MAPPING INDIA

An insider’s guide to Indianarchitecture, design and fashion

commissioned by Dutch Design Fashion Architecture

MAPPING INDIA

An insider’s guide to Indianarchitecture, design and fashion

commissioned by Dutch Design Fashion Architecture

June 2010

ContentsForeword 04Introduction 05AGreatPeepShow 07

ARCHITECTUREbyAnandPatelArchitecture&UrbanPlanninginIndia 11

Introduction 11The Architecture and Urban Design Field in India 12Architecture in India: Perspective 14Contemporary Architecture in India

TheStateofArchitectureinIndia 15Education 16Economy 18Professional Organizations 19Government policy 20Key Players in Architecture & Urban Planning in India 22India and The Netherlands 23Architecture Events: India – The Netherlands 25Growth Prospects 26Awards 29Journals, Blogs 29References 29

DESIGNbyHrridayshDespande 30

Introduction 30History 30Context 31

DesigninIndia–TodayandTomorrow 31Education 32Organizations 34

Government 35Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion 37India Design Council 37Ministry of MSME 38

Keyplayers 38TradeandIndustry 39Geographical distribution of design industry 40Design Users 41Internationalization 42

Media,awardsandexhibitions 42RecentcreativeexchangebetweenIndiaandtheNetherlands 43

IndianDesignIndustry-ASWOTAnalysis 43

Maintrendsandprospects 44

Conclusion 46

FASHIONbyHarmeetBajaj 47

Introduction 49

EducationalInstitutions 49Leading Institutes of Fashion Education 49

Organisations 51

Tradeandindustry 54Designer wear market 55Designers 55The luxury brands 58The big fat Indian wedding 58The accessory market 59Fashion jewelry 59Key Professionals in the Fashion industry 61Leading choreographers 63Event companies 63Leading set/exhibition designers 63

Media,AwardsandExhibitions 64Media 64Awards 65Events and exhibitions 65

Government 67

Bi-lateralTradeRelationsandExchanges 67Between India and other nations 67Between India and the Netherlands 70

Potentialareasforjointcollaborations 70

Summary 71

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ForewordIn the spring of 2010 three key persons in their field engaged in a ‘mapping’ exercise of architecture, design and fashion in India, one of the largest and most populated countries in the world. Brave enough to accept this daunting assignment were architect Anand Patel, design professional Hrridaysh Despande and fashion guru Harmeet Bajaj. In the short time that was available to them they collected a wealth of insightful data and information, but also took the trouble of explaining to us both the nature and the significance of the design profession in India, as well as providing us with insight into how its development interacts with the development of Indian society. To all three I wish to express my profound thanks for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and forbearance in dealing with our demands.The mapping was conducted in the context of the Dutch Design Fashion Architecture (DutchDFA) programme, which aims to strengthen the international position of the most prominent sectors of the Dutch creative industries – design, fashion and architecture – through a joined-up approach. This four-year strategic programme (2009-2012) 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 Dutch-DFA 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 friend-ships. 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

Indian colleagues and counterparts, as well as for anyone else wishing to engage with Dutch design. On behalf of the DutchDFA partners NAi, Premsela, BNO, BNA, BNI and Modint, I wish to thank Harmeet, Hrridaysh and Anand for their invaluable contribution to a future collaboration between India and the Netherlands. Our gratitude also goes to Corien Beks, Theo Groothuizen, Rita van Hattum, Nannet van der Kleijn, Jorn Konijn and Peter Kersten for reading and commenting on drafts of the mapping. Dutch author and critic Gert Staal achieved the remarkable feat of writing a summarizing introduction, whereas Gerrie van Noord as always was a fast and critical editor and translator. However, without the perseverance, charm and organisational skills of Mei-Lan Tjoa this mapping would never have materialised. Thank you all.

Christine de Baan, programme directorDutch Design Fashion ArchitectureRotterdam, June 2010

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The turbulent growth of India’s economy has led to a significant shift in how the country is perceived within a short amount of time – both within India itself, but certainly also elsewhere. Although not all parts of the country, and certainly not all layers of its population benefit equally from its growing welfare, progress is visible through factors such as increase in income, expansion of the real estate market, the job market and for instance the growth of the retail sector. Especially in cities, growth has become the default condition. India currently has 42 cities with over a million inhabitants. Within 20 years this number will increase to 68. In the meantime, Mumbai and Delhi have passed the 10 million mark; Kolkata and Bangalore are on the verge of following in their footsteps.

Virtually every number highlighted in ‘Mapping India’ indicates the acceleration that characterises the country’s current development. This speed is accompanied by a growing awareness of the significance that the design disciplines have for the country’s future. Especially 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 country’s unprecedented potential (when it comes to production capacity and consumer urge), as well as its boundless needs.

Self-consciousnessIt would be painting too simple a picture to assume that the Netherlands, with its knowledge and experience in urban planning, architecture, design and fashion, would find its bed readily made in India. First of all, across the country’s various regions, social classes and urban and 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 partially or under-developed in others. The cities’ thus far unplanned growth clearly demonstrates the dilemma. There are many urgent issues (slum development, sustainability, transport, economic development) that offer

great opportunities for the use of Dutch design expertise. But before that can be applied, local governments need to be convinced of the necessity of central planning. And, after the frustrating experiences with the English colonial mode of city planning, they subsequently need to be made aware of the added value of what the Netherlands have to ‘offer’. What also has to be taken into account is that the Indian appreciation for the design qualities that especially Europe and Japan can bring to the table, will always be mirrored by a strong sense of national consciousness. In fact, on the basis of its historically grown creative ability and the increase in quality of its education, India sees itself as the Asian design factory of the near future. The ambition is for international clients to come and buy in their design services. If foreign parties want to operate successfully within the Indian design market, they will at least have to show understanding for the specifically Indian sensibility, and preferably incorporate it within their projects through collaboration with Indian designers and architects.

BreakthroughResearch in the architecture, fashion and design sectors all seems to point in the same direction: Dutch designers, and specifically those agencies with a strong, professional work method, will mainly be able to get a foot in the door 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. Although developments in both architecture and in various design sectors happen quickly (education improves, governments takes on a more proactive role and companies focus on innovation and expansion) an actual breakthrough is still due.

EducationProfessional education for architects and designers can benefit from collaboration with Dutch institutions in areas like ‘design thinking’, professionalisation and knowledge of international markets. The demand for architects and

IntroductionIntroductoryremarksbyGertStaal,authoranddesigncriticintheNetherlands

Foreword

6

designers is substantially bigger than the capacity that the existing institutions can deliver. The current number of 5,000 new architects a year for instance is far too low to be able to meet the actual need. This shortage also seems to exist within other design education, which is often modelled after the example of several well-established schools in India, such as the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. There are opportunities for Dutch educational institutions to feed new courses in India with curriculums that have proven their quality in the Netherlands.

GovernmentThrough collaboration with Indian and Dutch designers the government could develop more policy related insight in designers’ fields of operation and the application of strategic design processes. Especially with regards to communication, public space and infrastructure there is an unmistakable market for the integration of Dutch knowledge and experience. However, Indian government culture differs significantly from ours and is certainly substantially more bureaucratic. Nehru’s legacy, which married a capitalist system with a form of state-led economy, shaped after Russia’s, has lost its relevance in contemporary India, but its conceptual framework hasn’t vanished yet. The introduction of the National Design Policy in 2007 offers an important backdrop for Dutch designers who want to get a sense of what’s possible in India. The plan aims to establish a ‘brand image’ for Indian design, for which the use of foreign knowledge is indispensable. A similarly ambitious plan from 2005 (JNNURM) is aimed at producing regeneration in over 60 Indian cities, paying special attention to infrastructure, service provision for the poor, and a reform of urban facilities.

IndustryThe 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.

Active AlliancesIt goes without saying that the Netherlands will continue to build on the steadily improving relationships between the two countries. Government bodies and professional organisations have laid the groundwork for collaboration, especially in the area of education and consultancy in relation to the professionalisation of the design sectors. The Netherlands has, alongside England and Japan, gained prominence as a consultancy partner for the Indian design sector in the fields of graphic design and product design.There also seem to be options for the export of goods and for investments. When it comes to active alliances, several matchmaking programmes have been launched and there are opportunities specifically for collaborations with young, emerging agencies. They are eager to grow and learn, and offer a useful point of access to the local market.Fairs, conferences and trade events (like Kyoorius DesignYatra Mumbai and LAKME Fashion Week in Delhi) are important starting points for an exploration of opportunities. Travelling exhibitions also seem to provide a useful platform. Important is always an understanding for the Indian context, whether it’s defined as commercial market, or the social-cultural contexts in which architects and designers operate. It seems obvious to establish, but is essential to emphasise that India is purely looking for connections that stimulate its own professional activity, enhance the quality of life of its own citizens and the viability of its own industry. Who dares to make the leap from the Netherlands will have to realise one thing, using the words of one of Mapping India’s authors: ‘Designers need to display sensitivity to the real needs of people and also sensitize clients accordingly.’

Gert Staal

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ExcerptsfromWhitewashbyGautamBhatia,withthankstoAnandPatel

The government line is ‘unity in diversity’, of secularism, of religious faith and personal beliefs, something that also includes the freedom to practice idiosyncratic whims, fiscal fraud, nepotism and perverse deceptions.

It is said that the 20th century was the most creative period of human history; its 100 years saw changes in governance, politics, social behaviour, art and science that had not been witnessed in the last thousand. Equally, it is said of India, that the last decade of the 20th century was more destructive than the thousand years that preceded it. Floods, cyclones, famines and other natural disasters aside, India saw the calculated demolition of a mosque; it experienced rioting on a monumental scale. Political assassinations, insecurity, terrorism and fear became the order of the day. But with political ambitions and party loyalties at stake, India chose to ignore it all, hoping it would go away. When a train fell into a gorge killing 800, the India-Pakistan Cricket Match made a better viewing option than dead bodies on muddy ground. When a killer earthquake hit Gujarat and people lay dying under the weight of illegally conceived high rises, a German relief supply plane stood for nine hours at the airport awaiting customs clearance. When a Union Minister, caught with cash stuffed in sofas and beds was re-elected instead of being jailed, it spoke of a new order in the making. In the riots that engulfed the nation and absorbed the elite in intellectual, often ineffectual, debate, in fodder scams of criminal scale in drought afflicted areas, in water riots in places where Ministers cars were washed twice daily, was the first sign that human life came a distant second to religious, political, caste, gender, and personal ideals.

Housing for the Economically Weaker Sections, LIG, Low Income Group. Build for Work Program, Nirman Yojna, Work for Food Program, Karya Yojna. Euphemism upon euphemism. Every official act of magnanimity was tinged with political ill will and doomed to failure. The poor in India were different in far too many ways to ever overcome their handicaps. To be saddled by poverty, to live in the village, to be a Muslim or Christian or tribal; to be a woman, unmarried; to be dark, was the ultimate humiliation in 18th century India.. Nothing has changed in 21st century India. Several lifetimes and good karmas

would be needed to rise to India’s 21st century ideal: Hindu, Brahmin Male, urban dweller, young, fair, moneyed.

To survive is to stick together, and also remain apart from others. Journalists acquire land and live together in a landlocked subdivision called Press Enclave, lawyers in Niti Bagh, Punjabis in Punjabi Bagh, Bengalis in Chittaranjan Park, Jews in Cochin, dwindling to a few hundred, in Jewtown. Cooperation has come to mean cooperating with people whose close proximity is unlikely to produce cultural, economic and ethnic ripples. A married, orthodox, Bengali Muslim chartered accountant with two children, and employed by a multinational company, is not likely to live next to a South Indian lesbian couple with an adopted Sikkimese baby. It is a much safer bet living with a neighbour who is racially, morally, sexually, spiritually and economically your equal, than attempting to savour the uncertain benefits of diversity.

Wherever you go, every turn or incident or meeting reinforces your position, and you are reminded of your deprivations, your opportunities. In your sightline is someone worthy of emulation, someone else in a state of humiliation, another in desperation. The proximity of such reminders baffle; and make you acutely aware of all the social, political, and economic collisions that are waiting to happen to you in your life, in the life of India.

Yet places in the city radiate the genial signs of shared tolerances. There is an Islamic tomb in the old neigh bour-hood; a Hindu temple is quietly being `regularized’ down the road; a delegation of Buddhist monks is attending a peace conference at the international centre. The day-to-day signals are those of a country tolerant in mind, where an unwritten code of religious and social conduct governs the passing of each day. But passive individuals given to the rituals of secularism in their own life, become rapidly fanatical when part of the larger collective of their own community. The community provides the platform for action, the political party the credo of hate. Every bit of pious rhetoric invariably has undertones of violence.

Contradictory signs are everywhere. Doordarshan will transmit a commercial for a refrigerator across the land. The fridge is laden with chicken, milk, fruit juices, eggs

A Great Peep Show

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and ham. But the ad is imbibed by a bonded labourer in drought-ridden Bihar. A political leader still maintains his links with Gandhi by dressing in a similar fashion; only the shawl is of pure silk, the dhoti of terrycloth.

India allows everything to coexist; mineral water and cholera, the personal computer and the hand plough, lesbianism and arranged marriages. But what appears sad and funny and stupid at times is only the sad and funny irony of such juxtaposition. A towering, five-storied mansion, slapped with an expensive stone veneer and flouting every building bylaw, becomes delightfully funny, extra vagant and sad when viewed across a grim cityscape of mud shanties with a single water source and open sewage. That the residents of these mud shanties have helped build the mansions, and survive by their construction, only makes the irony sadder and funnier.

In India the desperation of daily urban life is in perpetual conflict with the 21st century itch to become the world’s most notorious consumers. Setting an unfamiliar course on the path of perennially increasing gross domestic product, the new Indian has learnt to make his own substantial contribution to the annual growth rate. Flatron TVs, stainless steel fridges, call centers, cell phones with cameras, Baroque houses with cupids pissing into Italian fountains, pool-side barbeque grilles, vacations in Brazil, Corinthian columned housing called Malibu Heights, plate glass malls, BMWs - all vie for space on the credit card. Risen from the ashes its owner is now in stiff competition for global goods and services - unsettled and unsettling, a mercenary, setting American standards of consumption and obligation. Defending the new gods of NASDAQ, he is often consumed by middle-class guilt and returns to desecrate old temple walls. He belongs at once to the new India, brash and arrogant, relentless in his persuit to become someone else, but unable to shed the undiscovered values of the old India, an imaginary Gandhian utopia. Outside his hermetically sealed malls and farmhouses, this other India awaits admission. The pi-dog sniffs turd on an unfinished road. Citizens reel and shuffle about in unhealthy purposelessness, filling forms in triplicate with mother’s maiden name, clubbing daughters-in-law to death, exchanging packets of notes in darkened halls. Theatrical scenes in discordant play. Considered together, they produce the schizophrenic character of the new India. An India of despotic and devious insanity that plays itself out daily through a cast of shifty trustless accomplices - the new heroes.

Along the new road, four-laned, with guard rails and green signage similar to any American highway, India bristles

with activity, thirsting for things that once belonged only to another world. After half a century of sustained denial, the thirst is endless. But turn into the side road and the scene changes. Drive along this dirt track for thousands of miles and the scene refuses to change. Mile upon relentless mile, a primitive land unmade in any physical way stretches on, a lone tree in the distance, a charpai and a mud hut. Talk to an old woman trying to sell a heap of garlic in the emptiness; tell her about the new economic order, the high Forex reserves and job outsourcing. Tell her about the world’s fastest growing economy after China, and watch the faded eyes light up. There is change in the village: Sure, there’s been a six year drought, and the only well has dried up. But Maggi Noodle packets are now available in the ration shop, and Bisleri mineral water in plastic bottles. There’s no caste rivalry anymore; the Dalits have relocated to a separate village, nearer to the Dalit well. What’s more, her husband has a steady job as a bonded labourer; even the children have work in the matchstick factory. Sure there’s not enough to eat, but food isn’t everything. Things are looking up.

Outside the village, dried by famine, the billionaire industrialist looks blankly at the gnarled face; past her shriveled skin, he sees the remote village wall. He knows, behind it are other unimaginable states of malnourishment, infant mortality rates that defy all norms, and many lives lived on only twenty rupees a day. Less than the cost of pissing in a London pay-toilet. But he smiles. Inequality is only an indicator of a thriving economy, he tells himself. In so formidable a divide, no unrest is possible.

That two centuries can exist in such appallingly close proximity without even affecting each other is a surprise that India offers all the time. If there is dissatisfaction in the village, it rarely spills into the fancy farmhouse next door. If industrial workers die of chemical waste pollutants from their own factory, the owner simply hires new workers. As long as the boundary walls are high, the fences electrified, as long as profits and dividends stay within the family compound, life is OK. Hyper-reality. Against the denuded backdrop of fallow dry fields, California houses huddle, embarrassed in their lushness, a little uncomfortable in the Indian sunshine.

But not for long. Everyone knows that the artificial India is the real India now. As Mahatma Gandhi once didn’t say: The real India is not here, it’s in California.

Small town Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, is the largest manufacturer and exporter of brass objects in India, with an annual turnover of over 42 crore rupees. Despite its

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supposed richness, in urban terms, Moradabad is truly the armpit of the world. Squalid beyond belief, treeless, filled with rivulets of effluents, unmade roads, stagnant pools of water and with a roadside poverty to rival any of the small towns of Bihar, in the public life of the city there is not a hint of its industrial affluence. And yet, along its Eastern edge lies its only link to affluence -- the city’s larger houses -- each displaying a level of ostentation in indirect proportion to the surrounding blight. In such a setting, the houses become nothing but the carefully preserved and fenced bits of ornament in a sea of grime - petrified statements of contrast.

The irony hits you every day. A three-bedroom apartment across the Dharavi slum in Mumbai costs one million dollars. And there are enough takers for it. As there are for the Neo-classical and pagoda-style houses of Amby Valley, a leisure home reserve of artificial lakes, artificial ski slopes and artificial beach fronts, built north of the city. And physically protected from the mess of India.

But move higher up and away from the rarified ground atmosphere of Amby Valley and include the perspective of its surrounding countryside, a rawness hits the senses. When viewed with the parched village ponds, the lakes flicker in mock hyper-reality. Against the denuded backdrop of fallow dry fields, California houses huddle, embarrassed in their lushness, a little uncomfortable in the Indian sunshine.

But not for long. Everyone knows that the artificial India is the real India now. As Mahatma Gandhi once didn’t say: The real India is not here, it’s in California.

Who cares about Gandhi anymore. From the heroism of Independence, India had happily reduced the heroic act to money matters and fiscal prowess, making as the new heroes of our times the Richest Indian, the fourth richest Asian, the Most Affluent American of Indian origin, the only Indian in Fortune 500. The old heroes were still there, but they were shelved and reduced to caricature. Mahatma Gandhi, a distant guardian of Independence, CV Raman of science, Ramanathan Krishnan and MilkhaSingh of sport grinning down their respective shelves, a little weary, a little sad.

The new heroes were ordinary money-grubbing parasites, whose sole ideal was to be a millionaire by the age of 30 or grow their hair long for the Guinness Book. There where no Mahatma Gandhi Margs, no New Jawaharlal Nehru Stadiums, no Satyajit Ray Chowks. Only Ansal Plazas and Raheja Towers. Builders commemorating their own actions in their own lifetime, to give you a taste of the new India.

For most people, born soon after partition and witnessing something of the promise of Independence, India now offered only a regressive refrain. Every shock of communal violence, every message of narcissism and greed in the papers, was a signal to retreat - to withdraw behind high boundary walls; the only way of self preservation was through self-absorption and selfishness. Social obligations and ambitions withered away and all that remained was the cold hard truth: each man for himself. The boat was sinking, and fast. Save yourself.

I too learnt to survive in the only way possible. I became a modern day hero - an Indian without obligation or ideal. I learnt to cherish all that was of value to the new India; Money, split air conditioning, microwaves and Haryanvi guards for the house - all the buttressings that recreated an image of myself as a promoter of my own middle-class cause. There was no other way. It was more important to earn even if in evil ways, than carry the mantle of some half-baked proposition into the uncertain arena of national idealism. To save the country’s millions, to propose solutions for low cost shelters or do something as archaic as believe in the country was an old Gandhian madness.

Sometimes it is difficult to live in the eternal overdose of India; its daily message of violence, the generous hostility of its ordinary life; the persistent symbols of piety and fanaticism. Yet, despite the despair, the daily embrace of life also adds another dimension to the country. It provides the compassionate face of humanity in perpetual struggle.

After 20 years of being back home, every day still affects me profoundly; every sight fills me with new rage, tears, greater compassion, even love. How uncomplicated the place was, I always thought, and how much everything was a reminder of life and death.

The book consequently is written with love. At the outset this may not appear so, but, every aspect of derision and despair has a corollary in affection. If I have hated and despised the happenings around me it is only because I have always thought of India as a welcoming family home full of cherished value and memory. Like a benevolent grand parent, happy in its poverty whose touch and embrace were a measure of my own comfort and security. And it is with great sadness that I see the grandparent suffering and dying.

But among the unhoused millions, gas tragedies, thieving bureaucrats, earthquake relief that never comes, large scale urban despair and nuclear threats, the sadness is naturally tinged with comedy. In India comic relief

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becomes an effective tool to assuage collective guilt. The daily quantum of human suffering, the weight of public expectation in helping to alleviate that suffering and, the cartoon characters that pose as potential providers and rulers, altogether rate India high as a setting of daily satire and parody. The largest number of forest management and research institutes thrive when twenty thousand hectares of wilderness is being eroded every day. A railway tout encourages you to limp on the train so as to take advantage of the quota for the handicapped. Six grown men with doctoral degrees sit together in a train compartment and conduct a deep, heartfelt, debate on the shunting schedule of the 242 Down Passenger train from Mehsana, a widely acclaimed book, Trains at a Glance, in hand. Where would this happen but in India.

Whitewash satirizes the medium of the newspaper as well - its known personalities, advertising, classified ads, tenders, obituaries, and hue and cry notices. Film stars, politicians, cricket players - animated but in recognizable form - engage in fictitious interviews and scenarios. In attempting to poke fun at the current state of affairs within the country the newspaper format of the book examines issues, perso na-lities, people and ideas in a way that is wholly idiosyncratic - at times, projecting the current image of India, at other times, an India that once was, and yet others, an India that may never be, and perhaps, should never be.

In so doing, it is meant to act as a form of corrective measure to the real India, offering a set of unintellectual lenses behind which lies something of today’s morality.

Thieving forests officials, presidents, WMDs, dowry deaths, adulterated foods, newly wed housewives, crashed trains, striking airline pilots are all mixed and matched in the unstructured way it is possible only in India. In Whitewash their actions are further embellished to represent a grossly magnified picture of the world - an exaggerated picture of people driven to grotesque levels of greed, and indulging in heinous acts of depravity and barbarism.

