has been
Ministries look after the production, distribution,
drawn to map the partnerships with Japan, Netherlands
development and planning aspects of specific industries
and the UK. For Education/ Skill development / Training /
allocated to them, Department of Industrial Policy &
capacity building Design Professionals UK has been
Promotion is responsible for the overall Industrial Policy.
proposed as the Lead partner, for Development of India Design Mark, Certification, Japan is proposed as lead
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion monitors
partner andThe Netherlands has been proposed as lead
the industrial growth and production, in general, and
partner for Establishment of Charted Society for
selected industrial sectors, such as cement, paper and
Designers. While all countries will be considered partners
pulp, leather, tyre and rubber, light electrical industries,
for all initiatives, the lead partner will be the anchor.
consumer goods, consumer durables, light machine tools, light industrial machinery, light engineering industries etc.,
On April 26 The India Design Council recently entered into
in particular. Appropriate interventions are made on the
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japan
basis of policy inputs generated by monitoring and
Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) for
periodic review of the industrial sector. The Department
collaboration, education and development of design skills
studies, assesses and forecasts the need for technological
in both countries. The MoU was signed by Anand
development in specific industrial sectors. On this basis, it
Mahindra, Chairman, India Design Council, Pradyumna
plans for modernization and technological up gradation of
Vyas, Member Secretary, India Design Council and Asaka
the Indian industry so that, it keeps pace with the inter
Takeshi, Executive Manager, JIDPO. More details are
national developments in industrial technology on a
available on http://www.icsid.org/news/year/2010_news/
continuing basis.
articles1081.htm
The India Design Council has formed some sub-
India Design Council
committees. Besides allocating members from within the council, the sub-committees also have some invited
Further to the announcement of the National Design Policy
members. The sub-committees formed are in areas like
by the Government of India in February 2007, the India
Design Education, Design Mark, etc. Recently, it was
Design Council is formulated. Shri Anand Mahindra, well-
37
known industrialist, is the President and Shri Pradyumna
http://www.lokusdesign.com/
Vyas is the Member-Secretary of the India Design Council.
Incubis Consultants (India), Delhi -
It comprises of eminent personalities from various walks
http://incubis.net/flash/aboutus.swf
of life. The mandate of this council, amongst others, will
Icarus Design Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore -
be to work for the upgrade of design in the country. For
http://www.icarus.co.in/
more details visit http://www.nid.edu/design_council.htm
DMA Branding, Mumbai http://www.dmabranding.com/
Ministry of MSME
Lumium Innovations Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad http://www.lumium.com/
DC Design – http://www.dcdesign.co.in/ Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry of
The Brand Union - http://www.rayandkeshavan.com/ /
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is another key
http://www.thebrandunion.com/AboutUs/OurOffices/2/
player in the design domain. Ministry of MSME has
Bangalore
promulgated “Design Clinic scheme as a part of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme to support
While many of these companies are multi-disciplinary,
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in their
most of them have a particular area of strength. Elephant
endeavour to become competitive.
specializes in branding and packaging, Idiom in Retail design, Desmania in product design, DMA and Lokus
The scheme is to be implemented to bring Indian
design in packaging, Incubis in retail design, DC Design in
manufacturing sector and design expertise on to a common
Automotive Design, IDEA in product design. This
platform and to provide expert advice and cost effective
necessarily means that even though many of these
solutions on real time design problems, resulting in
consultancies are big, their main bread and butter come
continuous improvement and value addition for existing
from a certain design domain.
products. The other prominent design companies, having a mark The Planning Commission under the Scheme, “National
on the Indian design scene, but not as big as the ones
Manufacturing Competitiveness Program”, has approved a
mentioned above are:
provision of Rs. 50 crores. Through this scheme the
Design Directions Pvt. Ltd., Pune -
ministry would be able to conduct approximately
http://www.designdirections.net/
100 seminars and 100 workshops aimed at Design
Lemon Design Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Delhi -
Sensitization, thus reaching out to about 8000 MSME’s.
http://www.lemondesign.co.in/
The scheme will fund approximately 720 MSME’s for their
Onio Design Pvt. Ltd., Pune -
design projects. The scheme envisages helping MSME’s
http://www.oniodesign.com/
across the length and breadth of the country, not
Freedom Tree Design, Mumbai -
restricting to a particular region or industry. The scheme
http://freedomtreedesign.com/site/
provides funding at a 60-40 ratio thus ensuring the complete
Ticket Design Pvt. Ltd, Pune -
commitment from applicant MSME towards the project.
http://www.designticket.com/
Lopez Design Pvt. Ltd, Delhi -
Key players
http://www.lopezdesign.com/
Bang Design, Bangalore - http://www.bang.co.in/ Flextronics Design India Limited, Bangalore -
The top design consultancies in India are
http://www.flextronics.com/
Tata Elxsi Limited, Bangalore -
Futuring Design, Mumbai -
http://tataelxsi.com/ide/index.html / http://tataelxsi.com/
http://www.futuringdesign.com/
htmls/pds/pds_home.htmIdiom Design and Consulting Ltd,
Studio Korjan, Ahmedabad -
Bangalore -
http://www.korjan.com/
http://www.idiom.co.in/
TDI GROUP, Bangalore -
Elephant Strategy + Design, Pune -
http://www.tycka.in
http://www.elephantdesign.com/
Think Design, Delhi, Hyderabad -
Desmania Design, Mumbai and Delhi -
http://www.thinkdesign.in/
http://www.desmania.com/
Indi Design, Pune -
Lokus Design, Pune -
http://indidesign.wordpress.com/
38
Grandmother India http://www.grandmother.in/
need to understand the market, the sensibilities of the
Vyas Giannetti -
people and respond to them through their offerings.
http://www.vgc.in/
Global corporations will need to work with designers to
Titan Design Studio -
understand the local market. This puts a spot light on the
http://www.titanglobaldesign.com/
design industry like never before.
Itu Chaudhuri Design http://www.icdindia.com/
Major Indian organizations like Tatas, Bajaj, TCS, ISRO
Foley Designs -
and many others have embraced design and have done
http://www.foleydesigns.com/
tremendously well by absorbing lot of Design capabilities up to the final product. Today many Indian companies like
Each of these design companies specialize the one or two
GVK Industries, Titan, Art d’inox, Ergo, Future Group,
domains of design practice. They also practice other
Ginger Hotels, Godrej Interio, Larsen and Toubro, Nirlep,
disciplines, but that practice is more opportunistic and
Philips, are using design extensively for gaining
does not necessarily reflect the core competence of the
competitive advantage.
design company. There are around 52 Industrial Design consultancies in All the above listed companies could be interesting for
India. Majority of Industrial design consultancies are in
Netherlands as they represent the core of Indian Design
Pune and Mumbai, each city having around 12 Industrial
Industry. They have been in existence for a long time,
design consultancies. Delhi and Bangalore each have
have good talent, and have established businesses and a
around 10 Industrial design consultancies. Ahmedabad
firm client base. The most important aspect is their
accounts of 4 Industrial design consultancies. Chennai
thorough understanding of the Indian business needs and
has 2 and Gurgaon and Hyderabad each account for
competitive scenario. Firms, which are smaller in size in
1 industrial design consultancies. These consultancies
most cases, are by virtue of conscious decisions of its
employ a total of around 598 designers.
owners to remain small and focus on the niche. Synergies between Dutch and Indian Design Studios could be found
Graphic design consultancies are also present in large
and extrapolated for mutual gains.
numbers across India. There are around 53 firms offering graphic design consultation. Pune, Bangalore and Delhi
Trade and industry
have the majority of graphic design consultancies, of which Pune has 13 firms and 12 firms each in Bangalore and Delhi. Other cities include Mumbai where there are 9 Graphic design consultancies, Ahmedabad which has
The numbers of design companies are growing, as also
2 Graphic consultancies and Chennai, Coimbatore,
there is growth in existing companies. There is a good
Gurgaon, Rajkot and Surat each has 1 Graphic Design
trend of designers opting to start their own setup. Hence
Consultancy firm. There are around 629 designers
most of the companies existing today are new. The existing
working in the graphic design consultancies.
companies are consolidating further by adding more services to their portfolio within diverse design disciplines.
Today, most of the design firms are doing well. They have
Majority of design companies are based in urban areas.
a firm customer base, developed through personal relationships rather than any overt marketing or business
India is a large market and at the same very unique as
development activities. When looking at the Design Industry
well. There is no such thing called as a thumb rule, which
in India, we need to make a major distinction. In one part,
can describe Indian market or consumers. They vary in
there are designers who run their own design companies
cultures, traditions, religions, customers, food, dressing,
and designers employed in these design c ompanies. In
etc. At the same time Indian consumer is becoming more
other part there are designers who are e mployed with the
demanding and is asserting himself to get his aspirations
Industry in the in-house design departments of these
satisfied.
companies.
Multinational corporations are focusing on India as a new
These companies are mainly large companies engaged in
market for trading their products / services. They very well
FMCG segment, automobile segment, Entertainment
understand that their successes elsewhere would not
Electronics, advertising, communication, etc. Designers
necessarily translate in a similar way in India. They will
working in these companies outnumber the designers
39
working in design service companies. The designers
these companies are keen to grow, they lack skill sets,
working within Industry have been left out of most of the
which could be complemented by the partner, and they
consultative processes about Design in India, but they
have access to market. On the strength of the partners
represent an important voice. It is suggested that these
portfolio they can pitch for larger and more complex
designers be engaged to develop business, as their firms
projects. Through the partnership, the design companies
are already design buyers and moreover they understand
will be able to showcase varied applications of design to
the importance of design.
there clients and hence develop business in newer areas. This kind of partnership will be a win-win for both.
Many young designers are also choosing to work in an In-house department due to benefits, predictable hours, career paths, opportunity for structure & greater colla borations. Exposure to major international projects is also one of the attractions, as these design departments not
Geographical distribution of design industry
only do work for Indian operations but also for their parent The major concentration of design companies is in 4 urban
companies.
areas viz. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. All these A majority of design services companies are small one to
four cities are industrially active and are home to majority
five people operations mostly driven by the owners.
of well-known Indian companies.
They are low in professionalization and lack commercial
The concentration of design companies in Bangalore and
skills. There are a lot of designers who work as
Pune owes to the presence of design users in that region
freelancers. There is an increasing trend of the
which mainly constitutes technology companies. Also
freelancers and small design firms cooperating amongst
these two cities offer a very good standard of living, good
each other in informal ways to get business and execute
weather and an experimental, culturally active society.
projects. No formal network exists.
Both these cities offer a complete ecosystem for design including design firms, design users, educational
Of the established design companies there are diverse
institutions and a positive environment. Mumbai and Delhi
visions. Some of them are keen on expanding the business,
are natural destinations for design companies purely for
whereas some of them are content with what they have
the reason that these two cities host the topmost Indian
got. With few exceptions, it is generally seen that younger
corporations from diverse segments. These two cities
design firms are keener about growth-based vision.
offer a well-developed market for design services. The presence of leading design education institutions in these
Small and young design companies represent an
cities is also another reason for concentration of design
opportunity segment for Dutch Design companies are
companies in these cities and vice versa.
collaborators. The main reason for this suggestion is that
Pune Design Companies
Design Institutions
Elephant Strategy + Design
MIT Institute of Design
Design Directions Pvt. Ltd.