The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was not possible to exaggerate Indian reality. From my narrow middle-class cocooned perspective, self-conscious and self-serving, everything was an exaggeration. India loomed as large as an untamable beast, baring its fangs with such regularity, that it left me reeling in retreat. Life beyond the boundary wall had become a matter of such 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

to stop laughing.

But there was another reason. For some time now, I realized how little I am affected by the day to day affairs of India, how little its public, political and social life interests me. Even the daily news seems unreal -- like narcissistic messages from some distant unstable planet. The aspects of India that enrich my personal life belong at divergent ends of the spectrum; sometimes the daily offering is close to the meditative - the sight of the sweeper woman’s movements across the floor, a lone figure doing yoga under a tree; more often, it is in the realm of the mundane - the daily march of children heading to school, the vegetable vendor’s chant. Whatever it is, people, places and landscapes move me profoundly. But the middle ground, the India of daily squalor and dormant prejudices, is always hard to accept. In that world, I am not a player, just a viewer in the back row, watching the audience with as much interest as the play.

I suppose in every society the middle class bears the burden of dysfunction. People belong out of human need, inadequacies. People of my background - privileged and pretentious, a little aloof, and always judgmental - are easily unhinged in an untamed country. Without the daily crossfire of survival and aspiration to occupy you, India is an inadequate ally, just an indulgence. A great peep show.

Whitewash is therefore, not an objective book. No book on India can be. It is a prejudiced work filled with love and hate and despair; by exaggerating and fictionalizing known events, personalities and situations, the book I hope will caution against the excesses of our time and act as warning for the future. By extrapolating the madness of the present, the writing is meant to stir the reader against complacency. Moreover the book is written about India from my personal viewpoint. It encompasses thoughts, historical data, contemporary references and ideas, expressed from the vantage point of an ordinary middle-class urban life. It may be chronologically and historically an unconventional view, but, for a place which follows no established convention, I think it is the only perspective possible.

Gautam Bhatia is one of the most famous architecture authors in

India. He has written Punjabi Baroque and Comic Century. He is

based in New Delhi. As a critic and satirist, he writes columns for

Outlook magazine and Indian Express newspapers, and his

columns have also appeared in New York Times.

http://www.architexturez.net/+/subject-listing/000058.shtml

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IntroductionIndia will have more than 590 million people living in urbanized areas by 2030. 70% of new employment will be generated in cities. 700 to 900 million square meters of new residential and commercial development needs to be built every year (an entire new Chicago!) along with 2.5 billion square meters of roads to be paved in order to accommodate this anticipated growth in the next 20 years. 68 cities will have a population of above 1 million inhabitants. About 1.2 trillion US dollars are required to meet this demand to rejuvenate and build Indian cities. Thus, cities will be central to India’s economic future.

Among all the States and Union territories, the National Capital Territory of Delhi is most urbanized with 93 percent urban population followed by Union territory of Chandigarh (89.8 percent) and Pondicherry (66.6 percent).

Among the major States, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state with 43.9 percent of the population living in urban areas followed by Maharashtra (42.4 percent) and Gujarat (37.4 percent). The proportion of urban population is the lowest in Himachal Pradesh with 9.8% followed by Bihar with 10.5 percent, Assam (12.7 percent) and Orissa (14.9 percent).

In terms of absolute number of persons living in urban areas, Maharashtra leads with 41 million persons, which is 14 percent of the total population of the country. Uttar Pradesh accounts for about 35 million followed by Tamil Nadu 27 million.

It is within this framework that we are looking at the emerging trends and demands in the architectural and urban design practice in India, especially through its cities and new towns.

Architecture Architecture & Urban Planning in India Preparedby:AnandPatel,architect

The Architecture and

Urban Design Field in India

Architecture in India carries a difficult burden. In a country, where situations and problems achieve a despairing magnitude, is there a way of thinking of architecture, other than as mere problem solving? Should architecture even innovate towards problems? Should it remit to finding solutions to the Bhopal Gas tragedy? Should artistic effort be directed towards making, not just adequate, but thoughtfully imaginative houses for those who need shelter from a cyclone in Orissa?

Let us extrapolate.

For an architect, architecture is a kind of memoir. A piece of construction, the making of a building, even the viewing of a monument, is a form of autobiography; as personal an autobiography as an architect can write. It carries notions of professed aims and ideas influenced too by the people who build them, and those who live in them. Seen through the architect’s eye buildings express the architect’s own perceptions of a place - the way he would make it for himself, the way he would occupy it. And, to that degree, architecture becomes a canvas of confession. Since architecture is such a conspicuous, immensely physical object in space, its presence in fact, influences everyone. The presence of building around us provides a persistent frame of reference - as permanent as roads or fields - from which there is no escape. Buildings are explicit, big, always visible. They line the street, they are at the end of the road, they make the town. The final products of a difficult endeavor, they involve questions of aesthetics, design, construction, layout, structure, materials, details, ornamentation, personal likes and public taste - all things that can be individually identified to convey the way a 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.

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Architecture in India: Perspective

No doubt we have a great architectural heritage of temples, mosques, palaces and forts. So much so that whenever architecture is thought of in conjunction with India, images of the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and South Indian temples are conjured up in our minds.

Do we have anything today as representative of Modern Architecture, which could be compared with our old buildings? Or in even simpler terms - ‘what represents Modern Architecture in India’?

The answer to this question also depends on the spirit behind it. If the curiosity behind the question concerns the quantum of construction done in post-independence years, the answer can be one impressive list of statistical figures, a fine achievement for building science and technology.

But, if on the other hand the questioning mind is concerned about new architectural and planning thought generated in the same post-independence years, which have resulted in buildings and cities suited to our socio-economic, cultural and climatic circumstances, our achievements are not very impressive so far. But considering the fact that formation of thoughts and ideas, in this relatively young field, has been going for only the last quarter of century and with the limited resources that we have, it is evident that we are on the verge of making a break-through.

Architecture traditionally, i.e., before the arrival of British on the Indian soil, was from the social point of view, a creation of spectacular sculptural forms hewn out of stone. Architectural material was stone; tools, chisel and hammer, and the aim was glorification. In contrast, the every-day needs of a common man were ruthlessly neglected. Then the British arrived on the scene, it was through them that the first introduction to elementary modern building construction and planning was introduced into India. Their aim, however, was to house their organisations, and their people and whatever was necessary to control an empire as big as India. Apart from self-serving military cantonments and civil lines, they also left the basic problems well alone. It was no intention of the British to educate Indians in the art and science of architecture. Consequently Indian minds, during the British reign, were completely out of touch with the progressive thinking taking place in the rest of the world. The most significant architectural phenomenon that took place during the first half of this century in this country was building of Imperial Delhi. This was an anachronism of the highest order, because, while at that time

contemporary Europeans were engaged in most progressive thinking in architecture, Sir Edward Lutyen’s was a masterpiece in high renaissance architecture, the result of a way of thinking typical of the early nineteenth century in Europe. It is interesting to note that at the same time as the construction of Delhi, Europe was having the period of modern architecture movement in such schools as the Bauhaus.

Independence woke us to a changed situation. “Time had moved on. In place of religion or royal concern with architectural immortality, this situation demanded attention to those problems that had so far been ruthlessly neglected. The ordinary man, his environment and needs became the centre of attention. Demand for low cost housing became urgent.

Industrialism that was to follow in India spawned its own problems of townships and civic amenities for workers. Fresh migration from rural areas to existing cities also strained already, meager housing capacities of existing cities. The very scale of the problem was and still is unnerving. 8,37,00,000 dwelling units needed throughout the country and the demand rises annually at the rate of 17,000 dwelling units, not to mention rural housing. To face staggering problems of such magnitude, twenty-five years ago, there were few Indian architects in the country and practically no planners. There was only one school of architecture in Bombay. But there was the will to build, with the limited resources and technological know-how at our disposal.

We marched ahead and built an impressive number of houses and other buildings of utilisation nature. In the process we made mistakes and learnt from them. Each fresh attempt was a step closer to building of forms more suitable for the Indian climate and socio-economic conditions. In this process, architects also became aware of the need for a certain amount of research work in new ways of building and planning if we were to face the problem squarely as they say. Since government was the agency with the largest resource, it had to carry the heaviest responsibility for construction. Need for various kinds of organisation on the national and regional level was felt. Following is the list of governmental bodies that we have today, which in some way or the other are responsible for building industry in India.

(1) CENTRAL PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (C.P.W.D.)

(2) TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ORGANISATION

(3) HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

(4) CENTRAL BUILDING RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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(5) NATIONAL BUILDING ORGANISATION

(6) HINDUSTAN HOUSING FACTORY

(7) STATE HOUSING BOARDS & DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES

Apart from all these, are state housing boards in all the mentioned above bodies which are responsible for implementation and designing of the housing needs, and general controlled growth of the existing cities according to drawn up master-plans for development. For financial help they depend on agencies like HUDCO.

Together with the help of the entire organisations, by no means an exhaustive list, government performs various roles, from public works to deployment of financial resour-ces, from research to distribution of funding to building industry. Much has been done much remains to be done.

On the architectural horizon today find us with a new generation of architects and planners. Today we have nearby fifteen architectural schools throughout the country and certain equipment and knowhow of naturalized building science and technology and a growing experience with new material and methods and large scale planning. All this had not been easy.

However, it was not huge, building institutions, but individuals that have been responsible for evolving a new aesthetics bridging the hiatus between traditionalism and modernism. Painstakingly these individuals have worked, over the years, learning both from abroad and our experiences with traditional architecture, to bring about various schools of thought responsible for the spirit of modern Indian architecture. The emphasis now lies not on awesome monumentality, but factionalism with accompanying virtues of economy, simplicity and utility.

It is relevant here to go into the development of these ideas. As a matter of fact some ideas of modern architecture were not to come to us until 1950, when Le Corbusier at that time was a leading figure in architectural circles created Chandigarh, one of his most ambitious projects. This had a tremendous impact on the mind of Indian architects, who had so far only seen-either glorious temples or forts of the past or the Imperial British capital of New Delhi in the name of modern architecture. Overwhelmed, they found this expression of modern architecture quite acceptable. It was grand and sensational and at the same time was based on rational basis of climatic analysis and planning freedom. In the years to follow, buildings spring up all over India, which had similar expression and the same materials. But ideas of Le Corbusier had to be crystallized before they could be

adopted in India. Some realized that concrete and plastic forms were after all not the solution for all Indian architectural problems, howso ever sensational they might be.

There was another parallel phenomenon going on at the same time, which was to influence the course of modern architecture in India to come. Indian architects were going to Europe and America to seek higher education and cultural inspiration. The Indian architectural community took its inspiration from ideas developed in the western world. During the sixties these architects who received their education in the western countries commanded high positions as professionals as well as teachers. They taught, practiced and experimented with what they had learnt in the west against the harsh realities of India. The process of fermentation of ideas was turned on. There were many realizations that were to form the rational basis for architecture to come.

First of these realizations was that if we have to do anything worthwhile in India for Indians under Indian socio-economic and climatic conditions, the west was no place to look for inspirations or solutions. We will have to evolve our own patterns of development and physical growth, our own methods and materials of construction and our own expression of foregoing. This realisation created a sense of vaccum and because of the poignancy of the feeling of vaccum, the search began, and architects started looking in different directions for various answers. In each direction partial perception of truth was declared as the total truth. The fact however, remains that in each direction we have moved closer to the rational basis of modern architecture. One of the first places where Indian architects looked for inspiration for expression of total architecture of India, is our own village and folk architecture. Architects studied with keen interest the way people solved problems long before western influence was felt in India. From desert settlements of Jaisalmer, to village developments of hills, plains and sea-coasts, all became the focus of study. Complex vernacular plans were analysed and looked into for inspirations. It is the contention of these farsighted architects, with a hard nosed realism, that in such kinds of dense developments, with simple methods of construction and conventional low cost materials, when laid out in a planned manner, that we will find the answer urban housing for our really poor masses. While some of these architects were busy looking for answers in what we already have in our traditional settlements, others were exploring how industry can be made use of in solving the aspect of building problems. Prefabrication has potential in large scale

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housing, large span structures and industrial buildings on anywhere were repetitive units can be employed. But so far in India, industrialization of the building industry has not made great headway for lack of technological i nfrastructures to support it, therefore its influence is only limited to fascination of imagery. However, one aspect of technology that can be successfully applied in architecture is invention and manufacture of new building materials from industrial waste to replace the traditional building materials like steel and cement of which there are tremendous shortages.

There is the growing realization among architects that just to build visually beautiful buildings will be useless, unless it is backed by infrastructure of services, such as water supply, electrical supply and communication system of rapid mass transit, etc. In other words it is not an individual building but the total environment that matters. All this calls for serious attention on patterns of physical growth that will take care of layouts of all these services in an organised manner.

Contemporary Architecture in India

“Is there an architectural style that you can identify as “contemporary Indian”? Jagan Shah, architect and historian, feels there is and picks on 20 mid-career architects — he calls them the “new moderns” — for an exposition of the “contemporary Indian” (Contemporary Indian Architecture, Roli Books).

So what is the “contemporary Indian”? No, it’s not an architectural style that merely tacks on “Indian” motifs or symbols to the structure, or mimics vernacular architecture. No, in a globalised world, an architect can’t simply get by on national identity.

What ties together the architects Shah picks on are “multidisciplinary insights” and a widening of respective agendas to include concerns about climate, ecology and gender. It is through the description of structures by them that he comes to a definition of the “contemporary Indian”. Shah refers to two other vital issues which have had an impact on “creative” expression — the diminishing role of the state in commissioning public buildings, and the fact that with globalisation, architects are concentrating on delivery schedules, quality, detailing, engineering and programming skill.

WallshaveeyesAuroville-based Anupama Kundoo is first on the list and it is her own residence that Shah holds up as an example of the “contemporary Indian”, identifying it in her attention to three areas: “Eco-friendly building materials, alternative technology, and an architecture that is energy-efficient and climate-responsive”. Called “The Wall House”, Kundoo’s house is only 2.2 metres wide, made of exposed brick that’s scaled down to the smaller proportions of the local achakal brick. It’s most distinctive feature is a two-storey-high vaulted verandah at the entrance, made of interlocking clay tubes, which is not just cheap, it is also great for insulation. Energy and costs have been further lowered by the use of solid stone and recycled wood. ModerntemplesStarkness of form ties in Kundoo with Bimal Patel. And Shah picks on three structures by the Ahmedabad-based architect, the most distinctive being the container terminals operations centre in Chennai. A solid block oriented in east-west, the entire south facade of the building is a plain, blank wall, the north being entirely of 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 mural by Water D’Souza — a motif that fuses the industrial with the spires of south Indian temples.

SeethroughIn this line-up of architects, Kapil Gupta and Christopher Lee are probably the most “international”. Shah picks on three of their much-acclaimed structures, including the Jeweltech factory. From the outside the building looks like a solid square monolith, encased in glass. Inside, it is like a panopticon with a glass “canyon”, a reworking of the traditional Indian courtyard, running through the entire height of the building. It serves as a surveillance devise and also divides the factory floor and administrative sections. LocaltouchesShah holds up Rahul Mehrotra’s design for the TISS campus at Tuljapur as an example of how a structure can be traditional and native to a place and also incorporate modern needs. The campus is an undulating, low structure made of local stone. Full of open spaces — courtyards and terraces — it fulfils the need for interactive spaces and also provides relief from the hot and humid climate.”

The Business Standard, March 29, 2008

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The State of Architecture in IndiaThe modern practice of urban planning in India was initiated after the War of 1857. The British realized that they had come within a hair’s breadth of losing their empire in urban areas because their organic morphology made them difficult to control. There was a concerted effort thereafter to rebuild Indian towns on more familiar terms that they could ‘understand’. In her study of Lucknow, Veena Talwar Oldenburg compellingly demonstrates this imperialist logic underlying our legacy of modern urban planning and, indeed, by extension, of modernity itself.

Arindam Dutta makes another crucial point, arguing that the process of making a plan or designing a ‘solution’ is already predetermined by the architect or urban planner before understanding the specifics of the ‘problem’ at hand.3 Not surprisingly, such plans fail to meet the actual needs of society and are frequently resisted, subconsciously or explicitly, by local inhabitants who must bear the brunt of these ill-conceived solutions. In order to establish the authority of its master plans then, the government today has to deploy the police powers of the state to ‘enlighten’ society, compel its acquiescence and ensure that ‘solutions’ are duly implemented.

Dutta’s argument helps explain the process of sealings and demolitions imposed on Delhi in the recent past. The destruction is rationalized by urban planners (who created the problem) and bolstered by the judiciary (who refuse to know better) as a cost that society must bear in order to institutionalize urban planning practice. As Dutta says, ‘It is because the origins of modernity in the colony are... tied up with the ends of imperialism that its outlines operate as a historical teleology in reverse: first the institutions and then the “enlightenment”.’ To institutionalize the ‘modern’ process of planning, the Public Works Department published The Handbook on Town Planning in 1876.4 The Handbook contained guidelines for undertaking urban development projects all over the country and it is easy to trace the origins of many current professional philosophies and practices to this book. These guidelines were formulated at a time when the British had begun systematic efforts to ensure civic health and hygiene in their own cities at home, so they merely transferred the models they had developed for those cities to the colonies.

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 advances in urban planning practice. In all the decades since independence, however, the Indian PWD, the heir to this legacy, re-published the Handbook only twice and did not attempt any major changes to its contents. Thus the dated references to Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City and the New Town plans developed in England between the two World Wars are retained as models for use in India. While it is possible that the irrelevance of the Handbook’s contents has led to its recent neglect, it is clear that its ideas have fundamentally moulded the imagination of the Indian urban planner. In fact, its lingering presence in current practice illustrates two debilitating characteristics of urban planning in India: first, the unthinking acceptance of foreign models to serve local purposes; and second, the inability or unwillingness among professionals to update their knowledge base and intellectually engage with the specific complexity of Indian urbanism both as a sociocultural construct and as a technical entity.

Instead, contemporary local urban planners ape the colonial British in their desire to protect empire by disciplining urban space and punishing its ‘disorderly’ manifestations assumed to be the expressions of a rebellious populace. So deeply embedded is this punitive vision that the notion of a planning model that mediates and facilitates a necessarily chaotic urbanization, and that is sensitive to the needs of vast swathes of disadvantaged inhabitants, becomes tragically inconceivable.

This failure is not a new malaise. As far back as 1924, government records about the construction of New Delhi identified the problem of local developments not following the Master Plan formulated by Edwin Lutyens. As Stephen Legg observes in his study of Delhi’s post-colonial development, ‘the would-be panopticism of the imperial city became impossible to regulate from the very beginning. ’5 A 1939 report that Legg cites reproduced the 1914 sanctioned layout of New Delhi – a map of stark and clearly defined functional zones – and contrasted it, equally starkly, with a map of the actual layout of New Delhi – which, by 1938, illustrated a dazzling array of mixed land-uses and what to the official gaze were ‘haphazard developments’. Even then the problem then was not identified as one of supply and demand or of needing to understand local characteristics of urban living; then, as today, it was

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understood to be one of the lack of strict regulation. Thus the main recommendations of official reports invariably reinforce the imperative to regulate development such that it conforms to official plans. In subsequent post-independence government policies, stricter enforcement of the law remained the leitmotif of recommendations to solve the persistent problems of ‘illegal’ development. Indeed, this collective fixation with enforcement on the part of both urban planners and government policy-makers – so that the issue becomes one of law and order rather than that of inadequacies in the planning process itself – is arguably the most significant obstacle to contemporary India urban planning.

Legg identifies another significant dimension of the problem of urban planning in India: urban planners deal with the city as an abstract entity rather than as a living organism. Consequently, there is no intellectual or moral commitment to the plans that they make – merely a feeling of victimization when inhabitants do not follow their prescriptive abstractions. Perhaps this professional indifference to the socio-spatial consequences of their policies is also rooted in the Nehruvian development paradigm that sought to combine the existing capitalist system with a Soviet-inspired model of centralized economic planning.

In the Nehruvian paradigm, planning was a ‘scientific’ process, the domain of ‘objective experts’, its goal the furtherance of national interests (which, presumably, would trickle down as local benefits). The aim was to rule ‘from a distance’ by targeting supposedly discrete, self-contained and static objects such as an economy or a population. Post-independence urban planning also fell under the sway of such planning ‘from a distance’. Regrettably, urban planners seem to be the last to realize that cities are neither abstract nor static entities and that unless they seriously engage with the specific ground realities of Indian urbanism, the profession will not be able to cope with the fact and type of contemporary developments documented in the ACHR report. The force 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 embarked on a series of ill-advised, costly and unsustainable projects such as urbanizing the ecologically fragile flood plains of the Yamuna river and undertaking extravagant image building beautification projects such as the complete makeover of Connaught Place:Nero fiddles while Rome burns!

Clearly, there is an urgent case to be made for changing the way urban planners conceive urban space. This, in turn, requires a comprehensive re-formulation of our dis ciplinary assumptions and pedagogic practices. At present our academic institutions emphasize the rote transmission of received knowledge and routine methods for minimally informed and vocational ends. Unsurprisingly, there is little or no local theorizing of the urban planning experience in India. By habit and circumstance, local urban planners have accepted images of cities derived from cultural, social and economic contexts different from theirs and recycled them into teaching curricula.

This situation cannot change unless practitioners undertake focused studies of Indian cities based on innovative hypo theses that challenge received wisdom. Such research would enable urban planners to conceive Indian cities in indigenous terms in order to incorporate the culturally plural, socially evolving and economically constrained characteristics of Indian society. We must critically interrogate the mentality represented by the PWD Handbook in order to decolonize our own concepts of Indian cities.

As we begin to analyze the intellectual and socio-political history of urban planning and chart thoughtful parameters for contemporary practice, we would do well to regard cities as human spaces in which we live and participate rather than as alien and unruly objects, which we seek to tame with our objective expertise. Instead of perennially viewing what exists locally in negative terms and using western standards as positive, we must understand that our inherited and supposedly neutral urban planning practice is driven by a logic of aggressive and purposive control of the population.7 Our vision must be one that fosters social welfare rather than one which relies on punitive sanctions in single-minded service of the abstract patterns on paper which we call master plans. Our current historical condition demands that the existing planning paradigm be cast aside; changing the way planners conceive the city is an important beginning in this process.

Education

The Built Environment Design professions are inclusive of all that is life, living, human aspirations and activities. I t deals with man and nature interactive relationships. The sage author of “Aparajita Prchchha” says “architecture began with the beginning of this universe”. In India our schools are in different academic associations: liberal

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education, arts, technology and autonomous environments. The Council of Architecture norms recognize this and provides for liberal individual personality development of 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 practice zones. Such a situation demands intense academic involvement.

There are about 150 odd universities, technical institutes, colleges and schools offering an accredited (by the All India Council of Technical Education, AICTE and the Council of Architecture) degree in architecture - equivalent to a B.Arch. or Diploma in Architecture. Together they enroll about 6000 students in a 5 year architectural program. This in turn adds about 5000 eligible architects to India’s human resource pool of building design professionals. However, these numbers are far short of the actual demand for architects in the country at the moment.

Amongst the highly rated institutes for architectural education are the following few,• Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology,

(CEPT) Ahmedabad• Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture,

(KRVI) Mumbai• Maharaja Sayajirao University, (MSU) Baroda• Chandigarh School of Architecture, (CSA) Chandigarh• School of Architecture and Planning, (SPA) Delhi• Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kharagpur and

Roorkee• Manipal Institute of Technology, (MIT) Manipal Growth and prosperity of an economy, to an extent is reflected in its physical appearance. The industry responsible for this is the construction industry, which for quite sometime is experiencing a boom. Times have changed and so has our focus. From, the basic necessity of housing and shelter of yesteryears, emphasis is now given on comfort, luxury and style. All this has importantly led to creation of avenues for those interested in making a career in this sector. In the last few decades our economy has witnessed hectic and massive construction activities, new structures have been raised, townships have evolved, evident of growth in the sector.

The construction task involves both the designer and constructors. Any built structure is an outcome of close coordination and participation of a number of people, technical and non-technical, including architects, contractors, surveyors, engineers, designers along-with

brick layers, masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers etc. Everyone is specialized in his own area hence beyond comparison.

TheNeedforDesignSchoolsinIndia

India is fast becoming one of the world’s leading consumers of manufactured goods. Be it cell phones, sneakers, cars or home furnishings; Indians are lapping it all up. And the manufacturers of the world cannot ignore the fact that there needs to be a new design sensibility for this new client base.

Jayashree Bhosale at Economic Times writes about this need for an “Indianised” design and by extension the Indian designers. In the whole post-secondary education boom, pure design schools have not been at the forefront. And that is a niche waiting to be filled.

India is now a potential design pool. Just by sheer numbers! http://www.designinindia.net/

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 centres. But with just a handful design schools in the country, it’s an opportunity waiting to be tapped. “There are only five to six good design schools in the 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,” says Forbes Marshall director, Naushad Forbes, who is also a visiting faculty at Stanford. The Indian industry can meet just an estimated 10% of the demand for design professionals, as design schools take in only about 500 students annually.

“A lot of design companies from abroad are looking to collaborate with Indian design companies. There is lot of cross-cultural design taking place. In areas of clean technologies and eco-friendly design, Indian designers can contribute a lot as we are used to the concept of recycling and reusing,” says Falguni Gokhale, director, Design Directions, the company that designed the water purifier, Tata Swach.

The product design teams of multinational companies usually consist of people of various nationalities, and there is a place on these teams for Indians. “As India is a huge

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market, it is necessary for an MNC to have Indian designers to understand the needs of the Indian consumers,” says Florence Rohart, footwear designer with Adidas, Germany.

Institutes like DSK Supinfocom in Pune are looking to tap this opportunity, and recently held a week-long master class with a four-member team of footwear designers from brands like Puma, Camper and Newfeel participating. “We are looking for possible internships and placements for our students with big brands in different products,” says vice chairman Shirish Kulkarni.

India Inc is filling in some of the supply gap, but we still have a long way to go. Indian automotive companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra and Bajaj Auto have good design talent and studios that match the best in the world. The demand for professionals in emerging markets is particularly encouraging as design as a career in western countries has become saturated and fiercely competitive, says Sudhir Sharma, CEO, Indi Designs and erstwhile founder director of Elephant Design. Further, he says, most developed countries have developed expensive design practices, which are not viable in today’s economy.”

Though there is a large number of vacancies, designers eventually start their own business. “Only 20% designers stick to a job,” Mr Satish Gokhale.

Economy

The economy of India is the eleventh largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) In the 1990s, following economic reform from the socialist-inspired economy of post-independence India, the country began to experience rapid economic growth, as markets opened for international competition and investment. In the 21st century, India is an emerging economic power with vast human and natural resources, and a huge knowledge base. Economists predict that by 2020, India will be among the leading economies of the world.

India was under social democratic-based policies from 1947 to 1991. The economy was characterized by extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership, leading to pervasive corruption and slow growth. Since 1991, continuing economic liberalization has moved the economy towards a market-based system. A revival of economic reforms and better economic policy in 2000s

accelerated India’s economic growth rate. By 2008, India had established itself as the world’s second fastest growing major economy. However, the year 2009 saw a significant slowdown in India’s official GDP growth rate to 6.1% as well as the return of a large projected fiscal deficit of 6.8% of GDP, which would be among the highest in the world. India’s large service industry accounts for 62.6% of the country’s GDP while the industrial and agricultural sector contribute 20% and 17.5% respectively. Agriculture is the predominant occupation in India, accounting for about 52% of employment. The service sector makes up a further 34%, and industrial sector around 14%. The labor force totals half a billion workers. Major agricultural products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry and fish. Major industries include telecommuni-cations, textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, information technology enabled services and software.

McKinsey & Company recently came up with a comprehensive report titled “India’s Urban Awakening: Building inclusive cities, sustaining economic growth”.

India has a young and rapidly growing population—a potential demographic dividend. But India needs thriving cities if that dividend is to pay out. New MGI research 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 incomes across the nation.

Handled well, India can reap significant benefits from urbanization. MGI offers a range of recommendations, the vast majority of which India could implement within five to ten years. If India were to follow the recommendations, it could add 1 to 1.5 percent to annual GDP growth, bringing the economy near to the double-digit growth to which the government aspires.

Surging growth and employment in cities will be a powerful magnet. MGI projections show India’s urban population soaring from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million in 2030. And this urban expansion will happen at a speed quite unlike anything India has seen before. It took India nearly 40 years (between 1971 and 2008) for the urban population to rise by nearly 230 million. It will take only half the time to add the next 250 million.

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India has the potential to unlock many new growth markets in its cities, many of them not traditionally associated with India including infrastructure, transportation, health care, education, and recreation. MGI projects that, to meet urban demand, the economy will have to build between 700 million and 900 million square meters of residential and commercial space a year. In transportation, India needs to build 350 to 400 kilometers of metros and subways every year, more than 20 times the capacity building of this type that India has achieved in the past decade. In addition, between 19,000 and 25,000 kilometers of road lanes would need to be built every year (including lanes for bus-based rapid transit systems), nearly equal to the road lanes constructed over the past decade.

Cities can also deliver a higher quality of life. Urban scale benefits means the cost of delivering basic services is 30 to 40 percent cheaper in concentrated population centers than in sparsely populated areas. But to reap such benefits, India needs to meet an unprecedented policy challenge. If it fails to do so, this could seriously jeopardize its growth and risk high unemployment.

Although urban India has attracted investment on the back of strong growth, its cities are still failing to deliver even a basic standard of living for their residents after years of chronic underinvestment. Unless it steps up investment in its cities, India could well lose the productivity dividend of urban living. Today, in per capita terms, India’s annual capital spending of $17 is only 14 percent of China’s $116 and less than 6 percent of New York’s $292.

MGI estimates that India needs to invest $1.2 trillion just in capital expenditure in its cities over the next 20 years, equivalent to $134 per capita per year, almost eight times the level of spending today. If India taps into five sources of funding used in cities around the world—monetized land assets, higher property taxes, user charges that reflect costs, debt and public-private partnerships, and formula-based government funding—its largest cities could generate as much as 80 percent of the funding they require from internal sources.

Professional Organizations

CouncilofArchitectureIndia(COA)

The Council of Architecture (COA) has been constituted by the Government of India under the provisions of the Architects Act, 1972, enacted by the Parliament of India,

which came into force on 1st September, 1972. The Act provides for registration of Architects, standards of education, recognized qualifications and standards of practice to be complied with by the practicing architects. The Council of Architecture is charged with the responsibility to regulate the education and practice of profession throughout India besides maintaining the register of architects. For this purpose, the Government of India has framed Rules and Council of Architecture has framed Regulations as provided for in the Architects Act, with the approval of Government of India.

Any person desirous of carrying on the profession of ‘Architect’ must have registered himself with Council of Architecture. For the purpose of registration, one must possess the requisite qualification as appended to the Architects Act, after having undergone the education in accordance with the Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 1983. The registration with Council of Architecture entitles a person to practice the profession of architecture, provided he holds a Certificate of Registration with up-to-date renewals. The registration also entitles a person to use the title and style of Architect. A firm of architects, of which all partners are registered with COA, can also use the title and style of architect. Limited Companies, Private/Public Companies, societies and other juridical persons are not entitled to use the title and style of architect nor are they entitled to practice the profession of architecture. If any person falsely claims to be registered or misuses title and style of architect, such acts tantamount to committing of a criminal offense, which is punishable under section 36 or 37 (2) of the Architects Act, 1972.

The practice of profession of an architect is governed by the Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989 (as amended in 2003), which deals with professional ethics and etiquette, conditions of engagement and scale of charges, architectural competition guidelines etc. Pursuant to these Regulations, the Council of Architecture has framed guidelines governing the various aspects of practice. An architect is required to observe professional conduct as stipulated in the Regulations of 1989 and any violation thereof shall constitute a professional 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 standards of education being imparted in these institutions (constituent colleges/departments of universities, deemed universities, affiliated colleges/

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schools, IITs, NITs and autonomous institutions) is governed by Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 1983, which set forth the requirement of eligibility for admission, course duration, standards of staff & accommodation, course content, examination etc. These standards as provided in the said Regulations are required to be maintained by the institutions. The COA oversees the maintenance of the standards periodically by way of conducting inspections through Committees of Experts. The COA is required to keep the Central Government informed of the standards being maintained by the institutions and is empowered to make recommendations to the Government of India with regard to recognition and de-recognition of a qualification.

TheIndianInstituteofArchitects(IIA)

The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) is the national body of Architects in the country. Having started in the year 1917, the institute today has more than 15000 members. The Institute has a major role to play in promoting the profession of architecture by organizing and uniting in fellowship the Architects of India to promote aesthetic, scientific and practical efficiency of the profession both in Practice and in Education. IIA is represented on various national and international committees connected with architecture, art and the building industry and are also actively associated with International Union of Architects (UIA) Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) and South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation of Architects (SAARCH).

Government Policy

MinistryofUrbanDevelopmentLatestInitiative:JawaharlalNehruNationalUrbanRenewalMission(JNNURM)

In December 2005, the Indian government launched the seven-year, US$ 11 billion Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to guide urban development across the country. The aim is to improve 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

Amendment’s aspiration to devolve power and redistribute wealth at the state and city level. The Urban Renewal Mission focuses on three areas: integrated infrastructure, basic services to the urban poor, and wide-ranging urban sector reforms, offering cities access to national funds if they comply with the general agenda put forward by the National Ministry of Urban Development.

Cities applying for JNNURM funding are required to commit to the implementation of a series of measures that include property tax reform, decentralization, proper city budgeting, preparation of a City Development Plan (CDP) through multi-stakeholder consultations, and detailed project reports. It requires the implementation of Metropolitan Planning Commissions to oversee the development of integrated metropolitan regional plans. JNNURM also operates as a toolkit for municipal governments, helping cities to implement projects at a local level. JNNURM has been largely welcomed by different constituencies in India as a new commitment to cities, but is seen to suffer from an intrinsic process of decentralization that requires support from the national government. In addition, there is growing concern that a basic lack of skills within the public sector will lead to commercial consultants with little local knowledge having a disproportionate influence on the drafting of City Development Plans, cutting out local stakeholders from the consultation process. While the Urban Renewal Mission is seen as a critical political initiative that attempts to find solutions to the urban questions raised in a rapidly urbanizing country, accommodating the needs of the urban poor and managing private interests and speculation are its major challenges.

TheMissionThe aim is to encourage reforms and fast track planned development of identified cities. Focus is to be on efficiency in urban infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms, community participation, and accountability of ULBs/ Parastatal agencies towards citizens.

ObjectivesoftheMission• The objectives of the JNNURM are to ensure that the

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

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• 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 housing, water supply and sanitation, and ensuring delivery of other existing universal services of the government for education, health and social security.

ScopeoftheMissionThe Mission shall comprise two Sub- Missions,

Sub-Mission(1)forUrbanInfrastructureandGovernance:This will be administered by the Ministry of Urban Development through the Sub- Mission Directorate for Urban Infrastructure and Governance. The main thrust of the Sub-Mission will be on infrastructure projects relating to water supply and sanitation, sewerage, solid waste management, road network, urban transport and redevelopment of old city areas with a view to upgrading infrastructure therein, shifting industrial and commercial establishments to conforming areas, etc.

Sub-Mission(2)forBasicServicestotheUrbanPoor:This will be administered by the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation through the Sub -Mission 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.

SomeinterestingfactsaboutIndia:• 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 • Construction• India has the fifth largest Electricity generation capacity

in the World• India has an extensive road network of 3.3 million km

– the second largest in the World• Roads carry about 70% of the freight and 85% of the

passenger traffic• India has 125 airports; of these 11 are designated

international airports• In 2004-2005, Indian airports handled 60 million

passengers and 1.3 million tonnes of cargo• India is one of the ten largest retail markets in the world• Travel and Tourism is a US$12 billion (by revenu)

industry in India• 3.5 million international tourist arrivals in India in 2005• India is among the top 10 global suppliers of aluminium

and steel in the world• About 35 million tonnes of steel are produced in India• India is also the largest producer of sponge iron in the

world• India is amongst the largest producers of cotton• 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)

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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/

AniketBhagwat 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/

BalkrishnaV.Doshi Architect/UrbanPlanner/Academician http://www.sangath.org/

Bijoy Jain Architect http://www.studiomumbai.com/

BimalPatel Architect/UrbanPlanner 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/

CharlesCorrea Architect/UrbanPlanner/Academicianhttp://www.charlescorrea.net/

Chitra Vishwanath Architect http://www.inika.com/chitra/

ChristopherBeninger Architect/UrbanPlanner/Academician http://www.ccba.in/

CP Kukreja Architect http://www.cpkukreja.com/

GautamBhatia Architect/Critic http://gautambhatia.com/

GerardDacunha Architect http://www.nrityagram.org/

GurjeetSinghMatharoo Architect http://www.matharooassociates.com/

HafeezContractor Architect http://www.hafeezcontractor.com/

HasmukhCPatel 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/

KapilGupta Architect http://www.serie.co.uk/

KiranKapadia Architect http://www.kapl.in/

Kiran Venkatesh Architect http://www.informarchitects.com/

KTRavindran Architect/UrbanPlanner/Academician http://www.spa.ac.in/

M.N.AshishGanju Architect/Academician http://www.greha.org/

Madhavi & Miki Desai Architects / Researchers http://www.archicrafts.com/

ManitRastogi Architect http://www.morphogenesis.org/

Naushir Talati Architect http://tparch.net/

NeelkanthChhaya Architect/Academician http://www.cept.ac.in/

NimishPatel Architect/Conservation http://www.abhikram.com/

NishaMathew/SoumitroGhosh Architects http://www.mathewghosh.com/

Pankaj Joshi Architect / Research / Conservation http://www.udri.org/

PKDas Architect/Activist http://www.pkdas.com/

PrabhakarBhagwat Landscape/Academician http://www.landscapeindia.net/

PradeepSachdeva Architect/UrbanPlanning 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/

RahulMehrotra Architect/UrbanPlanner/Academicianhttp://www.rmaarchitects.com/

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RajRewal Architect/Academician http://www.rajrewal.in/

Raja Aeideri Architect http://www.indiabuildnet.com/

RajivKathpalia Architect/Academician http://www.sangath.org/

RanjitSabikhi Architect http://www.sabikhi.com/

Ratan Batliboi Architect http://www.rjbx.firm.in/

RavindraVasavda 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

ShivanandSwami UrbanPlanner/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/

UttamJain Architect/Academician http://www.ucjain.com/

VNareshNarasimhan Architect/UrbanPlanner http://www.vagroup.com/

ThenameslistedinBoldarethemosteminentorknownpractitionersofarchitectureinIndia.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

BilateralRelations

The Netherlands and India entered into diplomatic relations immediately after India’s independence.When one looks at the export and import volume, the Netherlands and India are not significant trading partners. Dutch exports to India may have increased by 42% in 2004, but in spite of this, the Dutch share in Indian imports is getting smaller. The total Dutch export to India is only 0.2 percent of all Dutch export. The Netherlands is an important investor in India, however. In view of the tremendous trading and investment potential of the Indian market, there seems to be room for improvement for the Dutch export of goods to and the Dutch investments in India. Therefore, the Dutch Trade Board (DTB) has set up a public-private workgroup and has drawn up an action plan to promote the economic relations with India. India has a large range of tools at its disposal. The Netherlands has an expansive trading network in India, consisting of the embassy in New Delhi, the consulate general in Mumbai, and two Netherlands Business Support Offices in Chennai and Ahmedabad. A council for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is situated at the embassy with a

view to the Dutch interests in the agricultural sector. There is also a bilateral workgroup in India, which aims to remove the barriers with regard to plant health between India and the Netherlands. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently making preparations for the assignment of a scientific and technical attaché (STA) and is also preparing to open an office for the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA).

There is bilateral cultural and educational collaboration between various field organizations (universities, theaters, museums) in the Netherlands and India. The cooperation between Indian and Dutch scientists is furthered through joint multi-disciplinary (mainly socio-economic) research (e.g. through the “Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternatives in Development? (IDPAD) and the “Kerala Research Programme on Local level Development?), exchange- programmes and seminars. The Dutch government provides grants to Indian students within the framework of the Huygens programme (OC&W) and the “Netherlands Fellowship Programme” (OS).

In view of the rich heritage from the period during which the VOC had trading posts in India, the Netherlands sees the mutual cultural legacy from the 17th and 18th

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centuries as an important basis for cultural cooperation, and supports various related activities. The Netherlands is aiming to broaden the cultural cooperation, with an emphasis on the maintenance of the mutual cultural heritage. The Netherlands will enter into an MoU with India, on the basis of the existing cultural agreement. In addition to the mutual cultural heritage, the MoU will focus on visual arts, film, new media, music, design, and contacts with the Hindu community in the Netherlands (more than 130,000 people with a Suriname-Indian background and around 20,000 Indians). An MoU between the Netherlands and India will also be drawn up for the restoration of the VOC archives.

In June 2006, the cabinet approved an inter-ministerial policy document that will form the framework for the relations with India during the coming years. Considering the Indian context, the expected developments and the Indian priorities, the Netherlands will mainly use its bilateral relations with India for economic, scientific and technical, and cultural collaboration. The increase in intensity of these relations requires the further adjustment of the Dutch immigration policy, which has therefore been given priority. To promote international security and regional stability, the Netherlands will collaborate with India and its neighbors on counter-terrorism, water management, environmental management, development cooperation and sustainable energy. Finally, the Netherlands will work with India on international legal order and human rights, both through its bilateral relations and through multilateral channels.

High-opportunitysectorsIndia

The Indian market is a great opportunity for Dutch companies to invest in. India is one of the largest economies in the world and has become more open to foreign investors after it liberalized its market. From this moment on many multinationals have started outsourcing much of their business to India as it has a highly skilled labour force and a sound economic policy. For Dutch companies India is very attractive to invest in since the opportunities in this country seem to be endless.

AirportsIndian airports are essential because they provide 40% of the international trade and 95% of the passenger flights. India has 5 airports that take care of 44 million passengers per year. Expectations are that the number of passenger will rise to 90 million by 2010. To cope with this growth the amount of flights needs to increase as well. Because of

these developments, most of the airports are in desperate need of getting modernised. The Indian government is progressing in liberalising the air traffic; the country has already arranged ‘open skies’ deals with the United States and China. The Netherlands made the same arrangement in May 2005, resulting in an enlarged frequency of flights.

ConstructionThe economic growth of India has caused a stimulance for the construction of houses, offices and appartment buildings. Expectations are that for each year until 2011 6 million new houses will be build. Opportunities in this sector lie in the supply of building equipment, resources and in the construction itself.

InfrastructureThe infrastructure has made some impressive and important changes in the last couple of years. Especially the number of regional roads and highways has grown enormously. The government of India is supporting the improvement of the infrastructure with a project called the ‘National Integrated Highway Development Project’. Phase one of this project is to connect the four most important cities Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai; also known as ‘The Golden Quadrilateral’. Phase two is to connect the north and the south from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and to establish an east to west connection from Silchar to Portbander with a total length of 7,300 km. The project is planned to be finished in 2009.

WaterTransportWater transport plays an important role in the transport of resources. India has several harbours and many rivers that connect the different parts of India. In reality only 2,000 km of the 14,500 km of waterways are used for transportation. Reasons behind this are technical problems; rivers are impossible to be used and the infrastructure is insufficient. Dredging companies, harbour development projects and delivery of specialised ship building materials could be a solution to this problem.

DoingBusinesswith/inIndiaThere are a number of important issues to consider with regard to doing business with and in India. The most successful companies have adopted and developed a methodical, long-term strategy, and have prepared thoroughly before doing business with and in India.

GovernmentinterferenceGovernment interference in some fields is still relatively high. Government contacts are an essential ingredient of doing business in India. However, government officials are

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typically transferred to other departments, hampering long-term, intensive contacts.

InfrastructureInfrastructure projects, including roads, waterways, airports, energy supply and financial sector are still under development.

GovernmentfinancesBoth central government and sub-states are facing a considerable financial deficit.

InvestmentclimateThe investment climate is not open in all areas. Certain sectors are still “no-go areas” for foreign investors. In some instances, special approval procedures and investment ceilings have been put in place.

BottlenecksaffectingTradePolicyAn example of this is the anti-dumping initiations against India by the European Commission (in particular in the area of agricultural products, textiles and clothing, and chemical products). The import of goods from India is additionally hampered by the stringent product standards and quality standards imposed by the EU.

BottlenecksaffectingthefreemovementofpersonsThis is a long-term issue, in particular regarding visa applications and document verification. This particular bottleneck has eased in recent years for knowledge workers- workers who come in on the invitation of a number of companies “recognised? the Immigration and Naturalisation Department.