Symbiosis Institute of Design
Lemon Design Pvt. Ltd.
DSK Institute of Design
Onio Design Pvt. Ltd.
DYPDC Center for Automotive Research and Studies
Ticket Design Pvt. Ltd, Indi Design Lokus Design DC Design
40
Bangalore Design Companies
Design Institutions
Tata Elxsi Limited
NID – Bangalore Campus
Idiom Design and Consulting Ltd
MS Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Icarus design Pvt. Ltd
Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISC, Bangalore
Bang Design
Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology
Flextronics Design India Limited Titan Design Studio Neil Foley Designs The Brand Union
Mumbai Design Companies
Design Institutions
Desmania Design
Industrial Design Centre- IIT Bombay
DMA Branding Freedom Tree Design Vyas Giannetti Creative Futuring Design Grandmother India
Delhi Design Companies
Design Institutions
Desmania Design
Instrument Design & Development Centre, IIT Delhi
Itu Chaudhuri Design
School of Planning & Architecture
Think Design
IILM School of Design
Lopez Design Pvt. Ltd Incubis Consultants (India)
Design Users
their development process as also they use design to find new areas of business. Companies use design in different
The use of design (i.e., either in-house design activities or
ways. Some use it as strategic tool and some relegate it to
the purchase of specialized design services) by Indian
be used at the end of the development process for styling
firms is spread across many sectors. FMCG companies,
purposes. A handful of Indian companies use design
Automobile, Retail, IT/communication, Fashion industries
strategically. Most of the others use it for ornamental
have a particularly large use of design. The typical buyers
purposes. Overall design utility is viewed in a very limited
of design services include appliance manufacturers,
perspective by Indian industry. Design is an underused
machine – tool manufacturers, automotive industry,
activity in most of the Indian businesses. Design is often
furniture manufacturers, retail industry, hospitality industry,
seen as an e xpense item reserved for large companies
Telecom and IT industry, FMCG companies, banking and
thus keeping small and medium sized companies out of
insurance companies, publishing companies, apparel &
the design users list.
footwear companies, pharmaceutical Industries, etc. Domains such as education, NGOs, Institutions, Real
Here there exists a paradoxical situation. The paradox is
Estate, Government, etc. sporadically use design services.
that here is an industry, which is growing, which needs the competitive edge and yet they are not active design users
Design is evolving to become more strategic in nature. It
/ buyers. The main reason attributed for this situation is
means that businesses use design across the length of
the little or no information amongst these businesses
41
about the utility of design. Part of this non-information
like IDEO - USA, Jump Associates – USA are also
could be attributed to the Indian Design Companies who
contemplating setting up offices in India.
have failed to demonstrate various and diverse aspects of design, specially the strategic design aspects. There exists a gap in the market and consequently there exists a market for that gap which Dutch Design companies, on there own or through partnerships can address. There is big opportunity for Dutch Design companies to leverage their knowledge and experience base and create a new
Media, awards and exhibitions
market for their services. It would be worthwhile for Dutch
CII-NID Design Summit: Since 2001, an annual flagship
design companies to tap the chamber of commerce or
event CII-NID Design Summit is being organized where all
management associations based in major Indian cities.
the stakeholders from the Design community interact to
Most of the Indian industry is focused in and around
assess the current scenario, future trends and promotion
approx. 22 cities. All of these cities have local industry
of Design in the Indian industry. The event is one of the
associations, which could be leveraged. Also social
premier events of Design, which attracts attendees from
networks like Rotary, Lions, and Jaycees can be used for
Industry & Design houses within India and abroad.
the purpose of reaching out to local businesses.
The event has so far seen 09 editions.
Internationalization
Kyoorious Design Yatra: It is an initiative to provide a communication platform for the design and creative fraternity in India. The event features a design conference
A few of the Indian design companies are
with presentations by prominent international practitioners
internationalizing their operations. They have been
in the fields of design, web, branding and marketing along
opening offices in other countries as also they are tying
with workshops and panel discussions. The conference
up with design companies from other countries. Some of
content celebrates design excellence, provides insights
such tie-ups are listed below. As it is a new phenomenon
into the future of design while simultaneously reinforcing
the successes or failures of these tie-ups or their
the sense of community among India’s creative’s.
operational framework is not known. Some more tie-ups are in the offing, but not yet declared.
Business World-NID Design Excellence Awards – In 2003, Business world Magazine & National Institute of
• Elephant Strategy+ Design entered into an alliance with
Design (NID), Ahmedabad, joined hands to institute the
NPK Industrial Design, Netherlands & Design
annual “Business World-NID Design Excellence Awards”.
Continuum, USA (www.elephantdesign.com)
The awards includes 16 categories like Urban Town
• Vyas Gianetti Creative signed six partnerships with Flex
Planning, Product design, Furniture design, Transportation
/ The Innovation Lab (Product Design); Lava Graphic
and automobile design, Packaging design, Graphic
Studios (Editorial Design); Indeed (Marketing Sales &
design, etc (http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/BW-
Strategy); Wally Olins’ Saffron; DixonBaxi (Creative and
NID/BW-NID-Concept.html)
Strategic consultancy) and Ryan + Deslauriers (Real Estate Branding). (http://domain-b.com/brand_dossier/
It is suggested that Dutch Designers and design
adv_brnd/20090115_vyas.html)
companies participate in the two annual events viz. CII-
• Onio Design has partnered with Style Vision, France for Trend Research. (www.oniodesign.com) • Brandscapes Worldwide Consultancy– Brandscapes
NID Design Summit and Kyoorius Design Yatra. Both the events are good for networking and getting to know the pulse of Indian Design Industry. British Council has
Worldwide tied up with Design Bridge, U.K based
initiated “The International Young Design Entrepreneur”
design consultancy firm.
(http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iydey2007. htm#2009). An activity inspired by this, not necessarily
Foreign companies like Saffron Brand Consultants,
similar to this would help create a good branding for Dutch
Landor & Associates, Fitch, WD partners have already
Design in India. A public activity, which is the replication of
setup operations in India. These companies mainly
Dutch Design Week in cooperation with CII could be
represent the branding and communication domain.
another possibility.
There is news of a few more coming to India from other design domains as well. Well-known design consultancies
42
Media Design Disciplines
Some Media Publications
Interior Design + Landscape Architecture + Furniture Design
Better Interiors (Infomedia 18)
Design & Interiors (Media Transasia India Limited)
Elle Décor (Ogaan Publications Pvt. Ltd)
Graphic Design
Sign & Graphics (S Media Graphics)
Digisign Digest (S Media Group)
Print Publishing (S Media Group)
Kyoorius Design Magazine (Kyoorius Exchange)
Animation & New media design
Animation Today (Sankranti Creations)
Animation Xpress (Online Journal of Indiatelevision.com)
Industrial + Automotive + Retail Design
Overdrive India (Infomedia 18)
Business Standard Motoring (Business Standard)
Visual Merchandising & Retail Design (VJ Media Works)
The latest and most relevant design magazine is being
collaborative agreements between Dutch companies /
launched from May 2010. The name is Pool. Pool is a new
institutions and Indian companies and institutions. Major
monthly publication for designers in India by Designindia.
collaborations signed were between TUDelft and Elephant-
Pool Magazine covers all walks of design, innovation and art.
versity Institute of Innovation, NPK and Elephant Strategy + Design, Vyas Gianetti with Flex and Lava.
Recent creative exchange between India and the Netherlands
• 2009 – Kyoorius Design Yatra – Mumbai – This was a big event with a very strong participation from Dutch Designers. As a part of this event “Design Dialogues” was organized by DutchDFA to exchange ideas and views leading to Indo-Dutch collaboration. Similarly a specific forum was set as part of the event for Indian Design companies to meet Dutch Design Companies. • 2009 – 9’th CII-NID Design Summit and Second India
The beginning of creative exchange between India and
Design Festival – Delhi – Here again there was a sizeable
the Netherlands in the recent past could be traced back to
Dutch Participation wherein the DutchDFA supported
2007 when a few Dutch delegates attended CII-NID
the event by arranging 3 speakers at the event.
Design Summit in Bangalore. This was followed by • 2007 The market scan “NL/India Design” was published. • June/July 2008 Peter Kersten and Rita van Hattum visited Mumbai and Delhi for an exploratory mission • September 2008 several Dutch designers attended the DesignYatra conference. • November 2008 15 Indian designers guided by Rajesh
Indian Design Industry – a SWOT Analysis Strengths • Growing markets - nationally and internationally
Kejriwal (Kyoorius) visited the Netherlands for a design
• Vibrant culture
mission organised by the BNO
• Cultural diversity • Resilient entrepreneurial spirit
Since then there has been serious Dutch participation in
• Increasing Talent Base
two major design events in India, viz. CII-NID Design
• Fairly good IPR regime
Summit and Kyoorius Design Yatra. The period of 2009 to
Weaknesses
2010 is very important in this context for following reasons:
• Unorganized & Fragmented
• 2009 – 8’th CII-NID Design Summit and First India
• Lack of strategic design and design management skills
Design Festival – Pune – This event saw a big Dutch
• Quality of services and consistency in design
delegation led by Honorable Minister Mr. Franck
• Non availability of specialized people’s guidance
Heemskerk. This event also saw the signing of major
• No links between R&D, innovation and design
43
• Lack of leadership and focus
Support
• Unaffordable Design
• Advisory programs
• Design education lacking business and management
• Demonstration programs
focus
• Workshops / Trainings One to five people companies characterize Indian design
Opportunities
industry. Many of them are new. It is seen that dues to
• Rising aspirations of Indian population
smallness and newness the capabilities of these
• Rise in the number of Wicked Problems
companies are limited. It is not to say that they are
• Continuing education programs for Designers
incapable. They are good in a given set of skills. However
• Building Larger and Specialized Design Firms
they are not able to integrate of competencies such as
• Improve Competitiveness of Design Studios
social sciences, engineering, business skills in their
• Up gradation of Design Education
design processes effectively. They lack the ability to carry
• Globalization of India design by overseas cooperation
out projects involving different design disciplines. The
and collaboration
small companies need to grow and new companies need to sustain while developing new capabilities and
Threats
addressing unmet needs of Indian businesses.
• Lacks governmental support • Technological and financial limitations
Design is now branching out of its core roots to newer
• Business understanding of the value of design
applications and utilities. Areas such as interaction design, service design, transformation design, and
Main trends and prospects
instruction design are establishing new paradigms. New tools and methodologies are being developed. From being an intuitive discipline design is growing into becoming a discipline replete with tools and frameworks. There is a growing focus on systematic and methodical incorporation of user experience in design, which entails
There is a certain up curve when it comes to Indian
the involvement of competencies in marketing research,
Design Industry and Indian Industry. This brings out both
consumer behaviour, technology, anthropology and
challenges and opportunities. The pace of change in the
psychology in the design processes. It is important for
field of design makes it difficult to predict the future.