ExhibitionsandtradefairsVisiting or participating in trade fairs is one of the best ways to get to know certain market segments in India. In contrast to its British and German counterparts, the interest expressed by the Dutch entrepreneurs, with the exception of the agricultural sector, has been somewhat subdued. India plays host to a large number of exhibitions and trade fairs, of differing standards. Participation fees are comparable to those charged in the West. It therefore makes most sense to visit a trade fair first, before deciding whether to participate or not. For businesses and entrepreneurs wishing to promote their activities in India, it certainly pays to organize a seminar to target specific market segments. In contrast to many Western countries, India’s seminar circuit is currently thriving. (http://www.evd.nl/)

AgentsEnlisting the services of a local trade agent is certainly not a superfluous luxury. Factors such as non-transparent markets, market size, the importance of personal contacts and the nature of bureaucratic challenges in India make it difficult to enter the Indian market without local knowledge. For many businesses, a good distribution network is the key to success in India. However, networking is laborious and highly time-consuming. That is the precise reason why collaborating with a good local partner is essential. Nevertheless, there is also a growing trend among many multinationals to build their network independently, due to major problems with Indian partners after a number of years. Your agent/partner must therefore be subjected to meticulous screening. The EVD provides guidance and information on the selection as well as legal arrangements. With regard to selecting an ideal business location, the aim is to carefully assess and analyze ‘offers’ from different sub-states. As always, it is important to source a good local partner with an informal government network, who should be able to successfully and effortlessly conclude this process. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that, for the foreseeable future at least, setting up collaborative agreements will remain a time-consuming affair, taking a minimum of four to six months. (http://www.evd.nl/)

Architecture Events:

India – The Netherlands

NetherlandsArchitectureInstitute(NAi),RotterdamOle Bouman, 11 – 12 December 2007The NAi organized a tour of two Indian architecture colleges and conducted lectures and group discussions with the faculty and students. The NAi director Ole Bouman took notes during these discussions at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and at the KRV Institute of Architecture, Mumbai. Some conclusions from that visit are to be found on his blog at,http://www.nai.nl/toolbar/nieuws/detail_nieuws/_rp_left1_

elementId/1_202107/_pid/left1

Indo-DutchcollaborationsummitfocusedonIndustrialDesignSunil Malhotra, World Trade Centre, Rotterdam, 25th September 2009…good design can be really good business. There’s a case to be made out for design collaboration without borders. Couple of good reasons here …

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• European design reflects high quality, the idiom being minimalistic and functional. Whereas India’s design sensibilities are more embellished. Their combination will raise the aesthetic appeal without compromising design values.

• Pure economic tenets come into play when we see the sheer number of people both on the supply side (design talent is plenty in India) and the demand side (India is emerging as one of the largest markets). Leveraging the ‘great Indian talent pool’ is an opportunity.

• The life sensibilities of India’s cultural make-up have always been in the mould of sustainability, something the world has woken up to only recently. Add to this the rich craft-based traditions and you have a universal design paradigm that’s as powerful as Buddhism.

http://nidesk.net/?page_id=434

BuildingIndia,ARCAMAmsterdamFranz Ziegler, 15.11.08 - 24.01.09 The exhibition presents a general introduction to present-day India, to the current state of architecture and urbanism, and the building task for the next ten years. Tendencies since the economic liberalization in the n ineties are explained, just as the economic boom and its effect in the urban centres. The main part of the exhibition focusses on India’s future, seen through the eyes of young Indian architects. Five architects were asked to present their city, allocating key projects that are important and representative of the architectural and urban culture of their city. http://www.arcam.nl/exposities/archief09_nl.html?-session=arca

m:C0A801371136e1BFE1pJM16674B0

DutchEngineering/ArchitectureCompanieswithOperationsinIndia:DHV Global Engineering Center, Noida, Delhihttp://www.dhvgroup.com/Offices/Asia/India/DHV-Global-

Engineering-Center,-Noida

Royal Haskoning, Mumbaihttp://www.royalhaskoning.com/en-GB/RegionsAndOffices/

Pages/OfficeIndiaMumbai.aspx

3D Blue Print India Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabadhttp://www.3dblueprint.in/

Growth ProspectsThe world is experiencing intense urbanization by the hand of extensive yet uneven processes of growth and expansion. More than half of humanity now lives in cities, and 80 per cent of the Earth’s land surface has come to reflect the influence of city-based human activity. Dominating the urban world is a selective group of dynamic and highly specialized cities, as well as massively

urbanized industrial regions.Like Shanghai, Johannesburg and Mexico City, all the Indian cities – Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore –have been following a continuous trajectory of population growth from the start of the twentieth century. In contrast, the cities in the richest, early urbanising countries have seen population growth slow and reverse, although New York and London are now in a new cycle of – relatively slow – growth. Berlin alone amongst the Urban Age cities has experienced a slight decline in the last decades.

In the 1990s, India’s population grew by a dramatic 23%, but this fast growth was outpaced in the main cities. In Delhi the number of residents jumped by 70%, although this was partly due to a boundary change, and Bangalore grew by 38%. Mumbai’s population grew by 21%, falling back slightly on its relative position. In contrast Kolkata’s population was almost flat, at least by Indian standards, at 4% growth. Projections suggest population growth nationwide will continue but at a reduced rate of 14% to 2010, with growth in Bangalore pulling ahead of that in Delhi and other cities. Mumbai and Kolkata have much longer histories as large cities, than the other Indian cases. Both reached a million population by 1910 and have developed at a similar time as New York, London and Berlin. In contrast, Delhi and Bangalore became large cities much more recently. Delhi reached a million residents by 1950, Bangalore during the 1950s. Mumbai reached ten million by 1990 and Delhi did so by 2000. Kolkata is due to do so by 2020, and it is likely that Bangalore will do so over the next decades. While there is at least one major agglomeration of several million inhabitants in every world region, a new generation of megacities is rapidly emerging across Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa. The shift to cities is both the product and a catalyst of economic growth. The challenge ahead is to mobilise the wealth of resources that cities generate to make urbanisation more environmentally sustainable globally, and local urban environments more liveable and inclusive for their rising numbers of residents.

UrbanReforms

India is a part of the global trend towards increasing urbanization in which more than half of world’s population is living in cities and towns. 27.8 per cent of India’s population (285 million) live in urban areas as per 2001 census.

It is important to note that the contribution of urban sector to GDP is currently expected to be in the range of 50-60 percent. In this context, enhancing the productivity of

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urban areas is now central to the policy pronouncements of the Ministry of Urban Development. Cities hold tremendous potential as engines of economic and social development, creating jobs and generating wealth through economies of scale. They need to be sustained and augmented through the high urban productivity for country’s economic growth. National economic growth and poverty reduction efforts will be increasingly determined by the productivity of these cities and towns. For Indian cities to become growth oriented and productive, it is essential to achieve a world class urban system. This in turn depends on attaining efficiency and equity in the delivery and financing of urban infrastructure.

ResourceGapThe India Infrastructure, Report, 1996, assessed the total annual investment needs of water supply, sanitation and roads sectors at Rs. 28,036 crores per year on an average during 1996-2006. Whereas funds to that extent are not available.

To overcome these constraints and challenges, the Ministry of Urban Development has initiated institutional, fiscal and financial reforms. First generation urban sector reform - known as the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992, recognizes the principles of local self-governments and empowers urban local bodies with financial resources through Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commissions. Subsequently, in order to strengthen these local bodies, second-generation reform have also been started. In the last decade, enormous progress has been made in removing impediments to efficient investment.

ResourceMobilizationEffortIn August, 1996, the Central Government guidelines entitled ‘Urban Development Plans Formulation and Implementation’ were circulated to all State Governments for adoption. These guidelines, apart from other issues, suggest innovative approaches for fiscal resource mobilization. In the backdrop of the New Economic Policy, it was suggested that the traditional system of funding based on Plan and budgetary allocations be reduced and ultimately withdrawn due to fiscal deficit. Subsidies need to be rationalized and urban development plans and projects need to be placed on a commercial format by designing commercially viable urban infra structure services and area development projects. This can be achieved by restoring a proper match between functions and source of revenue by giving additional tax measures. Other innovative resource mobilization measures include using land as resource, increase in the non-property taxes and using Public-Private Partnership in service delivery.

SecondGenerationReforms

RegulatoryFrameworkThe participation of the private sector in financing and the delivery of infrastructure at the municipal level, especially in the water and sanitation sector, requires a regulatory framework to protect consumers, apply environmental standards and support the delivery to the poor. As there are a variety of models of regulation from centralized to decentralized systems, guidelines will be developed at the National level to ensure consistency across the country. Appropriate training program and capacity support to regulators will also be developed in partnership with the private sector and urban research institutions.

ModelLegislationThe Central Government is in the process of preparing a model legislation for facilitating private sector participation in urban infrastructure. This is necessary, as the present legislative scenario does not encourage private sector participation in this field. A model Municipal Act which will be recommended to the State Governments, would include modification and simplification of Municipal bylaws, provision for enhanced borrowing, allowing the entry of private sector and authorizing concessionaires to penalize users for non payment of tariffs.

MunicipalAccountingSystemThe Task Force constituted by the O/o C&AG of India had recommended for introduction of accrual basis of accounting system for the urban local bodies (ULBs) and suggested model budgeting and accounting formats for that purpose. The Task Force Report was circulated to all States/UTs for adoption of accrual basis of accounting system as well as the budget and accounting formats. Further to provide a simplified tool kit to the ULBs for recording the accounting entries, Ministry of Urban Development in cooperation with the Office of C&AG of India has prepared a National Municipal Accounting Manual (NMAM) and circulated to all States/UTs in January, 2005. The Manual comprehensively details the accounting policies, procedures, guidelines designed to ensure correct, complete and timely recording of municipal transactions and produce accurate and relevant financial reports. The NMAM would help the States prepare their state-level accounting manuals in accordance with their own requirements for use by the ULBs. This initiative is expected not only to enhance the capacities of ULBs in municipal accounting leading to increased transparency and accountability of utilization of public funds for the development of urban sector but also will help in creating an environment in which urban local

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bodies can play their role more effectively and ensure better service - delivery.

Public-PrivateParticipationGuidelinesCentral Government will develop guidelines for involvement of the private sector in infrastructure, which will ensure competitive biding process in a transparent manner. These guidelines will not only protect the consumers but also ensure integrity of the process. This would support municipalities in designing the PPP process on the lines of the BOT Centre in Philippines or the PPP in the Ministry of Finance in South Africa.

FiscalIncentivesForeignDirectInvestment(FDI)Hitherto Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) allowed direct investment in providing urban services on a case-to-case basis. This scenario has changed with the decision of the Central Government removing restrictions on FDI in urban infrastructure facilities, which are now open both under FIPB and the automatic route as per sector specific guidelines. Guidelines have since even issued for FDI in development of integrated township including housing and building material.

ExternalAssistanceSince independence, externally assisted urban sector projects have accounted for US$ 2300 million. A review of these projects indicated a need to adopt a programme approach rather than a project approach for availing external assistance. It also indicated the need to encourage a multiple donor scenario and tapping low cost funds for urban infrastructure.

TaxFreeMunicipalBondsSeveral Municipal Corporations like, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Nasik, and Madurai successfully issued Municipal Bonds for raising resources for urban infrastructure. The Central Government had announced tax exemption in case of bonds issued by Municipal / Local Governments. Guidelines were issued by this Ministry on 8.2.2001 for regulating issue of tax free municipal bonds. Under the guidelines, such bonds will be issued for raising resources for capital investment in creation of new infrastructure as well as augmentation of existing systems. Tax free bonds worth Rs. 100 crore by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation have been permitted for improving infrastructure. Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has also been permitted to issue tax-free municipal bond for Rs. 82.50 crore.

PooledFinancingforMunicipalInfrastructureTraditionally, municipal corporations and urban local bodies have relied on subsidized funds for providing urban services which constraints the constraints the introduction of user charges and efficient project operation and maintenance. In view of the huge resource gap, direct access to capital market would now be an accepted viable option. However, access to capital market requires financial discipline and enhanced credit rating. It has been the experience that only bigger municipal corporations are in a position to take the advantage of the resources available in capital market. Medium and smaller municipalities are unable to do so due to weak financial position and lack of capacity to prepare viable project proposals. A State level pooled financing mechanism is being proposed for smaller and medium municipalities. The objective of a State level pooled finance mechanism is to provide a cost effective and efficient approach for smaller and medium sized ULBs to access the domestic capital markets for urban infrastructure and to introduce new institutional arrangements for mobilizing Urban Infrastructure Finance.

CityRestructuringGovernment of India is also encouraging citywide reforms and restructuring so as to ensure that cities are managed efficiently and become creditworthy (to attract private finance ) which will enable them to prepare long term plans for infrastructure investments and implement poverty alleviation programs.

Citywide reforms and restructuring will, however, result in significant transaction costs during the period of transition. Leaving cities to finance these costs by themselves will delay and make it difficult to implement these reforms. It is to partly offset this disadvantage that the Ministry of Urban Development is proposing to set up a performance based City Challenge Fund for catalyzing city level economic reform programmes. The resources from the Fund would be given as grants but should ideally be matched by equal allocations either from the cities themselves or from the respective State governments. Access to the fund would be on a competitive basis.

EstablishmentofanUrbanAcademyThe proposed Urban Academy is visualized as a centre of excellence in Urban Matters such as urban water supply, sanitation, urban transport, urban governance, municipal finance, etc. It will be a n ideal town-planning habitat, 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

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other institutions specializing in urban matters. This will coordinate all Training and Capacity Building Initiatives and efforts of Change Management Forums.

ConclusionIn 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 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 put together for implementation during 10th Plan Period. Through these, we hope to reverse the declining standards of urban infrastructure in the country.

Awards

• The Indian Institute of Architects Awards: 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 of Education http://www.iia-india.org/awards.shtml

• The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: Every 3 years http://www.akdn.org/architecture/

• JK Cement Architect of the Year Awards: Annually http://www.aya-jkcement.com/

• British Council India: YCE Design Award: Annuallyhttp://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iydey2007.htm

Journals and Blogs

• Indian Architect & Builder, http://www.iabforum.com/indian_architect_builder.html

• IIA Journal,http://www.iia-india.org/aboutiia.shtml

• Journal of Landscape Architecture, http://www.lajournal.in/About.htm

• MARG,http://www.marg-art.org/

• Seminar, http://www.india-seminar.com/

• Home Review, http://www.home-review.com/homereview/

• Elle Décor, http://www.elledecor.co.in/

• BLOG by Kavita Rairath IndianByDesign.wordpress.com

• BLOG by Anand Bhatt Architexturez.org

• What Makes India Urban? Exhibition November 2009, http://www.aedes-arc.de/

• SPADEhttp://indianbydesign.wordpress.com/

References

• 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

• The Urban Age Program, London School of Economics, http://www.urban-age.net

• Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development, 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 Trade, www.nicct.nl

• The Business Standard, http://www.business-standard.com

• Wikipedia – India reference

Anand Patel:Anand Patel has been a practicing architect in India and 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 & Associates with the aim to develop a collective of pro-fessionals that will provide condition-specific architectural design and technical services. He has many built projects to his credit.Anand has lectured and is a visiting faculty at the School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Technical University Berlin, Germany and University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria.

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IntroductionToday the Indian Design Industry is like a teenager. It is neither too small to be overlooked nor too big. Like any teenager, it requires mentoring which partnership with a design evolved nation like “The Netherlands” can provide.

Design as a discipline is comparatively new for India. The origin of modern design could be traced from the point of establishment of National Institute of Design in 1960 at Ahmedabad.

History

In a traditional sense the practice of design is age old in India. India has always had a rich culture and craft tradition. The rituals, practices, festivals, all are nothing but design manifestations as each of them has a profound purpose behind them. These traditions and crafts provide a wonderful backdrop and inspiration to understand and to look at Modern design.

During the British rule in India, the British introduced their educational system within the country. It was during this time that first art colleges in India were setup. In 1850 the art school in Madras was founded as private enterprise by Dr. Alexander Hunter, in 1854 The School of Industrial Arts was started in Kolkata. The J. J. School of Arts was started in 1857 in Bombay now Mumbai. In 1866 Jeypore School of Industrial Art was started. It was with the advent of these institutions that commercial graphics got introduced in the Indian system.

It was during these times that exhibitions were organized to promote Industrial Art. One such example is the International Industrial Exhibition 1883–84 in Calcutta to demonstrate the success of using the modern technique in traditional manufacture. The main purposes of the exhibitions, was to promote trade in the commercial products of India, to improve ordinary and art manu-factures and to promote trade in these manufactures.

India has done well so far in terms of producing international quality designers. While we may have lacked in quantity, we were never found wanting in terms of quality of our design education. With changing times, our design education also needs to evolve to the next level. The challenge is to move towards a more holistic, multidisciplinary design education to develop design professionals who can position design more strategically as an integration of the aesthetic, business, technological and sociological concerns. Another challenge is to embed design in the teaching and learning of other disciplines and capabilities, such as in business and engineering schools.

Architecture, Interior, Animation / New Media, Fashion Design are leading domains within the design industry. Other segments are far behind at present. With the change in economic scenario design domains such as graphic design, industrial design, Human Computer Interaction is growing at a fast clip.

It is since 1991 that the Indian economy opened up. In accordance with the growth of the economy the industry also matured and vice versa. First internal and then international competition set in. manufacturers and businesses started searching of ways and means to remain unique and competitive. It is with this quest of competitiveness that the role of Design in India also started getting recognized.

As of date, the majority of design users are big businesses. Most of the small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) lack the resources or understanding of how to use design as a competitive advantage. Design has to be reached to the Small and Medium enterprises.

A tectonic shift is underway. Design and Development of new offerings is now moving to India. The reasons are many and obvious. The centre of gravity of design is slowly but surely moving towards India, opening doors to huge opportunities. India with its “thinking” and qualified designers is well poised to leverage this opportunity. Surely there are some structural imbalances. It is a matter

designPreparedby:HrridayshDespande,designprofessional

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Sir JJ School of Art started as an Arts and Crafts institution and initiated architecture in 1900. In 1935 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 in 1960 the Government setup National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad. The institute started with programs in Industrial design and Visual Communication. This was followed by setting up of Industrial Design Centre under the aegis of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai in 1969. Both these institutions carried the mantle of design in India in the modern era followed by many others.

Context

Rapid socio-economic changes have swept across India. India is witnessing the creation of many new markets and a further expansion of the existing ones. With over 300 million people moving up from the category of rural poor to rural lower middle class between 2005 and 2025, rural consumption levels are expected to rise to current urban levels by 2017.

Indian incomes are likely to grow three-fold over the next two decades India will become the world’s fifth largest consumer market by 2025 Today it is the 12th largest consumer market. Compared to urban areas, the ‘lower middle income’ group in rural areas has nearly doubled. This major consumer base accounts for 41 per cent of the Indian middle class having access to 58 per cent of the total disposable income. Of the next 250 million Indian wireless users, around 100 million (40 per cent) are expected to be from rural areas.

The FMCG sector has been registering double-digit growth in sales since the last couple of years. With the rapidly increasing number of millionaires in India, market for luxury brands is growing annually at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of about 35 per cent. A combination of changing lifestyles, higher disposable income, greater product awareness and affordable pricing have been instrumental in changing the pattern and amount of consumer expenditure leading to robust growth of consumer durables industry.

India is the second largest two-wheeler market in the world, the fourth largest commercial vehicle market,

11th largest passenger car market and is expected to be the third largest automobile market by 2030.

Design in India – Today and TomorrowThe strength of Indian design stems from its deep cultural roots and the bright context of its economic position. Design is extremely important to the future of India. Design is a powerful integrator contributing to Indian culture, environment and economy at the same time in a balanced manner. Beyond aesthetics design has the power to give expression to people’s values and aspirations.

India has a vibrant design industry and an ever-increasing number of design users backed by a strong platform of design education. Indian designers are an eclectic mix of talent, insight and experience. Design in India has matured over the years and continues to grow from strength to strength.

In the year 2007, India became one of the few countries to adopt a National Design Policy. The vision behind the national design policy was to have “A Design Enabled Indian Industry”. Now that the policy is adopted, the key intention of the government through the policy implementation is to consolidate multiple design specialties into a unified industry, to tangibly demonstrate contributions of design, as an industry, to the nation’s business, government, and the public, highlight our exemplary designers and training of designers with the skills necessary to demonstrate the industry’s value. To enable the policy implementation and to realize the consolidation of the design industry, the Indian Government announced establishment of Indian Design Council (IDC) in March 2009.

The design industry lags behind other professional services domains in numerical terms when looked at in terms of turnover and number of employees. At the same time, the contribution of Design to Industry is immense.

In India, there is no standard definition of the term ‘professional designer’. There are some, who are properly trained at Design Schools there are many who work as designers and there are numerous people who call themselves a designer.

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of time that these impediments are reduced and then removed. There surely are a lot of things that remain to be done. Again the apparent benefits will expedite these steps. India being geographically large and demographically vast, things takes little longer to take root. Being a democracy decision-making involves a certain hierarchy and lot of people and hence things are a little slow. Finally what comes out is a long lasting advantage. At the same time we are transparent. Every part of the country is visible. Every area of growth is known; every shred of a problem is amplified. This is the inherent strength of India.

Right from the beginning of design education about 50 years back the design institutions in India has been producing designers who are socially conscious. Social consciousness is not something that has come lately in the minds of Indian designers. A lot of Indian designers are engaged in betterment of the society using design principles and process. For Indian designers, empathy comes naturally. Sustainability is not an add-on concept for them, but something that is deep rooted in them through the cultural heritage and what the Indian design schools have taught as inherent value system of design.

We still need to do a lot of work to improve the true understanding of design in the national mind and to arrive at a national design culture. Conscious efforts are clearly needed to enhance global competitiveness of Indian design industry. Design industry that improves competitiveness of other industries, itself is in the need of more recognition and support.

As the emphasis for many Indian businesses shift from low – cost production to original new offerings, design could be the only change agent. To harvest this change, we need to develop our design industry, invest in national design promotion and prepare to produce more designers and design thinkers.

EducationDesign education in India is exploding. Exploding is the right metaphor when one looks at the number of new design institutions being setup in the country. Till about 2004, design education was imparted by a handful of institutions. All these institutions were Government owned. It was in 2004 that a few institutions from the private sector entered in design education. Since then, there is no looking back.

There are around 19 Institutions having programs on Industrial design and 29 Institutes offering the graphic design programs. Total numbers of Industrial Design programs on offer are around 35, of which 20 are on post graduate level, 10 on under graduate level and 4 Diploma level and 1 at certificate level respectively. For Graphic Design there are a total of 57 programs. Of these 14 are offered at postgraduate level, 29 at under graduate level and 7 each at diploma and certificate levels.

As of date the total industrial design program intake is 665 students per year at different levels, of which 400 are at postgraduate level, 217 are at under graduate level and 48 are at diploma level. On the other hand Graphic design institutes have a total annual intake of 1080 students. Of these 236 are enrolled at postgraduate level, 794 at under graduate level, 30 at diploma level and 20 at certificate level.