Indian design industry to embrace these new
However what one can surely do is to imagine the future,
developments and add the new design branches in the
which continues to happen with every passing day.
range of services being offered by them. Also it is important for the industry to develop, India specific
Next 5 years time is extremely crucial for the Indian
frameworks for understanding the Indian consumer in a
design industry, as there is a phenomenal growth in each
better way.
sector and so is the growth in demand for design. In the next 5 years, there will be a huge demand from the
Globally, Design companies; have developed a suite of
market for professionally run design companies.
services using design thinking and design methods. The different kinds of design services developed globally
Dutch presence in India must be built around 3 pillars:
are Design of Services, Design of Public Services, Green Design, etc. Indian design companies are too far behind in
Education
these new domains of design services. Indian design
• Professional Training
companies also lack expertise in terms of Design
• Continuing Education Programs
Management and Strategic Design. The new form of
• Cooperation with Existing Design Institutions
design services can essentially become the theme of
• Collaboration with new Design Institutions
collaboration between Indian and Dutch Design companies. For example for IT industry, which is an
Promotion
extremely evolved, and resource rich industry, service
• Exhibitions
design could be the major offering. Government of India
• Awards / Competitions
has prioritized spending on infrastructure, plus
• Seminars / Conferences
government is the biggest buyer. This creates a potential
• Publications - Newsletters
for design of public services. Indian design companies do
44
not have a portfolio of such projects and hence find it
There exists a great opportunity in designing for India.
difficult to get the work. A colla-boration scenario will help
Designers need to display sensitivity to real needs of
pitching for this kind of work.
people and also sensitize clients accordingly. Focus on real needs of Indian people will also bring in opportunities
The opportunity here is to partner with these small design
for design not only from Indian businesses but also from
companies, facilitate the integration of other competencies
multinational corporations keen on doing business in
in their design process, practice new forms of design and
India. They need to work with MSMEs to a greater extent
create new opportunities for user businesses. Partnering
and help them become more competitive. Another
with Dutch Design studios will create capabilities within
potential area is working with Government to help it deliver
small Indian design companies for larger projects.
public services. While working with MSME’s and Government is not easy as there understanding of design
Based on the Indian design capabilities, and the emerging
is limited, the onus is also on design companies to
scenario, there is good case for India’s design potential to
sensitize them about the possibilities and to create proofs
be exploited internationally. The small size structure of
of concept.
majority of Indian design companies is an impediment as they lack proficiency in dealing with international
The number of institutes providing design programs is
customers, and are mostly unaware of international trade.
rising. Still, more institutions are needed. There is a
Help and facilitation for businesses wanting to
common sentiment within design industry that design
internationalize is essential.
graduates are not well trained / educated. The design graduates do not possess competencies as required by
Small and Medium Enterprises mainly characterize Indian
the industry. A disconnect between syllabi and prevalent
industry. It is an established fact that innovation occurs in
design trends is felt by practitioners. It is felt that that
all industries, including the dominant mid / low tech and
current education system either produces thinking
service industries in our economy. There is extensive
designers with lesser skills or produces skilled designers
evidence that MSME’s rely very little on R&D for innovation.
with a limited thought input.
Small companies have always relied on cost innovation as investments in research have been outside their
Unavailability of qualified and quality faculty is indeed
capacities. Using design is a perfect mode of innovation
another factor that is causing hindrance in the path of
for MSME’s. SME’s constitute about 80% of the Indian
well-trained design graduates as well as for more
industry and hence represent a huge opportunity area.
institutions to come up. Some faculty development programs are in existence. But more such programs are
The biggest barrier in businesses embracing design for
needed. There is pressing need of training & motivating
innovation is the lack of information. Businesses are not
Indian designers through continuing education programs.
aware of the potential offered by design disciplines. They
Design is an integrative discipline. Infusion of design
do not know how to ask for these services, which services
thinking, design management and design awareness in
to ask for and whom to approach for it. It calls for a strong
professional programs like Engineering, Management is
information dissemination system. The importance of
very much needed.
strategic use of design has to be imbibed in the industry in all sectors. This creates a need for creating various
Academic mobility of design students and design faculty
information channels through which this information could
has to be encouraged and supported nationally and
be provided to the businesses and thus the design market
internationally. This calls for financial support mechanism
could be expanded.
and cooperation framework to be established.
Design is already high on the national agenda for many
As design is a much needed tool for business, it is also so
countries. Governments around the world have
for the society at large. There is a great possibility to use
recognized the importance of design to national
design in public services. This is an area of immense
competitiveness. Evidence shows that many countries are
opportunity as Government spending on infrastructure
using design as a tool for economic and social development. Government of India is also doing a few things in this area. More needs to be done a responsibility, which could be shared by design companies and design organizations, as it will help expand the design market.
45
Conclusion
new markets. Partnerships will provide Indian companies
Multinational corporations are focusing on India as a new
of design outsourcing work can also be a part of these
market for trading their products / services. They very well
partnerships
with a suite of services to drive global growth. It can also extend in nearby south East Asian regions. Some element
understand that their successes elsewhere would not necessarily translate in a similar way in India. Global
Establishing Dutch Design Hubs in select city could be
corporations will need to work with Indian designers to
one the key suggestion. It could be done individually or
understand the local market. This puts a spot light on the
with a local partner. The Design Hubs will act as a
design industry like never before. Lately the Indian Design
facilitating centre that connects, engages and involves
companies have been entering into collaboration with
people who provide design, people who commission
foreign design companies. This number is miniscule at
design and people who use design.
present, but the trend is visible. Many foreign design companies are setting up offices in India on their own.
Other key area of cooperation is Education. Partnerships
There are a few already here, mainly in the area of
with Indian educational institutions, establishment of
branding and communication.
student and faculty exchange programs, joint research projects would yield results in the longer term than the
Understanding of collaboration and what it entails is
specific firm-to-firm partnerships. Indian Design Industry
limited among design companies. For any collaboration to
lacks credible design awards. Instituting design awards
function properly a clear role definition of respective
could be one very strong communication vehicle.
partners is necessary. In Indian design companies there is
Establishing a mechanism for Indian students to do
a fear of being taken over and some times inferiority
internships in Dutch Design Studios could be useful.
complex when it comes to work portfolio.
The partnerships should change the perspective from business acquiring to business growing. What it means is
Indian Design companies are not market aware. Most of
that partnerships should be looked in terms of getting a
the markets for Indian design companies are network
pie from the existing industry, but instead, it calls for
based relying on network of contacts and referrals.
growing the design services markets.
This calls a need for developing markets for design in India. The collaborator can plan a role of mentor and a
The overall agenda for Dutch Design to develop
senior partner in developing markets. Very less active
cooperation in India could be as follows:
business development takes place. It is not professionalized.
• Empower Indian designers with skills and knowledge
The collaborating partner can propagate a system of professional working. The collaborator can help the Indian
and grow the overall business • Educate Indian firms in how to use design to improve
partner with the art of business acquiring. The collaborating
business performance and increase competitive
partner can add the dimension of systematic and methodical
advantage through demonstration of what is possible,
incorporation of design tools and frameworks.
and • Demonstrate to the society and Government the impact
Indian design professionals are emotional. They are in this
and benefit of design on our everyday life.
profession for emotional reasons than career reasons. Design as a career is not well recognized in India. Those
Hrridaysh Despande:
who are designers have chosen this career for emotional
A Computer Engineer by qualification Hrridaysh Despande
reasons. Hence partners are to understand the emotional
has been in the field of education for over 15 years, of
part of it and cannot drive the partnership on business
which the last 6 years has been in Design Education.
terms alone.
Presently, Hrridaysh is the director of DYP-DC Center for Automotive Research and Studies, the college conducts
Indian Designers can bring in their deep understanding of
undergraduate and postgraduate programs in “Automobile
Indian markets, Indian consumers, the Dutch design
Design”.
companies can bring in their process based expertise to
Earlier, he was the director of Elephantversity Institute of
make the partnership successful. Both the partners have
Innovation, advisor for Design Institute of India at Indore
to focus on developing markets with the strength of each
and Khandesh College Education Society in Jalgaon and
other. Such partnerships can serve multinational
he founded Creative-i College, in 2004 an private initiative
corporations better Partnerships will help to gain access
in the field of Design Education.
46
fashion
Prepared by: Harmeet Bajaj, fashion consultant
Introduction
It was at this time that a new breed of creative young
India an ancient civilization has a 5000 years old textile
Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Hemant Trivedi and Shahab
industry. Part of the spice route Indian cottons, silks and
Durazi were the vanguards of the Fashion Revolution in
brocades have adorned many a king and queen.
India. They introduced to India the term collections,
entrepreneurs set out on the road to fashion. Rohit Bal,
styling, fashion shows and fashion boutiques. Quintessentially known for their art of draping fabrics around the body, Indians have exemplified to the world
Fashion got a sudden boost:
how a few yards of fabric-like a sari, a dhoti, or a shawl
• Fashion and lifestyle magazines, colour supplements
could make a wonderful fashion statement. The sari worn by Indian women for over 5000 years has probably been the most sustained style in the history of women’s fashion.
thriving on fashion were launched. • Fashion shows become integral part of Hi-society gatherings besides adding glamour to beauty pageants and business events.
The Nehru jacket, the Kurta, the Bandh gala and the
• Birth of individual designer labels.
Jodhpur are some indigenous styles that India has today
• Emergence of ‘Designer’ markets like Hauz Khas
offered to the west.
Village in Delhi. • Fashion boutiques coming up all over the country-
The Indian industry’s transition from the draped to the
Ensemble, Gliteratti, Ogaan etc.
stitched garments was most perceptible in the early 50’s – i.e. the post independence era. How ever this was
Fashion movement through the 90’s was gradual.
accelerated only in the 80’s: a time of major garment
The number of designers increased, however lack of retail
export boom from India. A time when India was
infrastructure and atmospherics for designer wear limited
increasingly recognized as the manufacturer to the rest of
accessibility to the common man. Designer wear was
the world. It was in the 80’s the Indian customer graduated
limited to trousseau, clothing and occasion wear largely
from tailor made to custom made - result of the economic
customized to the need.
mass manufacturing. It was only in the year 2000 under the auspices of the It was only during the later half of the 80’s that the term,
Lakme Fashion Week that the word prêt-a-porter was
‘FASHION’ got a definition in the Indian context. The
introduced to the Indian customer. Well priced, ready-to-
government recognized the need for fashion education
wear clothing in standardized sizes being the mantra for
and established NIFT in 1986 in collaboration with FIT,
fashion weeks. However it was to take a few years for this
New York. Fashion design, Garment Manufacturing
mantra to be realized. LFW was the first congregation of
Technology and apparel Marketing and Merchandising
fashion creators, trade buyers and life style media. Held in
programs were introduced by a qualified team from FIT,
Delhi annually, this event has now grown to be an inter
New York.
national event with two fashion weeks a year attended by over 200 domestic and international buyers.
Rohit Khosla, a graduate from the London College of Fashion was a creative power house, who made the word
During the last decade a number of factors contributed to
‘DESIGNER’ relevant in India. All the Ritu Kumar and
the accelerated pace of consumerism in the economy.
Asha Sarabhai; veterans of fashion today did exist prior to
Home to 17% of world’s population at 1.1 billion people,
that but were better known for traditional fabrics and
India also the youngest nation and is tipped of to have one
clothing.
of the largest work forces for years to come. With around 700 million people between 20-60 years of age it surely represents a lot of buying power. The Indian corporate
47
The First Indian Designers ROHIT KHOSLA, ASHA SARABHAI, ABUJANI 1987 1970
The First Fashion School NIFT-1987
The First Designer Boutique ENSMBLE-1987 OGAAN-1989
The First Fashion Magazine ELLE 1997
The First Fashion Council FDCI 1998
The First Luxury Brand In India LOUIS VUITTON-DELHI
The First Fashion Awards MARLE CLAIRE-2008
The First Fashion Brand In India BENETTON - 1993
The First Fashion Week LFW- 2000 - Delhi
The First Luxury Mall EMPORIO-2007
salaries have grown 14% per annum ,the fastest globally
Retail expansion expected to grow at 40% per year for the
and the consumer with a higher income, young age
next 5 years got its push from the growth of real estate
profile, increasing literacy levels, increasing exposure and
infrastructure.
awareness levels and increasing urbanization wants more. Fashion has definitely got an impetus, today being used to
And all this adds up to increase the scope of fashion in
communicate status.
this market. The next few sections give you a brief overview of the fashion industry in India.
The media explosion that accompanied this growth in the economy brought International labels like Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s to the country and with them all the luxury brands in fashion.
48
Educational Institutions Fashion education in India was formalized with the establishment of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 1986. Subsequently, many existing
Leading Institutes of Fashion Education Offering Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research Programmes
universities started offering courses in fashion design, while new institutes were set up to impart vocational
National institute of Fashion Technology
education in fashion and other design related areas.
Year of Inception: 1986
Today, fashion modules have been introduced at the high
Courses:
school level as well. The following section shall provide
Bachelor Programmes
details on the scope of fashion education in India, and
• B Des (Fashion Design)
profile some of the leading institutions in the field.
• B Des (Leather Design) • B Des (Accessory Design) • B Des (Textile Design) • B Des (Knitwear Design) • B Des (Fashion Communication) Postgraduate Programmes • M Des (Master of Design) • M FM (Master of Fashion Management • M FTech (Master of Fashion Technology) • Doctoral Programmes • PhD in Design, Management and Technology Institute Branches: New Delhi, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Mumbai, Bhopal, Chennai, Patna, Gandhinagar, Raebareli, Shillong, Kannur, Hyderabad, Mauritius, Kangra and Jodhpur. Affiliations and foreign collaborations: University of the Arts London, UK; University of Leeds, UK; Demon fort University, UK; Ryerson University, Canada; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia; Domus Academy, Italy and University of Philadelphia, USA Contact: NIFT Campus, Hauz Khas, Near Gulmohar Park,New Delhi - 110 016, Phone: +91-11-26542000 Fax: +91-11-26866414, Contact: Mr. R. M Singh, Director E-mail:
[email protected] Website: www.nift.ac.in Director General: Mr. Rajiv Takru Dean (Academics): Prof. Banhi Jha Head of Design: Prof. Shalini Sud
National Institute of Design (nid) Year of Inception: 1961 Courses: Postgraduate Diploma Programme • Apparel design and Merchandising • Lifestyle and Accessory design • Institute Branches: Ahmedabad, Bangalore (Research and Development), Gandhinagar (Postgraduate)
49
Affiliations and foreign collaborations:
Institute Branches: New Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur,
• Instituto Profesional DuocUC of the Pontificia
Ludhiana, Dhaka and Sharjah
Universidad Catolica de Chile - Santiago, Chile • École nationale supérieure de création industrielle (ENSCI) - Paris, France • École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs (ENSAD) - Paris, France
Affiliations and foreign collaborations: • Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England • NHL University, The Netherlands • AMFI, The Netherlands • LDT - Nagold, Germany
• Burg Giebchenstein - Halle, Germany
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU), Hong Kong
• Konstfack University College of Art, Craft & Design -
• University West O England (UWE), UK
Stockholm, Sweden • Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences - Pforzheim, Germany
• Indira Gandhi National Open University Contact: PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, DELHI A - 21/13, Naraina Industrial Area - Phase II, New Delhi -
• Shenkar College of Engg. & Design - Ramat Gan, Israel
110028.
Contact: National Institute of Design, Paldi, Ahmedabad
Phone: 41417693-94; 25703451/5478/8506, 49807100/01;
380 007
Fax: 25705451, 49807199
Phone: +91 79 26623692
Email:
[email protected]
Fax: +91 79 26621167
Website: www.pearlacademy.com
Email:
[email protected]
Director: Mr. A.K.G Nair
Website: www.nid.edu
Head of Design: Prof. Nien Siao
Director: Mr. Pradyumna Vyas
Symbiosis Institute of Design (sid)
Dean: Dr S. Ghosal (Bangalore)
Year of Inception: 2004
Mr. Vinai Kumar (Gandhinagar)
Mission Statement: To craft an ambience to promote
Head of Design: Mrs. Aditi Ranjan
confident possession of an individual’s innate talents, acquire the skills needed for being successful on the
Pearl Academy of Fashion
design dais and establish values that will enable him to act
Year of Inception: 1993
with thoughtfulness and humanity.
Mission Statement:
Courses:
To train professionals with a comprehensive range of
Bachelor Programmes
cognitive and intellectual skills, planned to develop across
• B Des Product Design
a wide range of learning experiences.
• B Des Communication Design
Courses:
• B Des Fashion Design
Bachelor Degree Programmes
• B Des Fashion Communication
• Fashion Design
Institute Branches: Pune
• Jewellery Design
Contact: Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID),
• Textile Design
S No. 231/4A, Viman Nagar, Pune 411 014, Maharashtra
• Fashion Business Management
Tel (EPABX): +91 20 2663 4546 / 47 / 48
• Fashion Retail Management
Fax: +91 20 2663 4549
• Communication Design
Email:
[email protected]
Four year industry integrated Bachelor’s Programme
Website: www.symbiosisdesign.ac.in
• Fashion design
Director: Mr. Vinay M. Mundada
• Textile Design
Head of Design: Ms. Vaibhavi P. Ranavade
• Fashion Merchandising and Production Postgraduate Diploma Programmes
Footwear Development and design Institute (fddi)
• Fashion Merchandising
Year of Inception: 1986
• Garment Manufacturing
Mission Statement: Development and cultivation of best
• Fashion Retail
available human resources within the country by imparting
• Fashion Design Knitwear
knowledge and skills by conducting appropriate courses.
• Textile Design
Courses:
• Home Fashion
Bachelor Programmes
• Fashion Marketing
• Diploma in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management • Diploma in Footwear Technology
50
• Diploma in Leather Goods and Accessories Design
Affiliations and foreign collaborations:
Postgraduate Programmes
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia
• Diploma in Management in Footwear Technology
Wolverhampton University, UK
• Diploma in Leather Goods and Accessories Design
George Brown College, Canada
Institute Branches: Noida
Ontario College of Art & Design, Canada
Contact: FDDI Headquarters, A - 10 / A, Sector - 24
Edexcel, UK
NOIDA - 201 301, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh,
IGNOU
INDIA
Contact: institute of apparel managemenT
Phone: +91-120-4500100
(Head office), 7thfloor,ApparelHouse, Sec-44, Gurgaon
Fax: +91(120) 2412556, 2411301
122003, Haryana (India)
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 0124-2708201/02
Website: www.fddiindia.com
Fax: 0124-2708213 Email:
[email protected]
Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (iicd)
Web: www.iamindia.in
Year of Inception: 1998
Director: Dr. Darlie Koshy
Courses:
Email:
[email protected]
Undergraduate Diploma Programme in Craft Design
Head of Design: Mr. Somesh Singh
Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Craft Design Mission Statement: Indian Institute of Craft and Design
Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology
(IICD) is a unique institution that is synergizing traditional
Year of Inception: 1996
knowledge and skills with contemporary needs to evolve
Courses:
methodologies that are relevant to modern India. Institute
Bachelor Programmes
Branches: Jaipur
• Visual Communication Design
Contact: J-8, Jhalana Institutional Area, Jaipur-302017
• Product and Interface Design
Phone: +91-141-2701203, 2701504, 2700156,
• Furniture and Interior Design
Fax: +91-141-2700160
• Textile Design
Email:
[email protected]
• Digital Video Production
Director: Sangita Shroff
• Animation and Visual Effects
Contact:
[email protected]
• Sangama Postgraduate Programmes
Institute of Apparel Management (iam)
• Experimental Media Arts
Year of Inception: 2007
• Design in Education
Mission Statement: IAM is focused on shaping industry
Institute Branches: Bangalore
ready professionals who are ready to hit the ground and
Contact: Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology
run in this fiercely competitive industry.
P.O. Box No. 6430, Yelahanka New Town, Doddabalapur
Courses:
Road, (Opp. Wheel & Axle Plant), Bangalore - 560 106
INDIAN PATHWAYS
Phone: 91.80.40447000 / 40446964 / 65 / 66
Bachelor Programmes:
TeleFax: 91.80.28560950
• Fashion Communication
Email:
[email protected]
• Apparel Design and Merchandising
Website: www.srishti.ac.in
• Postgraduate Programmes:
Director: Ms Geetha Narayanan
• Apparel Production and Management
Owing to the rapid expansion and organization of the
• Fashion Retail Management
fashion industry, fashion students now require specialized skills and business strategizing expertise coupled with an
International Pathways
in-depth understanding of the fashion discipline.
• Bachelor Programmes (4 years, with final year at one of
Recognizing that fact, apart from the institutions listed
the 167 partner international institutions):
above, various large private companies and conglomerates
• Fashion and Lifestyle Design
such as the Ansals Group and the Mittal Group are now
• Fashion and Textiles Merchandising
proposing to enter the arena of fashion education.
• Fashion Design Management • Apparel Marketing and Design Institute Branches: Gurgaon, Mumbai
51
Organisations
Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (cmai)
Fashion Design Council of India (fdci)
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India,
Established in 1998, FDCI is the apex body representing
founded in 1963 is the largest association representing
the interest of the Indian Fashion fraternity. It has been a
the interests of Garment Manufacturers in India – both
facilitator and a catalyst for the advancement of the Indian
domestically as well as in the exporting community.
fashion market, and for creating sustainable growth
The Association acts as a catalyst of change in the
opportunities both locally and globally. Much like its
industry by interacting with the Government on matters of
international counterparts like the British Fashion Council
policies that impact the future of the apparel industry.
in London and the CFDA in New York, FDCI plays an
It has recently been selected as the Sole Member
important part in bringing together designers, make-up
Association from India by the International Apparel
artists, choreographers, manufacturers and retailers from
Federation( IAF )as well as the Asian Apparel
various states, cities and towns and organizing them
Federation ( AAF ).
under one cohesive umbrella.