Design education in India lack coherent structure. By coherent structure it means that proper accreditation or affiliation procedures are not present. Lack of coherence creates difficulties in terms of student mobility, problems in understanding the outcome of a given program. Only architecture education is accredited and requires licensing. The recently constituted India Design Council has accre ditation of design qualifications as one of its mandate. Some architectural courses are offering Interior design as a specialization now. Many universities have initiated 3-year bachelors program in interior design, which tend to be more interior decoration than interior design.

Within graphic design, there is a sizeable presence of program called “Applied Arts”. Applied arts is a 4 year program post 12 years of school education and it is mandatory to have approval from All India Council for Technical Education to initiate this program besides university affiliation. The output of applied arts programs 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 institutions. This number is growing with every passing year. As of date the traditional universities within India do not have these programs approved. University of Pune is the first university to approve these programs as Bachelors degrees. University of Delhi is soon to introduce design programs.

In addition to the designers qualified through the number of design programs, there is also a good number of

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professionals working or operating as designers who are not formally trained. This is mainly so in the field of graphic design, where for example fine arts students have acquired some graphic design skills and are working as graphic designers. HCI is another such field where due to lack of qualified people within the specific domain of HCI, people with other qualifications are discharging HCI duties.

The Indian design education system offer diverse programs choices at all levels such as certificate, diploma, under graduate, postgraduate programs. However most of the postgraduate programs are essentially after-graduate programs. This means that at the post graduate level instead of offering instruction that is advanced in nature as compared to under graduate level, instruction offered is similar in content to under graduate programs. The eligibility for admission to these postgraduate programs is “any graduation”. Hence the postgraduate program does not build on the knowledge acquired by the student during under graduate studies. Rather it starts with fundamentals of design and cover the under graduate program content in two years. Barring a few exceptions like Industrial Design Centre of IIT, Bombay and Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad there are virtually no Ph.D. programs in the field of design.

There is much to indicate that many design graduates do not fully possess the new competencies of design demanded by the corporate sector, including international competencies. It is important that the Indian design study programs enable designers with this new set of competencies. While the quality of education provided can be said to be high, it is strongly oriented towards craft 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 oriented skills and knowledge.

Most of the new design schools are following the NID / IDC pattern. Even though the new design schools had an opportunity to reorient themselves in new ways of design education, they have chosen to blindly follow the benchmarks set by NID and IDC. The primary reason is that the faculty teachings at these new institutions are alumni or erstwhile faculty members of NID or IDC. There is another interesting trend that is emerging. The new design schools are opening as collaboration schools i.e. they have colla boration with one international design institution and they are kind of replicating the pattern of the collaborating institution in India.

Two recent examples illustrate this phenomenon. In both cases it is a French collaboration. DSK Supinfocom (http://www.dsksic.com/) has set up a campus in Pune in collaboration with Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Valenciennois (CCIV) and is offering programs in the areas of Animation, Gaming and Industrial Design. Another one is the recent example of Ecole Intuit.Lab (http://www.ecole-intuit-lab.co.in) setup in Mumbai in collaboration with French institute intuit.lab. They are offering programs in Graphic Design and allied areas. This could be an interesting model for Dutch Design Institutions to spread their presence in India. There are a lot of investors, interested in initiating design institutions and collaboration for them is extremely important. A recent and perhaps the only example of Indo-Dutch educational cooperation is in the form of Retail Design Management Program (http://india.retaildesignmanagement.com/), which is being executed by Kyoorius Exchange and TU Delft.

Research in the field of design in India, is miniscule. Publications by faculty are rare. There are no design research journals that get published in India. Barring a few exceptions there have been no conferences held in India where papers were invited, peer reviewed and then published. There is a lack of well-trained design faculty in India. Due to continuance of lack of good faculty, the schools may have to source bring faculty from other parts of the world.

The number of design schools opening up in India is a good sign. This will produce a large number of designers, thereby bringing better standards in design awareness as well affectivity. It will create a push from within the design fraternity for the society and industry to adopt design in its many different avatars.

List of Design Institutions

A representative list of some prominent design education institutions is given here for ready referral only. The order in which the names are listed are random. Mention of a particular institution in this list does not in any way imply that these institutions are the only or the best institutions for design.

InteriorDesign• Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology

(CEPT), Ahmedabad• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology,

Bangalore

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GraphicDesign• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad• Industrial Design Centre- IIT Bombay, Mumbai• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology,

Bangalore• MIT Institute of Design, Pune

Industrial+Automotive+RetailDesign• 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• Instrument Design & Development Centre, IIT Delhi• Design Programme, IIT Kanpur• School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi• Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISC,

Bangalore• MS Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies, Bangalore• MIT Institute of Design, Pune

Animation+NewMediaDesign• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad• Industrial Design Centre IIT Bombay, Mumbai• Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore

HumanComputerInteraction• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad• Industrial Design Centre IIT Bombay• Department of Design IIT Guwahati

National Institute of Design (NID) and Industrial Design Centre at IIT, Powai, Mumbai feature in all the sub-lists. They are the oldest design institutions in India and have been the founding institutions of design in India. Other institutes mentioned have been in existence for a long time and have done a very good job of turning out well-trained designers. They are blessed with good faculty, good infrastructure and good intent. There are a few exceptions in the list, which are young institutions. But they are listed in here as they show a lot of promise. As regards international cooperation, not much is known in the public domain. NID has the highest number of international cooperation MoU’s. In fact most of the well-known international institutions have a MoU with NID. The only hitch is what happens, as a part of these MoU’s is not known. There is very little activity seen externally on the international front at NID. Institutes like IIT, Kanpur has cooperation with University of Art and Design in Finland, Shristi does a lot of work with Nokia, MS Ramaih has cooperation with Coventry University, UK. Rest of the others may have international cooperation, but is not known.

It is suggested that the Dutch Institutions interested in developing cooperation with Indian Design Institutions should look at the new and upcoming design institutions. The main reason for this suggestion that these new institutions are more open and flexible and hence the collaboration / cooperation with get some meaning and activity rather than just being on paper.

OrganizationsConfederationofIndianIndustry(CII)http://www.cii.in/

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative processes. CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led and industry managed organization, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded over 114 years ago, it is India’s premier business association, with a direct membership of over 7800 organizations from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 90,000 companies from around 385 national and regional sectoral associations.

To enhance the focus of CII in the area of Design, a National Committee on Design was constituted. CII National Committee on Design is the reference point in India on Design and works closely with the stakeholders for strategizing and implementing all the Design initiatives in the country.

IIID-IndianInstituteofInteriorDesignerhttp://www.iiid.org

The Indian Institute of Interior Designers was founded in 1972. Today it comprises of over three thousand members spread around the country having eleven Chapters and four Centres. The IIID is a full member of the IFI- Inter national Federation of Interior Architects / Interior Designers and the APSDA-Asia Pacific Space Designers Association and an associate of the JDF-Japan Design Foundation.

DesignIndiahttp://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/designindia/

DesignIndia is one of the premier e-groups of Designers from India comprising Designers, Design students, Design entrepreneurs, Design faculty, etc. DesignIndia is an Interaction platform for the hottest topics in design. Design India started in 2002 by Sudhir Sharma has over

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2500 members today. Membership to this e-group is closely monitored and only professionals are allowed membership.

IndiaDesignAssociation(InDeAs)http://www.in-de-as.org/

InDeAs is an association for addressing the interests of the design community in India. InDeAs is a pan-India networking, showcasing and events platform for India’s design community (drawn from across the spectrum). The Association promotes and creates awareness about the design profession in the country. InDeAs has presently a membership of 318 with commitments of 8 corporate memberships.

NationalDesignBusinessIncubatorhttp://www.ndbiindia.org/

NDBI is an initiative of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, set up with the support of Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi. The mandate of NDBI is to nurture a culture of entre-preneurship in the creative minds of young designers, so that their ideas metamorphose into newer and niftier products or services capable of being marketed and sold. The outcome is creation of a new class of entrepreneurs, the Designpreneurs. The initiative is a part of a commitment by NID to build on India’s design strengths aimed at translating the dream of “made in India, designed for the world” a reality. First and the only one design-led business incubator in the country, NDBI not only support designers to turn their ideas and concepts into successful competitive businesses but also provide an environment where they can develop the essential business management skills and systems that enable them to grow.

NationalCentreforDesign&ProductDevelopmenthttp://ncdpd.com/home.aspx

Set Up in 1999 under society’s act by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. The Centre is involved in activities such as market driven design services with the help of international / national designers, technology support for quality / mass production, quality control and merchandising services, 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, awareness Programs / Seminars, etc. The Centre’s vision is to provide design inputs to handicraft exporting community about trends & forecast periodically, to create

& reinforce the uniqueness of Indian designs, to update the sector about the changing global scenario with reference to technical advancement, to support product development and upgrade quality & to cater to the needs of changing taste & Design concepts of international buyers.

AssociationofIndianDesignIndustry(AIDI)andPuneDesignFoundation(PDF)AIDI and Pune Design Foundation had individual existence till sometime back. Now they have agreed to merge together to form a pan-India national body of designers. As a result the individual activities of PDF and AIDI are at a standstill. Moreover, there is no seen activity as regards the formation of pan-India body.

FurtherremarksConfederation of Indian Industry is by far the most consistent and active organization promoting design in India. In the past, CII has had several interactions with Dutch Designers and Bodies like BNO.

The Indian Institute of Interior Designer is most active body of Interior Designers. They are well organized, have structured presence in major cities and have a very strong membership base.

DesignIndia, even though just a Yahoo e-group is very strong with its membership base of designers. Design-India promoters are currently thinking of giving a physical form to this e-group. With the folding up of AIDI and PDF, the only designers association in existence is InDeAs. They show a reasonable membership base, but have not heard of any specific activities of this group.

National Design Business Incubator is an NID run activity and National Centre for Design & Product Development is a Government initiated setup. Both these institutions could be worth exploring for cooperation.

There is no formal relationship in between these organizations. There are some cross memberships, but beyond that there is nothing. Initiation of close cooperation with CII, IIID and Designindia is suggested.

GovernmentRealizing the increasing importance of design in economic, industrial and societal development and in improving quality of products and services, the

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Government of India initiated a consultative process with industry, designers and other stakeholders to develop the broad contours of a National Design Policy. The vision behind initiating a ‘National Design Policy’ is to have a “design enabled Indian industry” which could impact both the national economy and the quality of life in a positive manner.

The Union cabinet approved the National Design Policy in February 2007 with the aim to globally position and brand Indian designs and making “designed in India” a by-word for quality and utility. The policy envisages:• Preparation of a platform for creative design

development, design promotion and partnerships across many sectors, states, and regions for integrating design with traditional and technological resources;

• Presentation of Indian designs and innovations on the international arena through strategic integration and cooperation with international design organizations;

• Global positioning and branding of Indian designs and making “Designed in India” a by-word for quality and utility in conjunction with “Made in India” and “Served from India‘;

• Promotion of Indian design through a well defined and managed regulatory, promotional and institutional framework;

• Raising Indian design education to global standards of excellence;

• Creation of original Indian designs in products and 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 service providers, particularly SMEs and cottage industries, about the competitive advantage of original designs;

• Attracting investments, including foreign direct investments, in design services and design related R & D; and

• Involving Industry and professional designers in the collaborative development of the design profession;

One can find the national design policy on the website http://www.dipp.nic.in/design_policy/national_design_

policy.pdf

National Design Policy has undergone the following journey:• December 2004 – Government intent for Design Policy• 2005 – Stakeholders Meetings At Mumbai, New Delhi,

Bangalore & Calcutta• 5th CII-NID Design Summit: Design Policy Focus• 2006 – National Design Policy Draft Preparation• 8th Feb 2007 – Announcement of National Design

Policy• 2’nd March 2009 India Design Council constituted• First meeting of India Design Council held on June 18,

2009

The Policy will look at a wide range of issues from the demand as well as supply side. It will look into design education, design use, setting of design standard, etc. The policy seeks to create a brand image for Indian designs through the constitution of `India Design Mark’. India Design Mark will specify certain criteria for designs such as aesthetic appeal, originality, centricity, innovativeness, ergonomic features, safety and eco-friendliness. It will facilitate creation and protection of intellectual property in the area of designs.

The policy efforts will be directed towards making India a major hub for exports and outsourcing of designs. 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.

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.It plans to setup four more National Institutes of Design in different regions of the country including one in the northeast states. It will seek support from the state governments for the allocation of land for the purpose. The process of setting up a NID campus in Bhopal is already initiated and it would come up soon.

The policy will encourage establishment of department of design in all Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), the National Institute of Technology (NIT) and private sector colleges. Plans are afoot to accord the status of “Deemed to be University” or “University” to National Institutes of Design so that they can award Bachelors in Design and Masters in Design degrees instead of the diplomas

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awarded at present where the plan is to start under graduate design programs. The policy will create a Chartered Society for Designers 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 government’s role in the promotion of design industry. What is now most important is that policy should be followed by its implementation. The constitution of India Design Council will now pave way for its effective implementation.

The India Design Council (IDC0 has had roughly 4 meetings thus far. The council is still in its infancy and is still in the exploration phase. In the second meeting, held concurrently with 9’th CII-NID Design Summit at Delhi, presentations from 3 countries were a part of the meeting agenda. Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) made presentations. These presentations were made to express the intent of respective bodies to cooperate and help the India Design Council. As per the known information, a matrix has been drawn to map the partnerships with Japan, Netherlands and the UK. For Education/ Skill development / Training / capacity building Design Professionals UK has been proposed as the Lead partner, for Development of India Design Mark, Certification, Japan is proposed as lead partner andThe Netherlands has been proposed as lead partner for Establishment of Charted Society for Designers. While all countries will be considered partners for all initiatives, the lead partner will be the anchor.

On April 26 The India Design Council recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) for collaboration, education and development of design skills in both countries. The MoU was signed by Anand Mahindra, Chairman, India Design Council, Pradyumna Vyas, Member Secretary, India Design Council and Asaka Takeshi, Executive Manager, JIDPO. More details are available on http://www.icsid.org/news/year/2010_news/articles1081.htm

The India Design Council has formed some sub-committees. Besides allocating members from within the council, the sub-committees also have some invited members. The sub-committees formed are in areas like Design Education, Design Mark, etc. Recently, it was

decided that The India Design Council Secretariat will operate from CII office in New Delhi and the council will have a full-time Executive Director and another person to assist him.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion

The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was established in 1995 and has been reconstituted in the year 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development. Earlier separate Ministries for Small Scale Industries & Agro and Rural Industries (SSI&A&RI) and Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (HI&PE) were created in October 1999. Design as a domain comes under the purview of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is responsible for formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental measures for growth of the industrial sector, keeping in view the national priorities and socio-economic objectives. While individual Administrative Ministries look after the production, distribution, development and planning aspects of specific industries allocated to them, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is responsible for the overall Industrial Policy.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion monitors the industrial growth and production, in general, and selected industrial sectors, such as cement, paper and pulp, leather, tyre and rubber, light electrical industries, consumer goods, consumer durables, light machine tools, light industrial machinery, light engineering industries etc., in particular. Appropriate interventions are made on the basis of policy inputs generated by monitoring and periodic review of the industrial sector. The Department studies, assesses and forecasts the need for technological development in specific industrial sectors. On this basis, it plans for modernization and technological up gradation of the Indian industry so that, it keeps pace with the inter-national developments in industrial technology on a continuing basis.

India Design Council Further to the announcement of the National Design Policy by the Government of India in February 2007, the India Design Council is formulated. Shri Anand Mahindra, well-

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known industrialist, is the President and Shri Pradyumna Vyas is the Member-Secretary of the India Design Council. It comprises of eminent personalities from various walks of life. The mandate of this council, amongst others, will be to work for the upgrade of design in the country. For more details visit http://www.nid.edu/design_council.htm

Ministry of MSME

Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is another key player in the design domain. Ministry of MSME has promulgated “Design Clinic scheme as a part of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in their endeavour to become competitive.

The scheme is to be implemented to bring Indian manufacturing sector and design expertise on to a common platform and to provide expert advice and cost effective solutions on real time design problems, resulting in continuous improvement and value addition for existing products.

The Planning Commission under the Scheme, “National Manufacturing Competitiveness Program”, has approved a provision of Rs. 50 crores. Through this scheme the ministry would be able to conduct approximately 100 semi nars and 100 workshops aimed at Design Sensitization, thus reaching out to about 8000 MSME’s. The scheme will fund approximately 720 MSME’s for their design projects. The scheme envisages helping MSME’s across the length and breadth of the country, not restricting to a particular region or industry.The scheme provides funding at a 60-40 ratio thus ensuring the complete commitment from applicant MSME towards the project.

Key players

The top design consultancies in India are Tata Elxsi Limited, Bangalore - http://tataelxsi.com/ide/index.html/ http://tataelxsi.com/

htmls/pds/pds_home.htmIdiom Design and Consulting Ltd, Bangalore - http://www.idiom.co.in/ Elephant Strategy + Design, Pune - http://www.elephantdesign.com/ Desmania Design, Mumbai and Delhi - http://www.desmania.com/ Lokus Design, Pune -

http://www.lokusdesign.com/ Incubis Consultants (India), Delhi - http://incubis.net/flash/aboutus.swf Icarus Design Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore - http://www.icarus.co.in/

DMA Branding, Mumbai - http://www.dmabranding.com/ Lumium Innovations Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad - http://www.lumium.com/ DC Design – http://www.dcdesign.co.in/ The Brand Union - http://www.rayandkeshavan.com/ / http://www.thebrandunion.com/AboutUs/OurOffices/2/

Bangalore

While many of these companies are multi-disciplinary, most of them have a particular area of strength. Elephant specializes in branding and packaging, Idiom in Retail design, Desmania in product design, DMA and Lokus design in packaging, Incubis in retail design, DC Design in Automotive Design, IDEA in product design. This necessarily means that even though many of these consultancies are big, their main bread and butter come from a certain design domain.

The other prominent design companies, having a mark on the Indian design scene, but not as big as the ones mentioned above are: Design Directions Pvt. Ltd., Pune - http://www.designdirections.net/ Lemon Design Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Delhi - http://www.lemondesign.co.in/ Onio Design Pvt. Ltd., Pune - http://www.oniodesign.com/ Freedom Tree Design, Mumbai - http://freedomtreedesign.com/site/ Ticket Design Pvt. Ltd, Pune - http://www.designticket.com/ Lopez Design Pvt. Ltd, Delhi - http://www.lopezdesign.com/ Bang Design, Bangalore - http://www.bang.co.in/ Flextronics Design India Limited, Bangalore - http://www.flextronics.com/ Futuring Design, Mumbai - http://www.futuringdesign.com/ Studio Korjan, Ahmedabad - http://www.korjan.com/

TDI GROUP, Bangalore - http://www.tycka.in Think Design, Delhi, Hyderabad - http://www.thinkdesign.in/ Indi Design, Pune - http://indidesign.wordpress.com/

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Grandmother India - http://www.grandmother.in/ Vyas Giannetti - http://www.vgc.in/

Titan Design Studio - http://www.titanglobaldesign.com/ Itu Chaudhuri Design - http://www.icdindia.com/ Foley Designs - http://www.foleydesigns.com/

Each of these design companies specialize the one or two domains of design practice. They also practice other disciplines, but that practice is more opportunistic and does not necessarily reflect the core competence of the design company.

All the above listed companies could be interesting for Netherlands as they represent the core of Indian Design Industry. They have been in existence for a long time, have good talent, and have established businesses and a firm client base. The most important aspect is their thorough understanding of the Indian business needs and competitive scenario. Firms, which are smaller in size in most cases, are by virtue of conscious decisions of its owners to remain small and focus on the niche. Synergies between Dutch and Indian Design Studios could be found and extrapolated for mutual gains.

Trade and industryThe numbers of design companies are growing, as also there is growth in existing companies. There is a good trend of designers opting to start their own setup. Hence most of the companies existing today are new. The existing companies are consolidating further by adding more services to their portfolio within diverse design disciplines. Majority of design companies are based in urban areas.

India is a large market and at the same very unique as well. There is no such thing called as a thumb rule, which can describe Indian market or consumers. They vary in cultures, traditions, religions, customers, food, dressing, etc. At the same time Indian consumer is becoming more demanding and is asserting himself to get his aspirations satisfied.

Multinational corporations are focusing on India as a new market for trading their products / services. They very well understand that their successes elsewhere would not necessarily translate in a similar way in India. They will

need to understand the market, the sensibilities of the people and respond to them through their offerings. Global corporations will need to work with designers to understand the local market. This puts a spot light on the design industry like never before.

Major Indian organizations like Tatas, Bajaj, TCS, ISRO and many others have embraced design and have done tremendously well by absorbing lot of Design capabilities up to the final product. Today many Indian companies like GVK Industries, Titan, Art d’inox, Ergo, Future Group, Ginger Hotels, Godrej Interio, Larsen and Toubro, Nirlep, Philips, are using design extensively for gaining competitive advantage.

There are around 52 Industrial Design consultancies in India. Majority of Industrial design consultancies are in Pune and Mumbai, each city having around 12 Industrial design consultancies. Delhi and Bangalore each have around 10 Industrial design consultancies. Ahmedabad accounts of 4 Industrial design consultancies. Chennai has 2 and Gurgaon and Hyderabad each account for 1 industrial design consultancies. These consultancies employ a total of around 598 designers.

Graphic design consultancies are also present in large numbers across India. There are around 53 firms offering graphic design consultation. Pune, Bangalore and Delhi 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 2 Graphic consultancies and Chennai, Coimbatore, Gurgaon, Rajkot and Surat each has 1 Graphic Design Consultancy firm. There are around 629 designers working in the graphic design consultancies.

Today, most of the design firms are doing well. They have a firm customer base, developed through personal relationships rather than any overt marketing or business development activities. When looking at the Design Industry in India, we need to make a major distinction. In one part, there are designers who run their own design companies and designers employed in these design companies. In other part there are designers who are employed with the Industry in the in-house design departments of these companies.

These companies are mainly large companies engaged in FMCG segment, automobile segment, Entertainment Electronics, advertising, communication, etc. Designers working in these companies outnumber the designers

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working in design service companies. The designers working within Industry have been left out of most of the consultative processes about Design in India, but they represent an important voice. It is suggested that these designers be engaged to develop business, as their firms are already design buyers and moreover they understand the importance of design.

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 only do work for Indian operations but also for their parent companies.

A majority of design services companies are small one to five people operations mostly driven by the owners. They are low in professionalization and lack commercial skills. There are a lot of designers who work as freelancers. There is an increasing trend of the freelancers and small design firms cooperating amongst each other in informal ways to get business and execute projects. No formal network exists.

Of the established design companies there are diverse visions. Some of them are keen on expanding the business, whereas some of them are content with what they have got. With few exceptions, it is generally seen that younger design firms are keener about growth-based vision.

Small and young design companies represent an opportunity segment for Dutch Design companies are collaborators. The main reason for this suggestion is that

these companies are keen to grow, they lack skill sets, which could be complemented by the partner, and they have access to market. On the strength of the partners portfolio they can pitch for larger and more complex projects. Through the partnership, the design companies will be able to showcase varied applications of design to there clients and hence develop business in newer areas. This kind of partnership will be a win-win for both.

Geographical distribution of

design industry

The major concentration of design companies is in 4 urban areas viz. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. All these four cities are industrially active and are home to majority of well-known Indian companies. The concentration of design companies in Bangalore and Pune owes to the presence of design users in that region which mainly constitutes technology companies. Also these two cities offer a very good standard of living, good weather and an experimental, culturally active society. Both these cities offer a complete ecosystem for design including design firms, design users, educational institutions and a positive environment. Mumbai and Delhi are natural destinations for design companies purely for the reason that these two cities host the topmost Indian corporations from diverse segments. These two cities offer a well-developed market for design services. The presence of leading design education institutions in these cities is also another reason for concentration of design companies in these cities and vice versa.

Pune

DesignCompanies DesignInstitutions

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

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Bangalore

DesignCompanies DesignInstitutions

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

DesignCompanies DesignInstitutions

Desmania Design Industrial Design Centre- IIT Bombay

DMA Branding

Freedom Tree Design

Vyas Giannetti Creative

Futuring Design

Grandmother India

Delhi

DesignCompanies DesignInstitutions

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

The use of design (i.e., either in-house design activities or the purchase of specialized design services) by Indian firms is spread across many sectors. FMCG companies, Automobile, Retail, IT/communication, Fashion industries have a particularly large use of design. The typical buyers of design services include appliance manufacturers, machine – tool manufacturers, automotive industry, furniture manufacturers, retail industry, hospitality industry, Telecom and IT industry, FMCG companies, banking and insurance companies, publishing companies, apparel & footwear companies, pharmaceutical Industries, etc. Domains such as education, NGOs, Institutions, Real Estate, Government, etc. sporadically use design services.

Design is evolving to become more strategic in nature. It means that businesses use design across the length of

their development process as also they use design to find new areas of business. Companies use design in different ways. Some use it as strategic tool and some relegate it to be used at the end of the development process for styling purposes. A handful of Indian companies use design strategically. Most of the others use it for ornamental purposes. Overall design utility is viewed in a very limited perspective by Indian industry. Design is an underused activity in most of the Indian businesses. Design is often seen as an expense item reserved for large companies thus keeping small and medium sized companies out of the design users list.

Here there exists a paradoxical situation. The paradox is that here is an industry, which is growing, which needs the competitive edge and yet they are not active design users / buyers. The main reason attributed for this situation is the little or no information amongst these businesses

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about the utility of design. Part of this non-information could be attributed to the Indian Design Companies who 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 market for their services. It would be worthwhile for Dutch design companies to tap the chamber of commerce or management associations based in major Indian cities. Most of the Indian industry is focused in and around approx. 22 cities. All of these cities have local industry associations, which could be leveraged. Also social networks like Rotary, Lions, and Jaycees can be used for the purpose of reaching out to local businesses.

Internationalization

A few of the Indian design companies are internationalizing their operations. They have been opening offices in other countries as also they are tying up with design companies from other countries. Some of such tie-ups are listed below. As it is a new phenomenon the successes or failures of these tie-ups or their operational framework is not known. Some more tie-ups are in the offing, but not yet declared.

• Elephant Strategy+ Design entered into an alliance with NPK Industrial Design, Netherlands & Design Continuum, USA (www.elephantdesign.com)

• Vyas Gianetti Creative signed six partnerships with Flex / The Innovation Lab (Product Design); Lava Graphic Studios (Editorial Design); Indeed (Marketing Sales & Strategy); Wally Olins’ Saffron; DixonBaxi (Creative and Strategic consultancy) and Ryan + Deslauriers (Real Estate Branding). (http://domain-b.com/brand_dossier/

adv_brnd/20090115_vyas.html)• Onio Design has partnered with Style Vision, France for

Trend Research. (www.oniodesign.com) • Brandscapes Worldwide Consultancy– Brandscapes

Worldwide tied up with Design Bridge, U.K based design consultancy firm.

Foreign companies like Saffron Brand Consultants, Landor & Associates, Fitch, WD partners have already setup operations in India. These companies mainly represent the branding and communication domain. There is news of a few more coming to India from other design domains as well. Well-known design consultancies

like IDEO - USA, Jump Associates – USA are also contemplating setting up offices in India.

Media, awards and exhibitionsCII-NID Design Summit: Since 2001, an annual flagship event CII-NID Design Summit is being organized where all the stakeholders from the Design community interact to assess the current scenario, future trends and promotion of Design in the Indian industry. The event is one of the premier events of Design, which attracts attendees from Industry & Design houses within India and abroad. The event has so far seen 09 editions.

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 with presentations by prominent international practitioners in the fields of design, web, branding and marketing along with workshops and panel discussions. The conference content celebrates design excellence, provides insights into the future of design while simultaneously reinforcing the sense of community among India’s creative’s.

Business World-NID Design Excellence Awards – In 2003, Business world Magazine & National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, joined hands to institute the annual “Business World-NID Design Excellence Awards”. The awards includes 16 categories like Urban Town Planning, Product design, Furniture design, Transportation and automobile design, Packaging design, Graphic design, etc (http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/BW-

NID/BW-NID-Concept.html)

It is suggested that Dutch Designers and design companies participate in the two annual events viz. CII-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 initiated “The Inter national Young Design Entrepreneur” (http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iydey2007.htm#2009). An activity inspired by this, not necessarily similar to this would help create a good branding for Dutch Design in India. A public activity, which is the replication of Dutch Design Week in cooperation with CII could be another possibility.

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MediaDesignDisciplines SomeMediaPublications

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 launched from May 2010. The name is Pool. Pool is a new monthly publication for designers in India by Designindia. Pool Magazine covers all walks of design, innovation and art.

Recent creative exchange between India and the NetherlandsThe beginning of creative exchange between India and the Netherlands in the recent past could be traced back to 2007 when a few Dutch delegates attended CII-NID 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

Kejriwal (Kyoorius) visited the Netherlands for a design mission organised by the BNO

Since then there has been serious Dutch participation in two major design events in India, viz. CII-NID Design Summit and Kyoorius Design Yatra. The period of 2009 to 2010 is very important in this context for following reasons:• 2009 – 8’th CII-NID Design Summit and First India

Design Festival – Pune – This event saw a big Dutch delegation led by Honorable Minister Mr. Franck Heemskerk. This event also saw the signing of major

collaborative agreements between Dutch companies / institutions and Indian companies and institutions. Major collaborations signed were between TUDelft and Elephant - versity Institute of Innovation, NPK and Elephant Strategy + Design, Vyas Gianetti with Flex and Lava.

• 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 Design Festival – Delhi – Here again there was a sizeable Dutch Participation wherein the DutchDFA supported the event by arranging 3 speakers at the event.

Indian Design Industry – a SWOT AnalysisStrengths• Growing markets - nationally and internationally• Vibrant culture• Cultural diversity• Resilient entrepreneurial spirit• Increasing Talent Base• Fairly good IPR regimeWeaknesses• Unorganized & Fragmented• Lack of strategic design and design management skills• Quality of services and consistency in design• Non availability of specialized people’s guidance• No links between R&D, innovation and design

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• Lack of leadership and focus• Unaffordable Design• Design education lacking business and management

focus

Opportunities• Rising aspirations of Indian population• Rise in the number of Wicked Problems• Continuing education programs for Designers • Building Larger and Specialized Design Firms• Improve Competitiveness of Design Studios• Up gradation of Design Education• Globalization of India design by overseas cooperation

and collaboration

Threats• Lacks governmental support• Technological and financial limitations• Business understanding of the value of design

Main trends and prospectsThere is a certain up curve when it comes to Indian Design Industry and Indian Industry. This brings out both challenges and opportunities. The pace of change in the field of design makes it difficult to predict the future. However what one can surely do is to imagine the future, which continues to happen with every passing day.

Next 5 years time is extremely crucial for the Indian design industry, as there is a phenomenal growth in each sector and so is the growth in demand for design. In the next 5 years, there will be a huge demand from the market for professionally run design companies.

Dutch presence in India must be built around 3 pillars:

Education• Professional Training• Continuing Education Programs• Cooperation with Existing Design Institutions• Collaboration with new Design Institutions

Promotion• Exhibitions• Awards / Competitions• Seminars / Conferences• Publications - Newsletters

Support• Advisory programs• Demonstration programs• Workshops / TrainingsOne to five people companies characterize Indian design industry. Many of them are new. It is seen that dues to smallness and newness the capabilities of these companies are limited. It is not to say that they are incapable. They are good in a given set of skills. However they are not able to integrate of competencies such as social sciences, engineering, business skills in their design processes effectively. They lack the ability to carry out projects involving different design disciplines. The small companies need to grow and new companies need to sustain while developing new capabilities and addressing unmet needs of Indian businesses.

Design is now branching out of its core roots to newer applications and utilities. Areas such as interaction design, service design, transformation design, and 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 the involvement of competencies in marketing research, consumer behaviour, technology, anthropology and psychology in the design processes. It is important for Indian design industry to embrace these new developments and add the new design branches in the range of services being offered by them. Also it is important for the industry to develop, India specific frameworks for understanding the Indian consumer in a better way.

Globally, Design companies; have developed a suite of services using design thinking and design methods. The different kinds of design services developed globally are Design of Services, Design of Public Services, Green Design, etc. Indian design companies are too far behind in these new domains of design services. Indian design companies also lack expertise in terms of Design Management and Strategic Design. The new form of design services can essentially become the theme of collaboration between Indian and Dutch Design companies. For example for IT industry, which is an extremely evolved, and resource rich industry, service design could be the major offering. Government of India has prioritized spending on infrastructure, plus government is the biggest buyer. This creates a potential for design of public services. Indian design companies do

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not have a portfolio of such projects and hence find it difficult to get the work. A colla-boration scenario will help pitching for this kind of work.

The opportunity here is to partner with these small design companies, facilitate the integration of other competencies in their design process, practice new forms of design and create new opportunities for user businesses. Partnering with Dutch Design studios will create capabilities within small Indian design companies for larger projects.

Based on the Indian design capabilities, and the emerging scenario, there is good case for India’s design potential to be exploited internationally. The small size structure of majority of Indian design companies is an impediment as they lack proficiency in dealing with international customers, and are mostly unaware of international trade. Help and facilitation for businesses wanting to internationalize is essential.

Small and Medium Enterprises mainly characterize Indian industry. It is an established fact that innovation occurs in all industries, including the dominant mid / low tech and service industries in our economy. There is extensive evidence that MSME’s rely very little on R&D for innovation. Small companies have always relied on cost innovation as investments in research have been outside their capacities. Using design is a perfect mode of innovation for MSME’s. SME’s constitute about 80% of the Indian industry and hence represent a huge opportunity area.

The biggest barrier in businesses embracing design for in novation is the lack of information. Businesses are not aware of the potential offered by design disciplines. They do not know how to ask for these services, which services to ask for and whom to approach for it. It calls for a strong information dissemination system. The importance of strategic use of design has to be imbibed in the industry in all sectors. This creates a need for creating various information channels through which this information could be provided to the businesses and thus the design market could be expanded.

Design is already high on the national agenda for many countries. Governments around the world have recognized the importance of design to national competitiveness. Evidence shows that many countries are 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.

There exists a great opportunity in designing for India. Designers need to display sensitivity to real needs of people and also sensitize clients accordingly. Focus on real needs of Indian people will also bring in opportunities for design not only from Indian businesses but also from multinational corporations keen on doing business in India. They need to work with MSMEs to a greater extent and help them become more competitive. Another potential area is working with Government to help it deliver public services. While working with MSME’s and Government is not easy as there understanding of design is limited, the onus is also on design companies to sensitize them about the possibilities and to create proofs of concept.

The number of institutes providing design programs is rising. Still, more institutions are needed. There is a common sentiment within design industry that design graduates are not well trained / educated. The design graduates do not possess competencies as required by the industry. A disconnect between syllabi and prevalent design trends is felt by practitioners. It is felt that that current education system either produces thinking designers with lesser skills or produces skilled designers with a limited thought input.

Unavailability of qualified and quality faculty is indeed another factor that is causing hindrance in the path of well-trained design graduates as well as for more institutions to come up. Some faculty development programs are in existence. But more such programs are needed. There is pressing need of training & motivating Indian designers through continuing education programs. Design is an integrative discipline. Infusion of design thinking, design management and design awareness in professional programs like Engineering, Management is very much needed.

Academic mobility of design students and design faculty has to be encouraged and supported nationally and internationally. This calls for financial support mechanism and cooperation framework to be established.

As design is a much needed tool for business, it is also so for the society at large. There is a great possibility to use design in public services. This is an area of immense opportunity as Government spending on infrastructure

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ConclusionMultinational corporations are focusing on India as a new market for trading their products / services. They very well understand that their successes elsewhere would not necessarily translate in a similar way in India. Global corporations will need to work with Indian designers to understand the local market. This puts a spot light on the design industry like never before. Lately the Indian Design companies have been entering into collaboration with foreign design companies. This number is miniscule at present, but the trend is visible. Many foreign design companies are setting up offices in India on their own. There are a few already here, mainly in the area of branding and communication.

Understanding of collaboration and what it entails is limited among design companies. For any collaboration to function properly a clear role definition of respective partners is necessary. In Indian design companies there is a fear of being taken over and some times inferiority complex when it comes to work portfolio.

Indian Design companies are not market aware. Most of the markets for Indian design companies are network based relying on network of contacts and referrals. This calls a need for developing markets for design in India. The collaborator can plan a role of mentor and a senior partner in developing markets. Very less active business development takes place. It is not professionalized. The collaborating partner can propagate a system of professional working. The collaborator can help the Indian partner with the art of business acquiring. The collaborating partner can add the dimension of systematic and methodical incorporation of design tools and frameworks.

Indian design professionals are emotional. They are in this profession for emotional reasons than career reasons. Design as a career is not well recognized in India. Those who are designers have chosen this career for emotional reasons. Hence partners are to understand the emotional part of it and cannot drive the partnership on business terms alone.

Indian Designers can bring in their deep understanding of Indian markets, Indian consumers, the Dutch design companies can bring in their process based expertise to make the partnership successful. Both the partners have to focus on developing markets with the strength of each other. Such partnerships can serve multinational corporations better Partnerships will help to gain access

new markets. Partnerships will provide Indian companies with a suite of services to drive global growth. It can also extend in nearby south East Asian regions. Some element of design outsourcing work can also be a part of these partnerships

Establishing Dutch Design Hubs in select city could be one the key suggestion. It could be done individually or with a local partner. The Design Hubs will act as a facilitating centre that connects, engages and involves people who provide design, people who commission design and people who use design.

Other key area of cooperation is Education. Partnerships with Indian educational institutions, establishment of student and faculty exchange programs, joint research projects would yield results in the longer term than the specific firm-to-firm partnerships. Indian Design Industry lacks credible design awards. Instituting design awards could be one very strong communication vehicle. Establishing a mechanism for Indian students to do internships in Dutch Design Studios could be useful. The partnerships should change the perspective from business acquiring to business growing. What it means is that partnerships should be looked in terms of getting a pie from the existing industry, but instead, it calls for growing the design services markets.

The overall agenda for Dutch Design to develop cooperation in India could be as follows:• Empower Indian designers with skills and knowledge

and grow the overall business• Educate Indian firms in how to use design to improve

business performance and increase competitive advantage through demonstration of what is possible, and

• Demonstrate to the society and Government the impact and benefit of design on our everyday life.

Hrridaysh Despande:A Computer Engineer by qualification Hrridaysh Despande has been in the field of education for over 15 years, of which the last 6 years has been in Design Education. Presently, Hrridaysh is the director of DYP-DC Center for Automotive Research and Studies, the college conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs in “Automobile Design”.Earlier, he was the director of Elephantversity Institute of Innovation, advisor for Design Institute of India at Indore and Khandesh College Education Society in Jalgaon and he founded Creative-i College, in 2004 an private initiative in the field of Design Education.

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fashionPreparedby:HarmeetBajaj,fashionconsultant

IntroductionIndia an ancient civilization has a 5000 years old textile industry. Part of the spice route Indian cottons, silks and brocades have adorned many a king and queen.

Quintessentially known for their art of draping fabrics around the body, Indians have exemplified to the world how a few yards of fabric-like a sari, a dhoti, or a shawl 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.

The Nehru jacket, the Kurta, the Bandh gala and the Jodhpur are some indigenous styles that India has today offered to the west.

The Indian industry’s transition from the draped to the stitched garments was most perceptible in the early 50’s – i.e. the post independence era. How ever this was accelerated only in the 80’s: a time of major garment export boom from India. A time when India was increasingly recognized as the manufacturer to the rest of the world. It was in the 80’sthe Indian customer graduated from tailor made to custom made - result of the economic mass manufacturing.

It was only during the later half of the 80’s that the term, ‘FASHION’ got a definition in the Indian context. The government recognized the need for fashion education and established NIFT in 1986 in collaboration with FIT, New York. Fashion design, Garment Manufacturing Technology and apparel Marketing and Merchandising programs were introduced by a qualified team from FIT, New York.

Rohit Khosla, a graduate from the London College of Fashion was a creative power house, who made the word ‘DESIGNER’ relevant in India. All the Ritu Kumar and Asha Sarabhai; veterans of fashion today did exist prior to that but were better known for traditional fabrics and clothing.

It was at this time that a new breed of creative young entrepreneurs set out on the road to fashion. Rohit Bal, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Hemant Trivedi and Shahab Durazi were the vanguards of the Fashion Revolution in India. They introduced to India the term collections, styling, fashion shows and fashion boutiques.

Fashion got a sudden boost:• Fashion and lifestyle magazines, colour supplements

thriving on fashion were launched.• Fashion shows become integral part of Hi-society

gatherings besides adding glamour to beauty pageants and business events.

• Birth of individual designer labels. • Emergence of ‘Designer’ markets like Hauz Khas

Village in Delhi.• Fashion boutiques coming up all over the country-

Ensemble, Gliteratti, Ogaan etc.

Fashion movement through the 90’s was gradual. The number of designers increased, however lack of retail infrastructure and atmospherics for designer wear limited accessibility to the common man. Designer wear was limited to trousseau, clothing and occasion wear largely customized to the need.

It was only in the year 2000 under the auspices of the Lakme Fashion Week that the word prêt-a-porter was introduced to the Indian customer. Well priced, ready-to-wear clothing in standardized sizes being the mantra for fashion weeks. However it was to take a few years for this mantra to be realized. LFW was the first congregation of fashion creators, trade buyers and life style media. Held in Delhi annually, this event has now grown to be an inter-national event with two fashion weeks a year attended by over 200 domestic and international buyers.

During the last decade a number of factors contributed to the accelerated pace of consumerism in the economy. Home to 17% of world’s population at 1.1 billion people, India also the youngest nation and is tipped of to have one 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

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The First Designer Boutique

ENSMBLE-1987

OGAAN-1989

The First Fashion School

NIFT-1987

The First Indian Designers

ROHIT KHOSLA, ASHA SARABHAI, ABUJANI

1987 1970

The First Fashion

Brand In India

BENETTON - 1993

The First Fashion Magazine

ELLE 1997The First Fashion Council

FDCI 1998

The First Fashion Week

LFW- 2000 - Delhi

The First Luxury

Mall

EMPORIO-2007

The First Fashion

Awards

MARLE CLAIRE-2008

The First Luxury Brand

In India

LOUIS VUITTON-DELHI

salaries have grown 14% per annum ,the fastest globally and the consumer with a higher income, young age profile, increasing literacy levels, increasing exposure and awareness levels and increasing urbanization wants more. Fashion has definitely got an impetus, today being used to communicate status.

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.

Retail expansion expected to grow at 40% per year for the next 5 years got its push from the growth of real estate infrastructure.

And all this adds up to increase the scope of fashion in this market. The next few sections give you a brief overview of the fashion industry in India.

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Educational InstitutionsFashion education in India was formalized with the establishment of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 1986. Subsequently, many existing universities started offering courses in fashion design, while new institutes were set up to impart vocational education in fashion and other design related areas. Today, fashion modules have been introduced at the high school level as well. The following section shall provide details on the scope of fashion education in India, and profile some of the leading institutions in the field.