Member Profile:*
Member Profile:*
• Leading Apparel Manufacturers
• Acclaimed Fashion and accessory designers
• Leading Apparel Retailers
• Industry professionals (photographers, stylists, make-up
Activities and Events:
artists, choreographers and models)
• National Garment Fair: the largest Garment Trade Fair
• Corporates and Buying Houses
in India in which over 250 Manufacturers and 15,000
• Fashion Educational Institutes
Retailers participate annually.
Activities and Events:
• India-International Garment Fair
• Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week
• World Apparel Convention, jointly organized with the
• Van Heusen India Mens Week
International Apparel Federation with the support of the
• Van Heusen Emerging designer Contest
Textiles and Commerce Ministries
Role in the Growth of Fashion:
• The APEX awards
• Organised the first fashion week in the country,
Role in the Growth of Fashion:
the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, in 2000 which
• Played a crucial role in the establishment of the Apparel
has now evolved into the biggest platform for fashion professionals in India
Export Promotion Council (AEPC) in 1977 • Created the CMAI Reconciliation & Arbitration
• Organises fashion workshops and seminars with
Committee in association with the Indian Merchant
individuals and organizations at all levels in the fashion
Chambers (IMC) - first Arbitration Panel for Garment
industry for sustained growth • Offers scholarships and awards for students of Fashion
Manufacturers in India • Authorized to issue ‘Certificate of Origin’ to garment
• Promotes Indian designers at international forums – fashion weeks, buyer-seller meets and trade shows
exporters • Provide testing facilities at concessional rates for the
• Liaises with the government on matters pertaining to
physical and chemical characteristics of yarns, fabrics
duties, taxation and other policies that impact the
and garments to members at the CMAI Testing
fashion industry • Proposes to build investment schemes to support and
Laboratory • Publish one of the most reputed magazines in the
finance its members
Textile industry, ‘Apparel’
Contact: Fashion Design Council of India, 4th Floor, JMD
Contact: Clothing Manufacturers Association of India
Regent Plaza, (Next to Global Business Park) Mehrauli
(Head Office), 902, Mahalaxmi Chambers, 22, Bhulabhai
Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon, Haryana- 122001
Desai Road, Mumbai 400026
Phone: +91 124 4062881/ 4062882/ 4062883
Phone: +91-022-2353 82 45, 2353 89 86, 2352 51 68
Fax: +91 124 4062885
Fax: +91-022-2351 59 08
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected],
[email protected]
Website: http://www.fdci.org
President: Mr. Rahul Mehta
President: Mr. Sunil Sethi
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Vice President: Mr. Nilesh Mehta
Director General: Mr. Vinod Kaul
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
52
Images Multimedia Private ltd.
Member Profile:
IMAGES Group, a privately owned group, has played a
• Leading Merchant Exporters
seminal role in organizing the fashion and retail
• Leading Manufacture Exporters including established
businesses in India. Since its inception in 1992, it has
design houses, fashion designers and apparel clusters
successfully set up an information exchange via various
Activities and Events:
media that provide the Indian fashion industry with the
• Foreign fairs (HKFW, Magic, Interselection, etc.)
knowledge that drives the fashion and retail businesses
• International Trade Delegations (US, Tunisia, Brazil,
across the globe. Through its activities facilitating networking amongst investors, retailers and brand leaders, IMAGES has emerged as a crucial cog in the
Argentina, Chile, Panama, Columbia, etc.) • Seminars & Workshops (REACH, Fashion Forecast, World Apparel Congress, etc.)
Indian market.
• Sourcing Fairs
President: Mr. Amitabh Taneja
• India-International Garment Fair
Activities and Events:
• Fashion Forecast Seminar
• India Fashion Forum
Role in the Growth of Fashion:
• India Retail Forum
• Promotes the exports of Indian readymade garments
• Images CEO Meet
through Buyer-seller meets, trade delegations and
• India Brand Show
participating in international fairs
• Images Fashion Awards Role in the Growth of Fashion: • Instrumental in forming the ‘Fashion Alliance’ with various leaders of the fashion industry • Publishes a dozen niche magazines and journals that
• Integrates skilled human resource development through its education and training initiatives like Apparel Training and Design Centres and Institutes of Apparel Management • Invites fashion designers and consultants from various countries to conduct workshops in India
cover all aspects of fashion, retail and various other
Market Access Initiative (MIA) Scheme
aspects of the industry
Under the Ministry of Commerce’s MIA scheme, the
• Develops and executes fashion mega foras, exhibitions,
AEPC has proposed to promote branded Indian apparel
awards, conferences and seminars to facilitate
by taking leading Indian brands to participate in the Moda
networking and promote growth
Manhattan Fair to be held in New York, USA. In turn, it will
• Works with the top-ranking global consultancies and
also invite buyers from the USA to participate in the
think tanks to propel modern retail and forecast lifestyle
National Garment Fair to be held in Mumbai, where the
trends
same brands shall be exhibited. This exercise shall help
• Set up ‘Images Fashion and Retail Research’ which
promote the brand image of Indian brands abroad,
specifically conducts surveys and publishes reports and
particularly in the USA.
studies
Apparel Cluster Study:
Contact: IMAGES (Head Office), S – 21, Okhla Industrial
The AEPC has conducted a nation-wide study of Apparel
Area Phase II, New Delhi - 110020, India
Clusters in 2009, which maps all the garment clusters in
Phone: +91-11-40525000
the country catalogued according to the products
Email:
[email protected]
manufactured and exported by them. The information is
[email protected]
based on surveys conducted at top ten clusters which
Website: www.imagesretail.com
have been selected on the basis of the parameters
www.imagesfashion.com
specified by AEPC, as attached in the appendix. Following
Apparel Export Promotion Council
is a map representational of these clusters:
From just being a quota monitoring entity in 1978, AEPC,
Apparel House, Institutional Area, Sector-44, Gurgaon -
supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
122003, Haryana
has now evolved into a powerful body for the promotion
Phone:0124-2708000-3
and facilitation of garment manufacturing and their exports
Fax: 0124-2708004
with over 40 offices. Members are provided with updated
Email:
[email protected]
information on trade statistics, technical guidance and
Website: www.aepcindia.com
market intelligence reports. AEPC also plays a large role
Chairman: Mr.Premal Udani
in identifying new markets and leading trade delegations
Email:
[email protected]
to various countries abroad.
Secretary General: Mr. Vimal Kirti Singh I.A.S
Contact: Apparel Export Promotion Council (Head Office)
Email:
[email protected]
53
Confederation of Indian Industry
Global benchmark of 5% of the total income.
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led and
The Indian Apparel market is worth Rs.1542.5 billion.
industry managed organization, playing a proactive role in
The over all value growth in 2009 over 2008 was 13.5%.
India’s development process. Founded over 115 years ago, it is India’s premier business association, with a
Menswear being the largest single product category
direct membership of over 8100 organizations from the
(36.5%) both in volume and value is also the most
private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and
developed and organized. In 2009, the menswear
MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 90,000
segment had volume growth rate of 7.8% and value
companies from around 400 national and regional sectoral
growth or 11.7%. .Among all the categories, t-shirts was
associations.
the fastest growing. The women’s wear segment that
CII spans 5 major sectors- Agriculture, Infrastructure,
comprises 32% of the Indian Apparel Market is still
Manufacturing, Services and Industrial Competitiveness
predominated by sarees (largest category) with sales of
that covers over 88 industries.
Rs.16242 crore in 2008. salwar kameez comprise the
Textiles and Apparel a major industry under the
second largest category sales being Rs.10011 crore.
manufacturing sector, broadly covers fashion activities.
However in recent times the growth of the western clothes
There isn’t a specific fashion category on the CII portfolio,
category has been the fastest.
however the Made in India shows are a major promotional activity for CII that includes Indian fashion presentations.
The above figures are for the fashion brands sector.
Activities and Events:
Designer wear category forms a minuscule percentage of
• Buyer seller meet
this market. The total market estimates at Rs.600crore
• Fashion presentations and Exhibitions
and likely to grow to Rs.1000 crore by 2015.
Contact: Marut Sengupta, [Senior Director] Confederation of Indian Industry, CII Headquarters, Mantosh Sondhi Centre, 23 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003, Delhi, India Phone: 91-11-24629994 - 7 Fax:91-11-24626149 / 24633168 Email:
[email protected]
Trade and industry The Apparel sector in India has been a major propeller of the economy’s growth over the last few years. Infact ready to wear clothing and lifestyle apparel brands have led to the growth of retail in the country and constitute the largest organized retail category with a market size of Rs.155,000 crore which will grow to Rs.225,000 crore by 2012. The annual ready to wear consumption has been growing at the rate of 8-10% per annum while the market has been growing at the rate of 12-15% over the last couple of years. Over 1000 new shopping malls have emerged in the last five years and this continues to grow. We will see 300 new department stores targeting a million customers each coming up across 34 cities. India is likely to have 20.000 additional franchise retails by 2011. Today India being the youngest nation has a fourth of its population under 25 and educated with aspiring consumer patterns, increasing demand for premium products and brands. Consumer spending on apparel has grown to the
54
* Source- Images year book “Business of Fashion” 2010
Designer wear market
Sabyasachi Sabyasachi: +91-9830193953
The designer wear market has witnessed a high growth
[email protected]
pattern over the last few years and efforts being made to
JJ Valaya
develop this segment by bringing it into mainstream retailing
J.J:+91-9810081067
and making it more accessible to customers. Through the
[email protected] /
[email protected]
nineties, the designers were limited to minuscule revenues
Tarun Tahiliani
through extremely high priced couture and diffusion line
Tarun:9873382786
garments sold in limited quantities. However with the launch
[email protected]
of fashion weeks in 2000, the ready to wear designer segment got an impetus. A number of designers launched their prêt
The Minimalist
lines independently or jointly with departmental stores.
Wendell Rodricks Wendell:0-9422443029)
Shoppers stop, Westside, Pantaloons launched their
[email protected]
designer wear sections. Another trend that has emerged in
Rajesh Pratap
the designer wear market is corporatisation i.e. strategic tie
Rajesh: +91-9811101590
ups with large corporate houses in related industries to
[email protected]
provide the necessary financial support and expertise in
Abraham & Thakore
operational management.
David: +91-9810059383
[email protected]
However, the designer wear industry even today lacks the
Ashish Soni
processes, systems, people and financial resources that are
Ashish: +91-9811068165
necessary to rapidly scale up operations.
[email protected] Shahab Durazi-
Although success stories in this area have been few and far,
+91-22-65295895,
the leader however has been Genesis Colors Pvt. Ltd. - The
info@ shahabdurazi.in
parent company for Satya Paul, Deepika Gehani, Tie Rack and designer retail outlet Samsara. Through such arrangements, For Bollywood the designers have access to distribution channels and a
Neeta Lulla
promotional network that furthers the growth of the brand.
Neeta: 0-9820427339
[email protected]
A few tie ups in the area of licensing have also been recently Manish Malhotra made by Manish Arora and Swatch, Reebok,
Manish: 0-9821222355
Mac and Nivea, Aki Narula has tied up with Puma.