Leading Institutes of Fashion Education

Offering Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research Programmes

NationalinstituteofFashionTechnologyYearofInception: 1986 Courses:Bachelor Programmes • B Des (Fashion Design) • 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 InstituteBranches: New Delhi, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Mumbai, Bhopal, Chennai, Patna, Gandhinagar, Raebareli, Shillong, Kannur, Hyderabad, Mauritius, Kangra and Jodhpur. Affiliationsandforeigncollaborations: 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: nift.ho@nift.ac.in Website: www.nift.ac.in Director General: Mr. Rajiv Takru Dean (Academics): Prof. Banhi JhaHead of Design: Prof. Shalini Sud

NationalInstituteofDesign(nid)YearofInception: 1961Courses: Postgraduate Diploma Programme• Apparel design and Merchandising• Lifestyle and Accessory design • InstituteBranches: Ahmedabad, Bangalore (Research

and Development), Gandhinagar (Postgraduate)

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Affiliationsandforeigncollaborations: • Instituto Profesional DuocUC of the Pontificia

Universidad Catolica de Chile - Santiago, Chile• École nationale supérieure de création industrielle

(ENSCI) - Paris, France• École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs (ENSAD)

- Paris, France• Burg Giebchenstein - Halle, Germany• Konstfack University College of Art, Craft & Design -

Stockholm, Sweden• Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences - Pforzheim,

Germany• Shenkar College of Engg. & Design - Ramat Gan, IsraelContact:National Institute of Design, Paldi, Ahmedabad 380 007Phone: +91 79 26623692Fax: +91 79 26621167Email: info@nid.eduWebsite: www.nid.edu Director: Mr. Pradyumna VyasDean: Dr S. Ghosal (Bangalore)Mr. Vinai Kumar (Gandhinagar) Head of Design: Mrs. Aditi Ranjan

PearlAcademyofFashionYearofInception: 1993 MissionStatement: To train professionals with a comprehensive range of cognitive and intellectual skills, planned to develop across a wide range of learning experiences. Courses:Bachelor Degree Programmes • Fashion Design • Jewellery Design• Textile Design • Fashion Business Management • Fashion Retail Management • Communication Design Four year industry integrated Bachelor’s Programme • Fashion design • Textile Design • Fashion Merchandising and Production Postgraduate Diploma Programmes • Fashion Merchandising • Garment Manufacturing • Fashion Retail • Fashion Design Knitwear • Textile Design • Home Fashion • Fashion Marketing

InstituteBranches: New Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Dhaka and Sharjah Affiliationsandforeigncollaborations:• Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England • NHL University, The Netherlands • AMFI, The Netherlands • LDT - Nagold, Germany • Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU), Hong Kong • University West O England (UWE), UK • Indira Gandhi National Open University Contact:PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION, DELHIA - 21/13, Naraina Industrial Area - Phase II, New Delhi - 110028.Phone: 41417693-94; 25703451/5478/8506, 49807100/01; Fax: 25705451, 49807199Email: counsellor@pearlacademy.comWebsite: www.pearlacademy.com Director: Mr. A.K.G Nair Head of Design: Prof. Nien Siao SymbiosisInstituteofDesign(sid)YearofInception: 2004MissionStatement: To craft an ambience to promote confident possession of an individual’s innate talents, acquire the skills needed for being successful on the design dais and establish values that will enable him to act with thoughtfulness and humanity. Courses: Bachelor Programmes • B Des Product Design • B Des Communication Design • B Des Fashion Design • B Des Fashion Communication InstituteBranches: Pune Contact:Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID), S No. 231/4A, Viman Nagar, Pune 411 014, MaharashtraTel (EPABX): +91 20 2663 4546 / 47 / 48Fax: +91 20 2663 4549Email: director@symbiosisdesign.ac.inWebsite: www.symbiosisdesign.ac.in Director: Mr. Vinay M. MundadaHead of Design: Ms. Vaibhavi P. Ranavade FootwearDevelopmentanddesignInstitute(fddi)YearofInception: 1986 MissionStatement: Development and cultivation of best available human resources within the country by imparting knowledge and skills by conducting appropriate courses. Courses: Bachelor Programmes • Diploma in Fashion Merchandising and Retail

Management• Diploma in Footwear Technology

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• Diploma in Leather Goods and Accessories Design Postgraduate Programmes • Diploma in Management in Footwear Technology• Diploma in Leather Goods and Accessories Design InstituteBranches: NoidaContact:FDDI Headquarters, A - 10 / A, Sector - 24 NOIDA - 201 301, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA Phone: +91-120-4500100Fax: +91(120) 2412556, 2411301Email: info@fddiindia.comWebsite: www.fddiindia.com

IndianInstituteofCraftsandDesign(iicd)YearofInception: 1998Courses: Undergraduate Diploma Programme in Craft Design Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Craft Design MissionStatement:Indian Institute of Craft and Design (IICD) is a unique institution that is synergizing traditional knowledge and skills with contemporary needs to evolve methodologies that are relevant to modern India. InstituteBranches: JaipurContact:J-8, Jhalana Institutional Area, Jaipur-302017Phone: +91-141-2701203, 2701504, 2700156,Fax: +91-141-2700160 Email: info@iicd.ac.inDirector: Sangita ShroffContact:director@iicd.ac.in

InstituteofApparelManagement(iam)YearofInception: 2007MissionStatement: IAM is focused on shaping industry ready professionals who are ready to hit the ground and run in this fiercely competitive industry.Courses: INDIAN PATHWAYS Bachelor Programmes: • Fashion Communication• Apparel Design and Merchandising • Postgraduate Programmes: • Apparel Production and Management • Fashion Retail Management

InternationalPathways• Bachelor Programmes (4 years, with final year at one of

the 167 partner international institutions):• Fashion and Lifestyle Design• Fashion and Textiles Merchandising • Fashion Design Management• Apparel Marketing and DesignInstituteBranches: Gurgaon, Mumbai

Affiliationsandforeigncollaborations: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), AustraliaWolverhampton University, UKGeorge Brown College, CanadaOntario College of Art & Design, CanadaEdexcel, UKIGNOUContact:INSTITUTE OF APPAREL MANAGEMENT (Head office), 7thfloor,ApparelHouse, Sec-44, Gurgaon 122003, Haryana (India) Phone: 0124-2708201/02 Fax: 0124-2708213 Email: admissions@iamindia.inWeb: www.iamindia.in Director: Dr. Darlie Koshy Email: dg@iam.india.inHead of Design: Mr. Somesh Singh

SrishtiSchoolofArt,DesignandTechnologyYearofInception: 1996Courses: Bachelor Programmes • Visual Communication Design• Product and Interface Design• Furniture and Interior Design• Textile Design• Digital Video Production• Animation and Visual Effects• SangamaPostgraduate Programmes • Experimental Media Arts• Design in EducationInstituteBranches: Bangalore Contact:Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology P.O. Box No. 6430, Yelahanka New Town, Doddabalapur Road, (Opp. Wheel & Axle Plant), Bangalore - 560 106Phone: 91.80.40447000 / 40446964 / 65 / 66TeleFax: 91.80.28560950Email: admissions@srishti.ac.inWebsite: www.srishti.ac.inDirector: Ms Geetha NarayananOwing to the rapid expansion and organization of the fashion industry, fashion students now require specialized skills and business strategizing expertise coupled with an in-depth understanding of the fashion discipline. Recognizing that fact, apart from the institutions listed above, various large private companies and conglomerates such as the Ansals Group and the Mittal Group are now proposing to enter the arena of fashion education.

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Organisations FashionDesignCouncilofIndia(FDCI)Established in 1998, FDCI is the apex body representing the interest of the Indian Fashion fraternity. It has been a facilitator and a catalyst for the advancement of the Indian fashion market, and for creating sustainable growth opportunities both locally and globally. Much like its international counterparts like the British Fashion Council in London and the CFDA in New York, FDCI plays an important part in bringing together designers, make-up artists, choreographers, manufacturers and retailers from various states, cities and towns and organizing them under one cohesive umbrella. MemberProfile:*• Acclaimed Fashion and accessory designers • Industry professionals (photographers, stylists, make-up

artists, choreographers and models) • Corporates and Buying Houses • Fashion Educational Institutes ActivitiesandEvents: • Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week • Van Heusen India Mens Week • Van Heusen Emerging designer Contest RoleintheGrowthofFashion:• Organised the first fashion week in the country,

the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, in 2000 which has now evolved into the biggest platform for fashion professionals in India

• Organises fashion workshops and seminars with individuals and organizations at all levels in the fashion industry for sustained growth

• Offers scholarships and awards for students of Fashion • Promotes Indian designers at international forums –

fashion weeks, buyer-seller meets and trade shows • Liaises with the government on matters pertaining to

duties, taxation and other policies that impact the fashion industry

• Proposes to build investment schemes to support and finance its members

Contact:Fashion Design Council of India, 4th Floor, JMD Regent Plaza, (Next to Global Business Park) Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon, Haryana- 122001 Phone: +91 124 4062881/ 4062882/ 4062883 Fax: +91 124 4062885 Email: contact@fdci.org Website: http://www.fdci.orgPresident: Mr. Sunil SethiEmail: sunil@alliance-india.com Director General: Mr. Vinod KaulEmail: contact@fdci.org

ClothingManufacturersAssociationofIndia(cmai)The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, f ounded in 1963 is the largest association representing the interests of Garment Manufacturers in India – both domestically as well as in the exporting community. The Association acts as a catalyst of change in the industry by interacting with the Government on matters of policies that impact the future of the apparel industry. It has recently been selected as the Sole Member Association from India by the International Apparel Federation( IAF )as well as the Asian Apparel Federation ( AAF ). MemberProfile:*• Leading Apparel Manufacturers • Leading Apparel Retailers ActivitiesandEvents: • National Garment Fair: the largest Garment Trade Fair

in India in which over 250 Manufacturers and 15,000 Retailers participate annually.

• India-International Garment Fair • World Apparel Convention, jointly organized with the

International Apparel Federation with the support of the Textiles and Commerce Ministries

• The APEX awards RoleintheGrowthofFashion: • Played a crucial role in the establishment of the Apparel

Export Promotion Council (AEPC) in 1977 • Created the CMAI Reconciliation & Arbitration

Committee in association with the Indian Merchant Chambers (IMC) - first Arbitration Panel for Garment Manufacturers in India

• Authorized to issue ‘Certificate of Origin’ to garment exporters

• Provide testing facilities at concessional rates for the physical and chemical characteristics of yarns, fabrics and garments to members at the CMAI Testing Laboratory

• Publish one of the most reputed magazines in the Textile industry, ‘Apparel’

Contact:Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (Head Office), 902, Mahalaxmi Chambers, 22, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400026Phone: +91-022-2353 82 45, 2353 89 86, 2352 51 68Fax: +91-022-2351 59 08Email: cmai@vsnl.com, info@cmai.inPresident: Mr. Rahul Mehta Email: rahul@creativegarments.comVice President: Mr. Nilesh Mehta Email: nilesh@indfas.firm.in

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ImagesMultimediaPrivateltd.IMAGES Group, a privately owned group, has played a seminal role in organizing the fashion and retail businesses in India. Since its inception in 1992, it has successfully set up an information exchange via various media that provide the Indian fashion industry with the knowledge that drives the fashion and retail businesses across the globe. Through its activities facilitating networking amongst investors, retailers and brand leaders, IMAGES has emerged as a crucial cog in the Indian market. President: Mr. Amitabh TanejaActivitiesandEvents: • India Fashion Forum • India Retail Forum • Images CEO Meet • India Brand Show • Images Fashion Awards RoleintheGrowthofFashion: • Instrumental in forming the ‘Fashion Alliance’ with

various leaders of the fashion industry • Publishes a dozen niche magazines and journals that

cover all aspects of fashion, retail and various other aspects of the industry

• Develops and executes fashion mega foras, exhibitions, awards, conferences and seminars to facilitate networking and promote growth

• Works with the top-ranking global consultancies and think tanks to propel modern retail and forecast lifestyle trends

• Set up ‘Images Fashion and Retail Research’ which specifically conducts surveys and publishes reports and studies

Contact:IMAGES (Head Office), S – 21, Okhla Industrial Area Phase II, New Delhi - 110020, IndiaPhone: +91-11-40525000Email: anjali@imagesretail.cominfo@imagesfashion.comWebsite: www.imagesretail.com www.imagesfashion.comApparelExportPromotionCouncilFrom just being a quota monitoring entity in 1978, AEPC, supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India has now evolved into a powerful body for the promotion and facilitation of garment manufacturing and their exports with over 40 offices. Members are provided with updated information on trade statistics, technical guidance and market intelligence reports. AEPC also plays a large role in identifying new markets and leading trade delegations to various countries abroad.

MemberProfile: • Leading Merchant Exporters • Leading Manufacture Exporters including established

design houses, fashion designers and apparel clusters ActivitiesandEvents: • Foreign fairs (HKFW, Magic, Interselection, etc.) • International Trade Delegations (US, Tunisia, Brazil,

Argentina, Chile, Panama, Columbia, etc.) • Seminars & Workshops (REACH, Fashion Forecast,

World Apparel Congress, etc.) • Sourcing Fairs • India-International Garment Fair • Fashion Forecast Seminar RoleintheGrowthofFashion: • Promotes the exports of Indian readymade garments

through Buyer-seller meets, trade delegations and participating in international fairs

• 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

MarketAccessInitiative(MIA)SchemeUnder the Ministry of Commerce’s MIA scheme, the AEPC has proposed to promote branded Indian apparel by taking leading Indian brands to participate in the Moda Manhattan Fair to be held in New York, USA. In turn, it will also invite buyers from the USA to participate in the National Garment Fair to be held in Mumbai, where the same brands shall be exhibited. This exercise shall help promote the brand image of Indian brands abroad, particularly in the USA. ApparelClusterStudy: The AEPC has conducted a nation-wide study of Apparel Clusters in 2009, which maps all the garment clusters in the country catalogued according to the products manufactured and exported by them. The information is based on surveys conducted at top ten clusters which have been selected on the basis of the parameters specified by AEPC, as attached in the appendix. Following is a map representational of these clusters: Contact:Apparel Export Promotion Council (Head Office) Apparel House, Institutional Area, Sector-44, Gurgaon - 122003, Haryana Phone:0124-2708000-3 Fax: 0124-2708004Email: info@aepcindia.comWebsite: www.aepcindia.comChairman: Mr.Premal UdaniEmail: chairman@aepcindia.comSecretary General: Mr. Vimal Kirti Singh I.A.SEmail: hosg@aepcindia.com

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ConfederationofIndianIndustryCII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led and industry managed organization, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded over 115 years ago, it is India’s premier business association, with a direct membership of over 8100 organizations from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 90,000 companies from around 400 national and regional sectoral associations.CII spans 5 major sectors- Agriculture, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Services and Industrial Competitiveness that covers over 88 industries.Textiles and Apparel a major industry under the manufacturing sector, broadly covers fashion activities.There isn’t a specific fashion category on the CII portfolio, however the Made in India shows are a major promotional activity for CII that includes Indian fashion presentations.ActivitiesandEvents:• Buyer seller meet• Fashion presentations and ExhibitionsContact: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: marut.sengupta@cii.in

Trade and industryThe 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

Global benchmark of 5% of the total income.The Indian Apparel market is worth Rs.1542.5 billion. The over all value growth in 2009 over 2008 was 13.5%.

Menswear being the largest single product category (36.5%) both in volume and value is also the most developed and organized. In 2009, the menswear segment had volume growth rate of 7.8% and value growth or 11.7%. .Among all the categories, t-shirts was the fastest growing. The women’s wear segment that comprises 32% of the Indian Apparel Market is still predominated by sarees (largest category) with sales of Rs.16242 crore in 2008. salwar kameez comprise the second largest category sales being Rs.10011 crore. However in recent times the growth of the western clothes category has been the fastest.

The above figures are for the fashion brands sector. Designer wear category forms a minuscule percentage of this market. The total market estimates at Rs.600crore and likely to grow to Rs.1000 crore by 2015.

* Source- Images year book “Business of Fashion” 2010

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SabyasachiSabyasachi: +91-9830193953sabyasachicouture@hotmail.comJJ ValayaJ.J:+91-9810081067jjv@valaya.com / contact@valaya.comTarun TahilianiTarun:9873382786info@taruntahiliani.com

TheMinimalistWendell Rodricks Wendell:0-9422443029)wendellrodricks@gmail.comRajesh Pratap Rajesh: +91-9811101590studio@pratap.wsAbraham & Thakore David: +91-9810059383 studio@abrahamandthakore.com Ashish Soni Ashish: +91-9811068165n.ashish.soni@gmail.comShahab Durazi- +91-22-65295895,info@ shahabdurazi.in

ForBollywoodNeeta Lulla Neeta: 0-9820427339neetalulla@gmail.comManish MalhotraManish: 0-9821222355info@manishmalhotra.inRocky SRocky: 09820025357 rockysltd@gmail.com, rockysinghvi@yahoo.comAki NarulaAki:0-9820639549akinarula11@hotmail.comAnna SinghAnna: 0-9820059400anasingh5@gmail.com

ContemporaryMonisha Jaisingh Monisha: 0-9820024056monisha@monishajaising.comAnamika Khanna Anamika: 09831030690anamikakhanna@vsnl.net

Designer wear market

The designer wear market has witnessed a high growth pattern over the last few years and efforts being made to develop this segment by bringing it into mainstream retailing and making it more accessible to customers. Through the nineties, the designers were limited to minuscule revenues through extremely high priced couture and diffusion line garments sold in limited quantities. However with the launch of fashion weeks in 2000, the ready to wear designer segment got an impetus. A number of designers launched their prêt lines independently or jointly with departmental stores.

Shoppers stop, Westside, Pantaloons launched their designer wear sections. Another trend that has emerged in the designer wear market is corporatisation i.e. strategic tie ups with large corporate houses in related industries to provide the necessary financial support and expertise in operational management.

However, the designer wear industry even today lacks the processes, systems, people and financial resources that are necessary to rapidly scale up operations.

Although success stories in this area have been few and far, the leader however has been Genesis Colors Pvt. Ltd. - The parent company for Satya Paul, Deepika Gehani, Tie Rack and designer retail outlet Samsara. Through such arrangements, the designers have access to distribution channels and a promotional network that furthers the growth of the brand.

A few tie ups in the area of licensing have also been recently made by Manish Arora and Swatch, Reebok, Mac and Nivea, Aki Narula has tied up with Puma.

Designers

SomeofIndia’sleadingdesigners:

TheRoyalIndiaAbujani / Sandeep Khosla MumbaiSandeep: +91-9821014298info@abusandeep.comRohit Bal Rohit: +91-9811020955rohit@rohitbal.comRitu Kumar Ritu: +91-9811051155ritu@ritukumar.com , amrish@ritukumar.com

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Abraham&Thakore

BIAN

Nikasha RohitGandhi&RahulKhanna

AkiNarula

ManishMalhotraMaliniBanerji

Rahul&Gunjan

AmitAgarwal

MonishaJaisingh

RahulReddy

AnamikaKhanna AtsuSekhoseAshishnSoni

NeeruKumar NeetaLulla

RajeshPratab RannaGill

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AbuJaniSandeepKhosla

AkiNarula NeetaLulla

RohitGandhi&RahulKhanna

ShahabDurazi

AnnaSingh

SabyasachiMukherjee

SatyaPaul

JJValaya RituKumar RockyS

TarunTahiliani

SmallShop VarunSardana WendellRodricks

RohitBal

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G.Pia Fleming Gurpreet-00-1212-268-7480, Harmeet: +91-9810055776pia.fleming@bian.com , harmeetbajaj@gmail.comRanna Gill Ranna: +91-9810069027info@rannagill.comCue- Rohit and RahulNew DelhiRohit: +91- 9810126471, Rahul: +91-9810757500cuedelhi@gmail.com

TheFabricCreatorsSatya Paul Puneet: +91-9810103505puneet@genesiscolors.comNiki Mahajan Niki: +91-9810064192nikimahajan@gmail.comNeeru Kumar- Neeru- +91-9810024910tal@satyam.net.in Rahul and Gunjan Rahul -9871055771siraliimpex@gmail.com

BohemianNikashapacificbrands1@gmail.com – 09892216393Small Shop Anshu - 09900521782asmallshop@hotmail.com

TheGlobalIndiaStatementManish Arora Manish:9810109210info@threeclothingco.com

TheNewKidsonTheBlockRimzim New Delhi0120-2581393/94, 9811636026myvillage@rimzimdadu.comVarun SardanaVarun:9891253928varun_sardana@yahoo.comRahul ReddyRahul: +91-9873094664studio_reddy@hotmail.comAmit AggarwalAmit- +91-9810038664info@morphe.in, amit@morphe.in

ATSU Atsu: +91-9810114431atsu.sekhose@gmail.com

The luxury brands

The last five years have witnessed a major entry of luxury brands into the country. High salaries of employees in the corporate sector, faster development of several tier II and III cities, a growing middle class, increasing number of working women and rise of a new breed of self employed entrepreneurs. India has a large number of aspirational young earners who are extremely brand conscious with increasing salaries and higher disposable incomes. Young India is willing to shell out more for branded lifestyle products that include apparel, accessories, luxury and holidays.The readiness for luxury in an organized market has been recognized all over the world. International luxury brands are now seeking opportunities for tie ups with Indian companies and broadening their base in the country. Louis Vuitton was the first to enter the country and pave way for many more. The Indian consumers response to accessories has come been overwhelming. Today some of the leading luxury brands present in India are:

TOP10INTERNATIONALLUxURYBRANDSLuxuryChristian Dior Tiffany Bottega Veneta Emporio Armani Versace Gucci Cartier Bvlgari Burberry Chanel

The big fat indian wedding

The big fat Indian wedding is getting fatter by the day. This is one industry which remains unfazed, come showdown or recession. The wedding wear market has undergone a major transformation over the past few years. With the number of fashion followers increasing by the day, the great Indian wedding and its look has transformed from a simple affair with traditional concepts to branded jewellery, designer

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wear clothing, theme wedding- conceptualised and implemented by wedding planners. It is estimated that the current wedding wear market is close to Rs.3.84 billion and set to grow at a rapid clip about 13.5% over the next 4 years while the market still unorganised. Its speedy growth has been giving birth to innovative new businesses. Some important developments have been 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 the world that have a concentration of the Indian Diaspora.Bridal AsiaA pioneer of wedding industry, Bridal Asia is all about bridal couture and culture. Born in 1999, Bridal Asia reinvented the concept of trousseau shopping presenting a happy mélange of unprecedented bridal collection.Contact:www.bridalasia.comVivahaBeing hosted by Vintage Publications, Vivah is a leading trade exhibition for Apparel, Garments and Fashion Clothing & Accessories industry. For 3 days, the exhibition is held for 3 days. It showcases Designer Outfits, Jewelry, Stylish Bags, Mehndi Artists, Bridal Cosmetics, Wedding Gifts, Boutiques & Fashion Designers.Contact:www.vintagepublications.in

WEDDINGMAGAzINESWedding AffairContact:Rajnish Rathi, Editor-in-Chief; rajnish.weddingaffair@gmail.com rajnish@weddingaffair.co.inVivahaContact:Priyanka Banerjee, Feature Editor; priyankabanerjee_@hotmail.comBrides n styleContact:Shilpa Mehta; shilpa.mehta@brideandstyle.in

The accessory market

The Indian clothing and fashion accessories have grown manifold over the past couple of years.The Apparel Accessories Market ( shawls, stoles, scarves, dupattas) is estimated to be worth Rs. 9.1 billion in 2008 and likely to grow to 12 billion by 2012. 57% of this comes from the unorganized market sold at traditional markets and streets. Thus offering a tremendous potential for the branded segment. Better known brands in this category include – Satya Paul, Ahujasons, Fabindia, etc.The hard accessories ( bags and belts) market is estimated at Rs.15 billion at present. The presence of

brands is limited in this category. 74% of the market is dominated by unbranded players.However the premium segment has now been taken up by international luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tods, Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Dior and Bottega Veneta. The Hermes Berkin has had an overwhelming response from the Indian lady.