[email protected] Rocky S
Designers
Rocky: 09820025357
[email protected],
[email protected] Aki Narula
Some of India’s leading designers:
Aki:0-9820639549
[email protected]
The Royal India
Anna Singh
Abujani / Sandeep Khosla
Anna: 0-9820059400
Mumbai
[email protected]
Sandeep: +91-9821014298
[email protected]
Contemporary
Rohit Bal
Monisha Jaisingh
Rohit: +91-9811020955
Monisha: 0-9820024056
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ritu Kumar
Anamika Khanna
Ritu: +91-9811051155
Anamika: 09831030690
[email protected] ,
[email protected]
[email protected]
55
Abraham & Thakore
Aki Narula
BIAN
Malini Banerji
Nikasha
Rahul & Gunjan
Amit Agarwal
Manish Malhotra
Rahul Reddy
Anamika Khanna
Ashish n Soni
Monisha Jaisingh
Neeru Kumar
Rajesh Pratab
Ranna Gill
Atsu Sekhose
Neeta Lulla
Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna
56
Shahab Durazi
Satya Paul
Small Shop
Varun Sardana
Wendell Rodricks
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
Aki Narula
Sabyasachi
Anna Singh
JJ Valaya
Ritu Kumar
Rocky S
Neeta Lulla
Rohit Bal
Tarun Tahiliani
Mukherjee
57
G.Pia Fleming
ATSU
Gurpreet-00-1212-268-7480, Harmeet: +91-9810055776
Atsu: +91-9810114431
[email protected] ,
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ranna Gill Ranna: +91-9810069027
[email protected]
The luxury brands
Cue- Rohit and Rahul New Delhi
The last five years have witnessed a major entry of luxury
Rohit: +91- 9810126471, Rahul: +91-9810757500
brands into the country. High salaries of employees in the
[email protected]
corporate sector, faster development of several tier II and III cities, a growing middle class, increasing number of
The Fabric Creators
working women and rise of a new breed of self employed
Satya Paul
entrepreneurs. India has a large number of aspirational
Puneet: +91-9810103505
young earners who are extremely brand conscious with
[email protected]
increasing salaries and higher disposable incomes.
Niki Mahajan
Young India is willing to shell out more for branded
Niki: +91-9810064192
lifestyle products that include apparel, accessories, luxury
[email protected]
and holidays.
Neeru Kumar-
The readiness for luxury in an organized market has been
Neeru- +91-9810024910
recognized all over the world. International luxury brands
[email protected]
are now seeking opportunities for tie ups with Indian
Rahul and Gunjan
companies and broadening their base in the country.
Rahul -9871055771
Louis Vuitton was the first to enter the country and pave
[email protected]
way for many more. The Indian consumers response to accessories has come
Bohemian
been overwhelming. Today some of the leading luxury
Nikasha
brands present in India are:
[email protected] – 09892216393 Small Shop
Top 10 International Luxury Brands
Anshu - 09900521782
Luxury
[email protected]
Christian Dior Tiffany
The Global India Statement
Bottega Veneta
Manish Arora
Emporio Armani
Manish:9810109210
Versace
[email protected]
Gucci Cartier
The New Kids on The Block
Bvlgari
Rimzim
Burberry
New Delhi
Chanel
0120-2581393/94, 9811636026
[email protected] Varun Sardana
The big fat indian wedding
Varun:9891253928
[email protected]
The big fat Indian wedding is getting fatter by the day.
Rahul Reddy
This is one industry which remains unfazed, come
Rahul: +91-9873094664
showdown or recession.
[email protected]
The wedding wear market has undergone a major
Amit Aggarwal
transformation over the past few years. With the number
Amit- +91-9810038664
of fashion followers increasing by the day, the great Indian
[email protected],
[email protected]
wedding and its look has transformed from a simple affair with traditional concepts to branded jewellery, designer
58
wear clothing, theme wedding- conceptualised and
brands is limited in this category. 74% of the market is
implemented by wedding planners. It is estimated that the
dominated by unbranded players.
current wedding wear market is close to Rs.3.84 billion
However the premium segment has now been taken up
and set to grow at a rapid clip about 13.5% over the next
by international luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tods,
4 years while the market still unorganised. Its speedy
Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Dior and Bottega Veneta.
growth has been giving birth to innovative new
The Hermes Berkin has had an overwhelming response
businesses. Some important developments have been
from the Indian lady.
that of fairs, exhibitions, wedding expos and wedding magazines. Vivah and Bridal Asia are two such that have now become global and are organised in major cities of
Fashion jewelry
the world that have a concentration of the Indian Diaspora.
The market value of fashion jewelry was estimated at
Bridal Asia
Rs.14billion in 2008 which includes semi precious/ silver
A pioneer of wedding industry, Bridal Asia is all about
and non precious/ junk jewelry in terms of value owing to
bridal couture and culture. Born in 1999, Bridal Asia
its high price points. This market is also dominated by the
reinvented the concept of trousseau shopping presenting
unorganized sector. Presence of branded players in this
a happy mélange of unprecedented bridal collection.
category is miniscule. It is the precious jewelry market that
Contact: www.bridalasia.com
still has some big players like Gitanjali, Tanishq,
Vivaha
Nakshatra and Sia.
Being hosted by Vintage Publications, Vivah is a leading
Some of The Accessory Designers that have made their
trade exhibition for Apparel, Garments and Fashion
presence felt are listed below:
Clothing & Accessories industry. For 3 days, the exhibition
Suhani Pittie
is held for 3 days. It showcases Designer Outfits, Jewelry,
A graduate from the Gemological Institute of America and
Stylish Bags, Mehndi Artists, Bridal Cosmetics, Wedding
a gemmology instructor herself, the designer is a recipient
Gifts, Boutiques & Fashion Designers.
of the Singem Award for Excellence in the field and has
Contact: www.vintagepublications.in
also made it to lists like ‘Top 10 Women to Watch Out For’ and ‘30 Rising Stars of the Country’ by Elle magazine.
Wedding Magazines
Meera Mahadevia
Wedding Affair
Meera is one of the most renowned jewellery and
Contact: Rajnish Rathi, Editor-in-Chief;
accessory designer in the country who has also received
[email protected]
international recognition. Her work was been showcased
[email protected]
at the Asian Civilization Museum Gallery in Singapore
Vivaha
and, more recently, at the Newark Museum in New York.
Contact: Priyanka Banerjee, Feature Editor;
Amrapali Jewels
[email protected]
Envisioned in the year 1978 by Rajesh Ajmera and Rajiv
Brides n style
Arora, Amrapali has become synonymous with fine,
Contact: Shilpa Mehta;
[email protected]
handcrafted traditional jewellery in the country today. It is the only Indian jewellery designer to showcase at the
The accessory market
Paris and Milan Fashion weeks. Amrapali designs have been worn by the likes of the Queen of Bhutan, Maharani Padmini Devi, Shimon Peres and also designed gifts
The Indian clothing and fashion accessories have grown
presented to Bill Clinton by the government of India on an
manifold over the past couple of years.
official visit.
The Apparel Accessories Market ( shawls, stoles,
Aparna Gujral
scarves, dupattas) is estimated to be worth Rs. 9.1 billion
Educated at the Delhi School of Art, Alpana Gujral is
in 2008 and likely to grow to 12 billion by 2012. 57% of this
known for reviving traditional techniques of jewellery
comes from the unorganized market sold at traditional
making using coloured and precious stones. She has
markets and streets. Thus offering a tremendous potential
worked closely with craftsmen in Rajasthan to recreate
for the branded segment. Better known brands in this
designs from Mughal India and her collections are inspired
category include – Satya Paul, Ahujasons, Fabindia, etc.
by the floral motifs, curlicues and vines dominating the art
The hard accessories ( bags and belts) market is
forms in that era.
estimated at Rs.15 billion at present. The presence of
59
Suhani Pittie
Aparna Gujral
Meera Mahadevia
Malini Agarwalla
Magazines
60
Amrapali Jewels
Malini Agarwalla
Anushka Menon
Operating under the label Malaga, Malini is a well-
Email:
[email protected]
established accessory designer known for her
Website: www.anushkamenon.com
handcrafted bags, shoes and accessories. Malaga designs have showcased at international fairs in Paris,
Leading Stylists
Milan and Dubai amongst other places. Malini recently
Mohan Neelakantan
launched her prêt line called Pimento.
Mohan Neelakantan is one of the foremost fashion stylists in India. A NIFT alumnus, he started his career as a junior
Key Professionals in the Fashion Industry
fashion editor with Elle magazine in December 1996 only to become the Fashion Director up until 2006. Mohan now works as a consulting fashion editor for NDTV’s lifestyle channel, Good Times, being involved with shows like ‘I’m Too Sexy for My Shoes’, ‘Cool Quotient’ and ‘Vanity
With the fashion industry become more organised, the
No Apologies’.
need for professionals with dedicated skills has increased.
Email:
[email protected]
As a result, areas of expertise that were earlier taken care
Contact: +91- 9810913931
of by one handy-man have now come under direct scrutiny
Autam Kalra
of both domestic and international critics and demand
Gautam is a leading fashion stylist in India & has styled
focused attention. These areas – sets, choreography,
leading ad campaigns for varied brands such as Tanishq,
make-up, photography – have been quintessential to the
Fast track, Levis, Reebok, L’Oreal, Coke, Wills Lifestyle,
fashion industry. Only now, they’ve become increasingly
Reid & Taylor, Samsung etc. and styled sports & Bollywood
competitive and highly specialised, particularly due to
celebrities as well. Gautam has been a contributing
international exposure. This section profiles some of the
fashion stylist to ‘Elle’ magazine for the last four years.
leading industry professionals in the Indian fashion
Email:
[email protected]
market, along with some pictures of their selected works.
Contact: +91- 9810033963 Anaita Shroff
Leading Fashion Photographers
Anaita Shroff is another veteran fashion stylist and
Suresh Natarajan
costume designer. She is the Fashion Director for Vogue
Email:
[email protected]
(India) magazine. The owner of the Style Cell company,
Website: www.sureshnatarajan.com
Adajania has been noted for her design work on several
Contact: +91 22 2444 0105 / 6515
successful Bollywood films including ‘Dhoom 2’, ‘Being
Bharat Sikka
Cyrus’ and ‘Everybody Says I’m Fine’. Her designs have
Email:
[email protected] ,
also been featured in magazines including Vogue,
Website: www.bharatsikka.com
L’Officiel, Elle and Rolling Stone.
Contact: +91-9811147567
Email:
[email protected]
Tarun Khiwal
Contact: +91-9821254011
Email:
[email protected]
Aparna Chandra
Website: www.tarun khiwal.com
Aparna graduated from the National Institute of Fashion
Contact: +91-981000440
Technology with a diploma in Fashion Design in 1992.
Prabuddha Dasgupta
She is a highly successful fashion stylist, and is
Email:
[email protected]
responsible for the look of many high- profile advertising
Website: www.prabuddhadasgupta.com
campaigns including Ray- Ban, OCM Suitings, Orion
Tarun Vishwa
Biscuits,
Email:
[email protected]
The Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Website: www.tarunvishwa.com
Email:
[email protected]
Contact: +91-9810450894
Aki Narula
Prasad Naik
Aki is most notably renowned for his costumes and styling
Email:
[email protected]
for major Bollywood projects. He was behind the rave
Website: www.prasadnaik.com
looks of Indian blockbusters like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and
Contact: +91-9819743014
‘Monsoon Wedding’. Selfridges London also commissioned
Atul Kasbekar
him to do a special line for their Bollywood promotion.
Website: www.atulkasbekar.com
Aki also has his very own designer label which retails
Contact: +91 2224940156
61
Aki Narula
Anaita Shroff
Arjun Bhasin
Atul Kasbekar
Gautam Kalra
Prasad Naik
Malini Banerji
Suresh Natrajan
62
Anushka Menon
Bharat Sikka
Mohan Neelakantan
Tarun Khiwal
Aparna Chandra
Edward Lalrempuria
Prabhuddha Das Gupta
Tarun Vishwa
successfully across the country and at leading
Event companies
international stores. Email:
[email protected]
Backstage Productions
Contact: +91 9820639549
Contact: Vandana Mohan
Malini Banerji
Email:
[email protected]
Malini Banerji is fashion editor, Elle magazine known for
Contact: +91-9810167501
her sophisticated styling, Malini has also worked with a
Website: www.backstageproductions.in
number of Bollywood celebrities for cover shoots.
Area of Specialization: Product launch, Fashion events,
Email:
[email protected]
Weddings
Contact: +91-9810641420
Wizcraft International Entertainment pvt. ltd.
Edward Lalrempuia
ConContact: notact: Sabbas Joseph
Edward a fashion graduate of the National Institute of
Email:
[email protected]
Technology started his career as a stylist with Elle
Contact: 011- 29222967
magazine. Presently works with Vogue as a fashion editor.
Area of Specialization: Music, Fashion, Culture, Trade,
Known for his edgy styling, Eddy has produced some of
Conferences and Bollywood Awards.
the most avant-garde editorial features for the magazine.
Showhouse Events
Email:
[email protected]
Contact: Omer Haider
Contact: +91-9871001767
Email:
[email protected]
Arjun Bhasin
Area of Specialization: Product launches, Fashion shows,
Arjun Bhasin was the Fashion Director with GQ magazine.
Cultural shows, Theatre and Music.
Now a free lancer, he is known for styling some of the
Img
leading Bollywood film stars like Aamir Khan.
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Area of Specialization: Fashion and sport events
Contact: +91-9821298859
Leading Choreographers
Leading set/exhibition designers
Preferred Professionals Email:
[email protected]
Sumant Jayakrishnan
Contact: Aparna Bahl- +91-9811085330
Trained is visual communication at in the National Institute
Tanya Lefebrve- +91-9811140201
of design Ahmedabad. He also studied theatre design and
Area of specialization: Fashion events, Product launches,
scenic technics at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts,
Installations and Exhibitions.
London.
Media Makers
Area of Specialization: Set design, Art Director exhibition
Email:
[email protected]
design, and Contemporary theatre.
Contact: Asha Kochar- +91-9810035277
Email:
[email protected]
Vidyun Singh- +91-98999352276
Contact: +91-9810190272
Area of specialization: Fashion shows, Exhibitions.
Mahesh Sharma
Harmeet Bajaj
Mahesh Sharma is management graduate, Mahesh
Email:
[email protected]
pursued his creative interest and did course at NIFT on
Contact: +91-9810055776
set design today he is an acclaimed set designer for
Area of specialization: Fashion shows, Cultural events and
fashion shows.
Exhibitions.
Area Specialization: Set and Exhibition Design.
Alison Kanuga
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Contact: +91-9818595115
Contact: +91-9220399067 Area of specialization: Fashion shows.
63
Media, Awards and Exhibitions Media
Verve Publishing House: The Indian & Eastern Engineer Co. Pvt., Ltd. Editor: Nisha Jhangiani Email:
[email protected] Website: www.verveonline.com M
Publishing House: Images Group
Buoyed by increasing literacy and income levels, the
Editor: Amitabh Taneja
Indian Media industry is growing at a prodigious speed in
Email:
[email protected]
times of global shrinkage, claims analyst Kanishk Tharoor
Website: www.msutras.com
at the Foreign Policy Institute in Washington D.C. In the
Man’s World
pre-liberalisation era, Indian consumers only had access
Publishing House: MW.com Pvt. Ltd
to grainy Doordarshan broadcasts and a handful of
Editor: Nair Radhakrishan
weekly/monthly magazines. With India opening the doors
Email:
[email protected]
of its economy, the media sector underwent a
Website: www. mansworldindia.com
phenomenal r evolution. The subsequent arrival of
Wedding Affair
international satellite television and the emergence of
Publishing House: B.M. House India
private Indian media agencies led to heightened
Editor: Rajnish Rathi
awareness of international fashion trends and increased
Email:
[email protected]
demands from the consumers end. With the turn of the
Website: www. weddingaffair.co.in
millennium, India’s burgeoning economy had begun to
Newspaper Supplements
attract international media agencies which entered the
Hindustan Times: HT City
Indian market via licensing or franchise deals. International
Publishing House: HT Media Ltd
magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and
Editor: Sonal Kalra
television channels/programmes such as FTV further
Email:
[email protected]
fuelled the consumer consciousness in the country.
[email protected]
People with increased disposable incomes now had more
Website: www.hindustantimes.com
to choose from. Today, most leading dailies have
Hindustan Times: Brunch
dedicated supplements covering fashion trends and there
Publishing House: HT Media Ltd
is a plethora of fashion magazines available on the
Editor: Poonam Saxena
stands, with many international names making their
Email:
[email protected]
presence felt.
Website: www.hindustantimes.com Times of India: Delhi Times Publishing House: The Times Group
Profiles of Selected Domestic Print Media
Editor: Anshul Chaturvedi Email:
[email protected] Website: www.timesofindia.com
Magazines
Times of India: Crest Edition
Femina
Publishing House: The Times Group
Publishing House: The Times Group (Worldwide Media)
Editor: Natasha Chib
Editor: Tanya Chaitanya
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.timesofindia.com
Website: www.femina.in
Times of India: Times Life
And Persand
Publishing House:
Publishing House: MaXposure Media
Editor: Vinita Nangia
Editor: Joyota Bandhopdhyay
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.timesofindia.com
Website: www.andpersandmag.com
64
Profiles of Selected International Print Media available in India
Fashion curry Contact: Khalidfashion curry,
[email protected]
Magazines
Vogue.com
Elle India
Contact: Jasmine Duggal,
[email protected]
Editor: Nonita Kalra
Email:
[email protected] Website: http://www.ellenow.com/
Awards
Vogue India
Editor: Priya Tanna
Images Fashion awards
Email:
[email protected]
Awarded to outstanding achievers amongst domestic
Website: http://www.vogue.in/
fashion brands
Marie Claire India
Held at: Images Fashion Forum, annually in January
Editor: Neena Haridas
Place: Mumbai
Email:
[email protected]
Categories: www.imagesfashion.com
Website: http://www.marieclaire.com/
Marie Claire ‘made in India’ awards
Cosmopolitan India
Awarded for excellence in Indian fashion as well as to
Editor: Payal Puri
designers abroad who use India as an inspiration
Email:
[email protected]
Place: New Delhi, held annually
Website: http://www.cosmopolitan.in/
Categories: www.marieclaire.com
Harper’s Bazaar India
Cmai’s Apex awards
Editor: Sujata Assomull
National awards for excellence in Apparel Manufacturing,
Email:
[email protected]
Marketing and Supply Chain Management and
Website: http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/tags/India/
contributions to the Industry from Allied Industries
GQ India
Place: New Delhi, held annually
Editor: Ian Ball
Categories: www.cmai.in
Hello! India
Events and exhibitions
Editor: Ruchika Mehta
Email:
[email protected]
FASHION WEEKS
Website: www.hellomagazine.com
Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week
Men’s Health India
Organised by: Fashion Design Council of India
Editor: Jamal Shaikh
Location: New Delhi
Email:
[email protected]
Event: 45 to 50 fashion shows over a week, a 130 stalls
Website: http://menshealth.intoday.in/menshealth/index.jsp
with display of merchandise by participating designers.
OK! India
Collections: Fall Winter; March and Spring Summer;
Editor: Sonali Velinker Kamat
October
Email:
[email protected]
Subevents: seminars, worshops, designer contests
L’Officiel India
Contact:
[email protected]
Editor: Suparna Motwane
Vanhuesen men’s fashion week
Email:
[email protected]
Organised by: FDCI
Website: http://www.lofficiel-india.com/
Location: New Delhi
Grazia India
Collection: menswear; July
Publishing House: Worldwide Media
Contact:
[email protected]
Editor: Nandini Bhalla
Hdil india Couture Week
Email:
[email protected]
Organised by: FDCI
WEB PORTALS
Location: Mumbai/ Delhi; July
Fashion fad
Collection: couture and bridal
Contact: Deepa,
[email protected]
Contact:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected] Website: http://www.gqmagazine.in/
Style kandy Contact: Karmik Verma,
[email protected] Nivedita Sharmanivedita Sharma,
[email protected]
65
Lakme Fashion Week
National Garment Fairs (Cmai, Aepc)
Organised by: by Hindustan Unilever and IMG
Location: Mumbai; June/ July
Hindustan Unilever and IMG have jointly promoted Lakme
NGF is the largest trade fair for the domestic apparel retail
FashionWeek: a platform supporting young designs and
industry, Spread over a gross area of 25,000 sq mts,
integrating India into the Global Fashion World. Together,
collections from about 300 exhibitors from across India,
they work towards defining the future of fashion.
including leading brands and manufacturers in various
Location: Mumbai
Lifestyle and product categories Like ready to wear,
Collection: Holiday/ Summer; March and Festive/ Winter;
sarees, home fashion and fashion accessories, are
September
previewed by about 20,000 retailers.
Organize 30 shows over 5days with 65-70 designers.
It is an ideal platform for product launch, retail network
Sub events: seminars, panel discussions, beauty
expansion, new franchise identification, licensing deals
workshops
and information gathering on the latest in fashion,
Contact: Anil Chopra, 91-9820218724,
products and market trends for the forthcoming business
[email protected]
seasons.
Sujal Shah,
[email protected]
Subevents: Apex Awards, Trend Forum and Fashion
The Chivas Studio
Shows.
Location: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata/ Dubai
Contact: Mr.Premal Udani, 0124-2708108,
The Chivas Studio an annual event is an exquisite
[email protected]
melange of art forms where fashion, photography, music,
Hindustan Times Luxury Conference
installation, jewel craft and mixology come alive in more
Location: Delhi/ Mumbai; January/ February
ways than one. A global property from the House of
The first Hindustan Times Luxury Conference, co-
Chivas, the Chivas Studio is presented in India during
sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry,
December & January. Touring four cities, this 3 day event
Government of India, was held in January 13 and 14 2006
showcases celebrated artists across creative forms.
in Mumbai. With increasing prosperity Indians, especially
Contact: Omer Haidar, 09831004646,
in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and New
[email protected]
Delhi, are likely to spend a large proportion of their
The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour
disposable incomes on luxury goods. A testimony to this
The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, the only multi city
is the p resence of prominent luxury brands - Chanel,
touring fashion property in India with a line up of the most
Hugo Boss, Bulgari, Zegna, Aigner and Louis Vuitton in
celebrated fashion designers, top models & elite
India. The Hindustan Times Luxury Conference would
audience. A property that started with 4 designers & 4
allow a platform for international luxury houses to interact
cities has grown to a 14 designer and 7 city extravaganza
with the Indian government and industrialists.
that c elebrates fashion & style.
Contact:
[email protected]
Both the above Fashion & Lifestyle properties are executed by Showhouse. Contact: Omer Haidar, 09831004646,
[email protected]
FASHION EXHIBITIONS OVERSEAS WITH INDIAN PARTICIPATION Special store promotions highlighting Indian merchandise across product categories combined with cultural events
Fashion events
have been organised at the following International stores-
India Fashion Forum
Selfridges – London; 2002
Location: Mumbai; January/ February
Coin – Italy; 2003
A two day fashion event organised by images multimedia
Anthropologie – USA; 2008
pvt ltd, sees the convergence of 3000 delegates from
Tsum – Moscow; 2006
fashion and retail industries. January 2010, IFF celebrated
Galleries Laffeyette – Paris
a decade of excellence with participation from major
Bon Marche – Paris
fashion brands, marketers, retailers, shopping centre
Indian fashion designers have increasingly participated in
developers, supply chain and logistics, IT, retail design
International Fashion Weeks such as the London Fashion
and shop fit.
Week and Paris Fashion Week.
Subevents: CEO Conclave, Workshops, Awards, exhibition, Conference and Brand shows. Contact: Anjali Sondhi:
[email protected]
66
GOVERNMENT
• Young Creative Entrepreneur Award
Although fashion in India is almost three decades old, it is
The British Council has instituted this award in various
still considered as a nascent industry. The turnover figures
categories, including one in fashion, for an entrepreneur
are still low and it has not been recognized by the
who is promoting, managing or running a venture
government to be given a separate portfolio.
centred on a creative sector and in doing so is
The only areas the government has indicated interest and commitment in ‘ Fashion Education’ is by setting NIFT in
promoting India at various international platforms. • Events showcasing Indian fashion designers in the
1986, introducing fashion at NID and establishing Apparel
UK
Training and Development Centers under AEPC to train
The British Council, in collaboration with leading high
people for shop floor level. Besides this, there has been
profile stores in the UK, help promote Indian fashion
sporadic support from the government in the form of
designers in their market. An example of this is the
sponsorship. Participation of designers such as Manish
‘Global Local’ event held at Victoria & Albert Museum in
Arora, Ashish Soni and Rajesh Pratap at International
London, which showcased the work of the acclaimed
fashion weeks has been partially supported by the
Indian fashion designer Manish Arora in 2005.
Ministry of Commerce. The ministry of textiles in the past AEPC in various importing countries. These include
Italy (Organisation: Indo-Italian Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
Buyer-Seller Meets and Fashion Shows .As of now there
Established in Kolkata in 1966, the IICCI is a non-profit
isn’t any policy paper for the fashion Industry in the
organisation which promotes and enhances trade and
government. An area that definitely needs to be pursued.
economic relations between India and Italy. IICCI plays an
However crafts and textiles is a strong portfolio under the
active role in organising business meetings, international
Ministry of Textiles. To sustain and grow the textile
trade fairs, seminars, conferences and round tables to
heritage of the country the Government has regional
promote knowledge sharing between the two countries.
centers in all states to promote the artisans and weavers.
It also coordinates and manages businesses and
On page 68 and 69 we present to you an overview of
institutional delegations, to stimulate both the Italian and
INDIA’S WEAVES AND CRAFTS.
Indian markets. The fashion sector has particularly
has organized some Road Shows under the aegis of
benefitted from these initiatives as it has been an important
Bi-lateral Trade Relations and Exchanges
item on the agenda. Some of IICCI’s activities and programs are featured below.
Festivals and Exhibitions Festiva Italiana: Held annually in six major cities across the country, including New Delhi and Mumbai, this is the
Between India and Other Nations
biggest festival of its kind in the country. Featuring photo graphy exhibitions, fashion shows, musical concerts,
United Kingdom (Organisation: British Council)
technical seminars for professionals, and art exhibitions,
The British Council has played a pivotal role in building
the weeklong festival is a platform to widen the awareness
ties between India and the UK, particularly on the artistic
and appreciation of Italy and Italian lifestyle to the Indian
and cultural front. Following is a list of a few programs
public.
that they have initiated in order to promote long term,
ChibiMart and ChibiDue: Summer festival held annually in
sustainable relationships between the two countries in
Milan dedicated to lifestyle products, such as fashion
creative and fashion related fields:
jewellery, fashion accessories and natural products;
• Connections Through Culture
featured over 25 Indian participants.
This program provides assistance for joint collaborations between art and culture producers and
Conferences and Seminars
organisers in both countries. This entails collaborative
‘Doing Business with Italy’: Seminar held in Jaipur,
creative work that the public can experience, whether
Rajasthan in 2009 as an occasion to explore different
events, tours, exhibitions or performances, showcasing
subjects, from trade opportunities to business
the UK and India working together. The British Council
administration culture and cross-cultural issues, which
advises and brokers the projects, providing
have an effect on trade relationships between companies
developmental and networking support along with small
from Rajasthan and Italy.
scholarships.
67
68
69
‘From Infrastructure to Fashion’: Open session held in New Delhi, India in 2009 to discuss the potential for industrial and commercial collaboration between Indian and Italian companies in diverse areas, from infrastructure
Potential areas for joint collaborations
to fashion.
This section seeks to identify the various areas of
‘The Challenges of the Indian Market: Business
potential collaborations between the Netherlands and
Opportunities for Latium’s Enterprises’: Seminar
India in different industry verticals.
Series held in Rome, Italy in 2009 for companies and enterprises from the Latium region to get an insight on the
Education
Indian m arket and the business opportunities it provides.
• Exchange Programs – Faculty and student • Twinnings Programs
Trade and Business Delegations for the Fashion Sector
• Joint Research in areas of Ethical Fashion
A multi-sector delegation from Lombardy region visited
• Industry Placements and Internships
India in July 2009.
• Design Competitions
An Indian buyers’ delegation visited the Marche region in
• Seminars, Panel Discussions, Conferences
Italy in June 2009.
• Research Programmes
• Student Projects
Trade and Industry • Retail: Joint store promotions in India and Netherlands
Between India and THE Netherlands
• Presentation of Dutch Designers at Indian Fashion Weeks and Forums. Similarly, presentation of Indian
Earlier in 1982, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Dutch Employer’s Association (VNO-NCW) signed an agreement to promote bilateral trade and economic relationships. This was later duplicated in January 2000 between the Confederation of Indian Industry and VNO-CNW. The two countries also signed a Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) agreement in May 1985, under which the
Designers at Dutch Fashion Forums and local fairs • Joint product development programs using Indian crafts and weaves • Joint seminars for upgradation and training of Indian craftsmen and weavers • Presence and promotion of Dutch designer brands in Indian markets and vice versa • Joint collaborations between Dutch and Indian
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers three
government organisations and councils, specifically
scholarships to Dutch students every year till date.
promoting fashion
In the first month of 2009, trade relations between the
• Installations and exhibitions of Dutch design and fashion
Netherlands and India had reached a higher level with the
to be mounted at Indian galleries and museums and
opening of Netherlands-India Desk. It aimed to establish
vice-a- versa.
business contacts between enterprises of the two countries especially in terms of market research and public relations.
Media
The following are a few Indo-Dutch collaborative trade
• PR campaigns directed at increasing awareness of
partner organizations:
Dutch fashion in India and Indian Fashion in
• Nederlands Centrum voor Handelsbevordering (NCH)
Netherlands
• The Agency for International Business Cooperation (EVB)
• Promoting Dutch designers at red carpet events in India
• India Netherlands Business Association (INBA)
• Liaising with Indian media houses to feature Dutch
• Dutch Trade Board (DTB)
Fashion in ‘cover stories’ and ‘special features’; also
• Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and
encourage exchange of fashion journalists between the
• Industry (FICCI) • Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
two countries • Collaborative projects/media campaigns featuring both Dutch as well as Indian industry professionals such as photographers, make-up artists, models, and stylists.
70
Summary
The Indian Fashion Industry although 2 decades old is still at an evolving stage.There has been partial penetration of some of the Indian designers, however it is the growing domestic market that has sustained their interest. The deterrents to Indian designers going international have been lack of understanding of the International consumers lifestyle, inability to build brands, quality and sizing.The Indian designer is very talented but needs a better understanding of the European consumer. Also brand building is an exercise that no Indian Fashion label has invested in.Lack funds is what this could be attributed to. The Indian designer and consumer, today is exposed to International designers through the tremendous media explosion. We also have a number of luxury brands selling to the Indian consumer. Largely it is the Italian and French brands that have made their presence felt in India. Level of awareness of designers from other European countries is limited. Joint projects and collaborations will definitely give more exposure about Dutch designers. Harmeet Bajaj: Harmeet Bajaj started her career in Fashion at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)- the premier Fashion Institute of the country. She held various portfolios at NIFT that include Director Academics, Associate Professor Fashion Marketing and Founder Chairperson Fashion Communication. During this period she also evolved as one of the country’s leading fashion choreographer and event manager. In 2003 she quit NIFT and joined Marie Claire as its Fashion Director. Simultaneously she started her own business manufacturing private Label for some of Europe’s leading brands like Max Mara, Jigsaw, etc. She subsequently launched her own brand BIAN in the U.S. Middle East and India. Today Harmeet is also in the Food business and runs two very successful restaurants in Delhi Smoke House Grill and Deli.
Credits Content Fashion, Design and Architecture: Harmeet Bajaj Hrridaysh Despande Anand Patel Introduction: Gert Staal Foreword: Christine de Baan Translations: Gerrie van Noord Coordination: Mei-Lan Tjoa Graphic design: cover: Thonik, Amsterdam inside: CO3, Amsterdam Commisioned by: Dutch Design Fashion Architecture P.O. Box 21798 3001 AT Rotterdam The Netherlands +31 10 4136252
[email protected] www.dutchdfa.nl www.dutchprofiles.com
Mapping India The results of the fact finding misson ‘Mapping India’ are meant to support and stimulate the development of an exciting and effective programme for exchange between India and The Netherlands, on a cultural, social and economical level. The mapping provides a clear view of the creative industry in India, in the disciplines of design, fashion and architecture. Besides facts, figures and other data it provides insight into the character of the Indian design field and its protagonists, and suggests possibillities for collaborations in various fields.
dutch
design
fashion
architecture