Fashion jewelry

The market value of fashion jewelry was estimated at Rs.14billion in 2008 which includes semi precious/ silver and non precious/ junk jewelry in terms of value owing to its high price points. This market is also dominated by the unorganized sector. Presence of branded players in this category is miniscule. It is the precious jewelry market that still has some big players like Gitanjali, Tanishq, Nakshatra and Sia. Some of The Accessory Designers that have made their presence felt are listed below: Suhani Pittie A graduate from the Gemological Institute of America and a gemmology instructor herself, the designer is a recipient of the Singem Award for Excellence in the field and has also made it to lists like ‘Top 10 Women to Watch Out For’ and ‘30 Rising Stars of the Country’ by Elle magazine.Meera Mahadevia Meera is one of the most renowned jewellery and accessory designer in the country who has also received international recognition. Her work was been showcased at the Asian Civilization Museum Gallery in Singapore and, more recently, at the Newark Museum in New York. Amrapali Jewels Envisioned in the year 1978 by Rajesh Ajmera and Rajiv Arora, Amrapali has become synonymous with fine, handcrafted traditional jewellery in the country today. It is the only Indian jewellery designer to showcase at the 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 presented to Bill Clinton by the government of India on an official visit. Aparna Gujral Educated at the Delhi School of Art, Alpana Gujral is known for reviving traditional techniques of jewellery making using coloured and precious stones. She has worked closely with craftsmen in Rajasthan to recreate designs from Mughal India and her collections are inspired by the floral motifs, curlicues and vines dominating the art forms in that era.

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SuhaniPittie MeeraMahadevia AmrapaliJewels

AparnaGujral

Magazines

MaliniAgarwalla

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Malini Agarwalla Operating under the label Malaga, Malini is a well- established accessory designer known for her handcrafted bags, shoes and accessories. Malaga designs have showcased at international fairs in Paris, Milan and Dubai amongst other places. Malini recently launched her prêt line called Pimento.

Key Professionals in the

Fashion Industry

With the fashion industry become more organised, the need for professionals with dedicated skills has increased. As a result, areas of expertise that were earlier taken care of by one handy-man have now come under direct scrutiny of both domestic and international critics and demand focused attention. These areas – sets, choreography, make-up, photography – have been quintessential to the fashion industry. Only now, they’ve become increasingly competitive and highly specialised, particularly due to international exposure. This section profiles some of the leading industry professionals in the Indian fashion market, along with some pictures of their selected works.

LeadingFashionPhotographersSuresh Natarajan Email: shilvasa@gmail.comWebsite: www.sureshnatarajan.com Contact:+91 22 2444 0105 / 6515Bharat Sikka Email: mailbox@billcharles.com ,Website: www.bharatsikka.com Contact:+91-9811147567 Tarun Khiwal Email: tarun@tarunkhiwal.comWebsite: www.tarun khiwal.comContact:+91-981000440Prabuddha Dasgupta Email: ziggi@zphotographic.comWebsite: www.prabuddhadasgupta.comTarun Vishwa Email: Tarunvishwa@gmail.comWebsite: www.tarunvishwa.comContact:+91-9810450894Prasad Naik Email: prasadnaik@mac.comWebsite: www.prasadnaik.comContact:+91-9819743014Atul Kasbekar Website: www.atulkasbekar.comContact:+91 2224940156

Anushka MenonEmail: anushka@anushkamenon.comWebsite: www.anushkamenon.com

LeadingStylistsMohan Neelakantan Mohan Neelakantan is one of the foremost fashion stylists in India. A NIFT alumnus, he started his career as a junior 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 No Apologies’.Email: mneelakantan@hotmail.comContact:+91- 9810913931Autam Kalra Gautam is a leading fashion stylist in India & has styled leading ad campaigns for varied brands such as Tanishq, Fast track, Levis, Reebok, L’Oreal, Coke, Wills Lifestyle, Reid & Taylor, Samsung etc. and styled sports & Bollywood celebrities as well. Gautam has been a contributing fashion stylist to ‘Elle’ magazine for the last four years.Email: gautaminc@gmail.comContact:+91- 9810033963Anaita Shroff Anaita Shroff is another veteran fashion stylist and costume designer. She is the Fashion Director for Vogue (India) magazine. The owner of the Style Cell company, Adajania has been noted for her design work on several successful Bollywood films including ‘Dhoom 2’, ‘Being Cyrus’ and ‘Everybody Says I’m Fine’. Her designs have also been featured in magazines including Vogue, L’Officiel, Elle and Rolling Stone.Email: anaitashroff@ogaan.co.inContact:+91-9821254011Aparna Chandra Aparna graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology with a diploma in Fashion Design in 1992. She is a highly successful fashion stylist, and is responsible for the look of many high- profile advertising campaigns including Ray- Ban, OCM Suitings, Orion Biscuits, The Hyatt Regency Hotel. Email: aparnachan@yahoo.comAki Narula Aki is most notably renowned for his costumes and styling for major Bollywood projects. He was behind the rave looks of Indian blockbusters like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and ‘Monsoon Wedding’. Selfridges London also commissioned him to do a special line for their Bollywood promotion. Aki also has his very own designer label which retails

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AkiNarula

ArjunBhasin

GautamKalra

PrasadNaik

AnaitaShroff

AtulKasbekar

MaliniBanerji

SureshNatrajan

AnushkaMenon

BharatSikka

MohanNeelakantan

TarunKhiwal

AparnaChandra

EdwardLalrempuria

PrabhuddhaDasGupta

TarunVishwa

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AparnaChandra

PrabhuddhaDasGupta

successfully across the country and at leading international stores.Email: akinirula.1@gmail.comContact:+91 9820639549Malini Banerji Malini Banerji is fashion editor, Elle magazine known for her sophisticated styling, Malini has also worked with a number of Bollywood celebrities for cover shoots.Email: mbanerji@ogaan.co.inContact:+91-9810641420Edward LalrempuiaEdward a fashion graduate of the National Institute of Technology started his career as a stylist with Elle magazine. Presently works with Vogue as a fashion editor. Known for his edgy styling, Eddy has produced some of the most avant-garde editorial features for the magazine. Email: Edward.lalrempuia@condenast.inContact:+91-9871001767Arjun Bhasin Arjun Bhasin was the Fashion Director with GQ magazine. Now a free lancer, he is known for styling some of the leading Bollywood film stars like Aamir Khan.Email: arjun.bhasin@condenast.inContact:+91-9821298859

LeadingChoreographersPreferred Professionals Email: contact@prefferredprofessionals.in Contact:Aparna Bahl- +91-9811085330Tanya Lefebrve- +91-9811140201Area of specialization: Fashion events, Product launches, Installations and Exhibitions.Media Makers Email: mediamakers@mediamakersdesign.com Contact:Asha Kochar- +91-9810035277Vidyun Singh- +91-98999352276Area of specialization: Fashion shows, Exhibitions.Harmeet BajajEmail: harmeetbajaj@gmail.com Contact:+91-9810055776Area of specialization: Fashion shows, Cultural events and Exhibitions.Alison KanugaEmail: alisonkanuga@gmail.com Contact:+91-9220399067Area of specialization: Fashion shows.

Event companies

Backstage ProductionsContact:Vandana Mohan Email: vandana@backstageproductions.inContact:+91-9810167501Website: www.backstageproductions.inArea of Specialization: Product launch, Fashion events, WeddingsWizcraft International Entertainment pvt. ltd. ConContact:notact: Sabbas JosephEmail: wizcraft@wizcraftworld.comContact:011- 29222967Area of Specialization: Music, Fashion, Culture, Trade, Conferences and Bollywood Awards.Showhouse EventsContact:Omer HaiderEmail: omerhaidar@showhouseevents.comArea of Specialization: Product launches, Fashion shows, Cultural shows, Theatre and Music.Img Email: sujal.shah@imgworld.comArea of Specialization: Fashion and sport events

Leading set/exhibition designers

Sumant Jayakrishnan Trained is visual communication at in the National Institute of design Ahmedabad. He also studied theatre design and scenic technics at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London. Area of Specialization: Set design, Art Director exhibition design, and Contemporary theatre.Email: sumantjkdesign@gmail.comContact:+91-9810190272Mahesh Sharma Mahesh Sharma is management graduate, Mahesh pursued his creative interest and did course at NIFT on set design today he is an acclaimed set designer for fashion shows.Area Specialization: Set and Exhibition Design.Email: blacklines06@gmail.comContact:+91-9818595115

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Media, Awards and Exhibitions Media Buoyed by increasing literacy and income levels, the Indian Media industry is growing at a prodigious speed in times of global shrinkage, claims analyst Kanishk Tharoor at the Foreign Policy Institute in Washington D.C. In the pre-liberalisation era, Indian consumers only had access to grainy Doordarshan broadcasts and a handful of weekly/monthly magazines. With India opening the doors of its economy, the media sector underwent a phenomenal revolution. The subsequent arrival of international satellite television and the emergence of private Indian media agencies led to heightened awareness of international fashion trends and increased demands from the consumers end. With the turn of the millennium, India’s burgeoning economy had begun to attract international media agencies which entered the Indian market via licensing or franchise deals. International magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and television channels/programmes such as FTV further fuelled the consumer consciousness in the country. People with increased disposable incomes now had more to choose from. Today, most leading dailies have dedicated supplements covering fashion trends and there is a plethora of fashion magazines available on the stands, with many international names making their presence felt.

PROFILESOFSELECTEDDOMESTICPRINTMEDIA

MAGAzINESFemina Publishing House: The Times Group (Worldwide Media)Editor: Tanya ChaitanyaEmail: tanya.chaitanya@gmail.comWebsite: www.femina.in And Persand Publishing House: MaXposure MediaEditor: Joyota BandhopdhyayEmail: jayita@maxposure.inWebsite: www.andpersandmag.com

Verve Publishing House: The Indian & Eastern Engineer Co. Pvt., Ltd.Editor: Nisha JhangianiEmail: nishajhangiani@hotmail.comWebsite: www.verveonline.com M Publishing House: Images GroupEditor: Amitabh TanejaEmail: amitab@imagesfashion.comWebsite: www.msutras.comMan’s World Publishing House: MW.com Pvt. LtdEditor: Nair RadhakrishanEmail: info@imagesfashion.comWebsite: www. mansworldindia.comWedding Affair Publishing House: B.M. House IndiaEditor: Rajnish Rathi Email: weddingaffair@touchtelindia.netWebsite: www. weddingaffair.co.in NewspaperSupplementsHindustan Times: HT City Publishing House: HT Media LtdEditor: Sonal KalraEmail: sonalkalra13@gmail.comsonal.kalra@hindustantimes.comWebsite: www.hindustantimes.com Hindustan Times: Brunch Publishing House: HT Media LtdEditor: Poonam Saxena Email: info@imagesfashion.comWebsite: www.hindustantimes.com Times of India: Delhi Times Publishing House: The Times GroupEditor: Anshul ChaturvediEmail: anshul.chaturvedi@timesgroup.comWebsite: www.timesofindia.com Times of India: Crest Edition Publishing House: The Times GroupEditor: Natasha ChibEmail: Natasha.chib@condenast.inWebsite: www.timesofindia.com Times of India: Times Life Publishing House: Editor: Vinita Nangia Email: vinitanangia@gmail.comWebsite: www.timesofindia.com

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Media, Awards and Exhibitions Media Buoyed by increasing literacy and income levels, the Indian Media industry is growing at a prodigious speed in times of global shrinkage, claims analyst Kanishk Tharoor at the Foreign Policy Institute in Washington D.C. In the pre-liberalisation era, Indian consumers only had access to grainy Doordarshan broadcasts and a handful of weekly/monthly magazines. With India opening the doors of its economy, the media sector underwent a phenomenal revolution. The subsequent arrival of international satellite television and the emergence of private Indian media agencies led to heightened awareness of international fashion trends and increased demands from the consumers end. With the turn of the millennium, India’s burgeoning economy had begun to attract international media agencies which entered the Indian market via licensing or franchise deals. International magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and television channels/programmes such as FTV further fuelled the consumer consciousness in the country. People with increased disposable incomes now had more to choose from. Today, most leading dailies have dedicated supplements covering fashion trends and there is a plethora of fashion magazines available on the stands, with many international names making their presence felt.

PROFILESOFSELECTEDDOMESTICPRINTMEDIA

MAGAzINESFemina Publishing House: The Times Group (Worldwide Media)Editor: Tanya ChaitanyaEmail: tanya.chaitanya@gmail.comWebsite: www.femina.in And Persand Publishing House: MaXposure MediaEditor: Joyota BandhopdhyayEmail: jayita@maxposure.inWebsite: www.andpersandmag.com

PROFILESOFSELECTEDINTERNATIONALPRINTMEDIAAVAILABLEININDIA

MagazinesElle India Editor: Nonita KalraEmail: nonita.kalra@ogaan.co.inWebsite: http://www.ellenow.com/ Vogue India Editor: Priya Tanna Email: priya.tanna@condenast.inWebsite: http://www.vogue.in/ Marie Claire India Editor: Neena Haridas Email: neena@outlookindia.comWebsite: http://www.marieclaire.com/ Cosmopolitan India Editor: Payal Puri Email: payal.puri@intoday.comWebsite: http://www.cosmopolitan.in/ Harper’s Bazaar India Editor: Sujata AssomullEmail: sujata.assomull@intoday.comWebsite: http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/tags/India/GQ India Editor: Ian BallEmail: iain.ball@condenast.inWebsite: http://www.gqmagazine.in/Hello! India Editor: Ruchika Mehta Email: ruchikamehta05@gmail.comWebsite: www.hellomagazine.com Men’s Health India Editor: Jamal Shaikh Email: jamalshaikh@gmail.comWebsite: http://menshealth.intoday.in/menshealth/index.jspOK! India Editor: Sonali Velinker Kamat Email: geetanjali.moorthy@gmail.comL’Officiel India Editor: Suparna Motwane Email: superna.motwane@lofficiel-india.comWebsite: http://www.lofficiel-india.com/ Grazia India Publishing House: Worldwide Media Editor: Nandini Bhalla Email: nandini.bhalla@gmail.comWEBPORTALSFashion fadContact:Deepa, deepa.dsk@gmail.comStyle kandyContact:Karmik Verma, karmik@stylekandy.comNivedita Sharmanivedita Sharma, nivedita108@gmail.com

Fashion curryContact:Khalidfashion curry, fashioncurryeditorial@gmail.comVogue.comContact:Jasmine Duggal, jasminduggal@gmail.com

Awards Images Fashion awards Awarded to outstanding achievers amongst domestic fashion brands Heldat:Images Fashion Forum, annually in January Place:Mumbai Categories:www.imagesfashion.comMarie Claire ‘made in India’ awards Awarded for excellence in Indian fashion as well as to designers abroad who use India as an inspirationPlace:New Delhi, held annuallyCategories:www.marieclaire.comCmai’s Apex awards National awards for excellence in Apparel Manufacturing, Marketing and Supply Chain Management and contributions to the Industry from Allied Industries Place:New Delhi, held annually Categories:www.cmai.in Events and exhibitions FASHIONWEEKSWills Lifestyle India Fashion WeekOrganisedby: Fashion Design Council of IndiaLocation: New DelhiEvent: 45 to 50 fashion shows over a week, a 130 stalls with display of merchandise by participating designers.Collections: Fall Winter; March and Spring Summer; OctoberSubevents: seminars, worshops, designer contestsContact:contact@fdci.org Vanhuesen men’s fashion week Organisedby: FDCILocation: New DelhiCollection: menswear; JulyContact:contact@fdci.orgHdil india Couture Week Organisedby: FDCILocation: Mumbai/ Delhi; JulyCollection: couture and bridalContact:contact@fdci.org

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Lakme Fashion Week Organisedby: by Hindustan Unilever and IMGHindustan Unilever and IMG have jointly promoted Lakme FashionWeek: a platform supporting young designs and integrating India into the Global Fashion World. Together, they work towards defining the future of fashion.Location: Mumbai Collection: Holiday/ Summer; March and Festive/ Winter; September Organize 30 shows over 5days with 65-70 designers.Sub events: seminars, panel discussions, beauty workshopsContact:Anil Chopra, 91-9820218724, anil.chopra@unilever.comSujal Shah, sujal.shah@imgworld.comThe Chivas StudioLocation: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata/ DubaiThe Chivas Studio an annual event is an exquisite melange of art forms where fashion, photography, music, installation, jewel craft and mixology come alive in more ways than one. A global property from the House of Chivas, the Chivas Studio is presented in India during December & January. Touring four cities, this 3 day event showcases celebrated artists across creative forms.Contact:Omer Haidar, 09831004646, info@imagesfashion.comThe Blenders Pride Fashion TourThe Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, the only multi city touring fashion property in India with a line up of the most celebrated fashion designers, top models & elite audience. A property that started with 4 designers & 4 cities has grown to a 14 designer and 7 city extravaganza that celebrates fashion & style.Both the above Fashion & Lifestyle properties are executed by Showhouse.Contact:Omer Haidar, 09831004646, omerhaidar@showhouseevents.com

FASHIONEVENTSIndia Fashion Forum Location: Mumbai; January/ FebruaryA two day fashion event organised by images multimedia pvt ltd, sees the convergence of 3000 delegates from fashion and retail industries. January 2010, IFF celebrated a decade of excellence with participation from major fashion brands, marketers, retailers, shopping centre d evelopers, supply chain and logistics, IT, retail design and shop fit.Subevents: CEO Conclave, Workshops, Awards, exhibition, Conference and Brand shows.Contact:Anjali Sondhi: info@imagesfashion.com

National Garment Fairs (Cmai, Aepc) Location: Mumbai; June/ JulyNGF is the largest trade fair for the domestic apparel retail industry, Spread over a gross area of 25,000 sq mts, collections from about 300 exhibitors from across India, including leading brands and manufacturers in various Lifestyle and product categories Like ready to wear, sarees, home fashion and fashion accessories, are p reviewed by about 20,000 retailers.It is an ideal platform for product launch, retail network expansion, new franchise identification, licensing deals and information gathering on the latest in fashion, products and market trends for the forthcoming business seasons.Subevents: Apex Awards, Trend Forum and Fashion Shows.Contact:Mr.Premal Udani, 0124-2708108, chairman@aepcindia.comHindustan Times Luxury Conference Location: Delhi/ Mumbai; January/ FebruaryThe first Hindustan Times Luxury Conference, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, was held in January 13 and 14 2006 in Mumbai. With increasing prosperity Indians, especially in metro politan cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi, are likely to spend a large proportion of their disposable incomes on luxury goods. A testimony to this is the presence of prominent luxury brands - Chanel, Hugo Boss, Bulgari, Zegna, Aigner and Louis Vuitton in India. The Hindustan Times Luxury Conference would allow a platform for international luxury houses to interact with the Indian government and industrialists. Contact:luxuryconference@hindustantimes.com

FASHIONExHIBITIONSOVERSEASWITHINDIANPARTICIPATIONSpecial store promotions highlighting Indian merchandise across product categories combined with cultural events have been organised at the following International stores-Selfridges – London; 2002Coin – Italy; 2003 Anthropologie – USA; 2008Tsum – Moscow; 2006GalleriesLaffeyette – ParisBonMarche – ParisIndian fashion designers have increasingly participated in International Fashion Weeks such as the London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

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GOVERNMENTAlthough fashion in India is almost three decades old, it is still considered as a nascent industry. The turnover figures are still low and it has not been recognized by the government to be given a separate portfolio.The only areas the government has indicated interest and commitment in ‘ Fashion Education’ is by setting NIFT in 1986, introducing fashion at NID and establishing Apparel Training and Development Centers under AEPC to train people for shop floor level. Besides this, there has been sporadic support from the government in the form of sponsorship. Participation of designers such as Manish Arora, Ashish Soni and Rajesh Pratap at International fashion weeks has been partially supported by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry of textiles in the past has organized some Road Shows under the aegis of AEPC in various importing countries. These include Buyer-Seller Meets and Fashion Shows .As of now there isn’t any policy paper for the fashion Industry in the government. An area that definitely needs to be pursued.However crafts and textiles is a strong portfolio under the Ministry of Textiles. To sustain and grow the textile heritage of the country the Government has regional centers in all states to promote the artisans and weavers. On page 68 and 69 we present to you an overview of INDIA’S WEAVES AND CRAFTS.

Bi-lateral Trade Relations

and Exchanges

BETWEENINDIAANDOTHERNATIONS

UnitedKingdom(Organisation:BritishCouncil)The British Council has played a pivotal role in building ties between India and the UK, particularly on the artistic and cultural front. Following is a list of a few programs that they have initiated in order to promote long term, sustainable relationships between the two countries in creative and fashion related fields: • ConnectionsThroughCulture

This program provides assistance for joint collaborations between art and culture producers and organisers in both countries. This entails collaborative creative work that the public can experience, whether events, tours, exhibitions or performances, showcasing the UK and India working together. The British Council advises and brokers the projects, providing developmental and networking support along with small scholarships.

• YoungCreativeEntrepreneurAwardThe British Council has instituted this award in various categories, including one in fashion, for an entrepreneur who is promoting, managing or running a venture centred on a creative sector and in doing so is promoting India at various international platforms.

• EventsshowcasingIndianfashiondesignersintheUK The British Council, in collaboration with leading high profile stores in the UK, help promote Indian fashion designers in their market. An example of this is the ‘Global Local’ event held at Victoria & Albert Museum in London, which showcased the work of the acclaimed Indian fashion designer Manish Arora in 2005.

Italy(Organisation:Indo-ItalianChambersofCommerceandIndustry)Established in Kolkata in 1966, the IICCI is a non-profit organisation which promotes and enhances trade and economic relations between India and Italy. IICCI plays an active role in organising business meetings, international trade fairs, seminars, conferences and round tables to promote knowledge sharing between the two countries. It also coordinates and manages businesses and institutional delegations, to stimulate both the Italian and Indian markets. The fashion sector has particularly benefitted from these initiatives as it has been an important item on the agenda. Some of IICCI’s activities and programs are featured below.

FestivalsandExhibitionsFestiva Italiana: Held annually in six major cities across the country, including New Delhi and Mumbai, this is the biggest festival of its kind in the country. Featuring photo-graphy exhibitions, fashion shows, musical concerts, technical seminars for professionals, and art exhibitions, the weeklong festival is a platform to widen the awareness and appreciation of Italy and Italian lifestyle to the Indian public.ChibiMart and ChibiDue: Summer festival held annually in Milan dedicated to lifestyle products, such as fashion jewellery, fashion accessories and natural products; featured over 25 Indian participants.

ConferencesandSeminars‘DoingBusinesswithItaly’: Seminar held in Jaipur, Rajasthan in 2009 as an occasion to explore different subjects, from trade opportunities to business administration culture and cross-cultural issues, which have an effect on trade relationships between companies from Rajasthan and Italy.

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‘FromInfrastructuretoFashion’: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 to fashion.‘TheChallengesoftheIndianMarket:BusinessOpportunitiesforLatium’sEnterprises’:Seminar Series held in Rome, Italy in 2009 for companies and enterprises from the Latium region to get an insight on the Indian market and the business opportunities it provides.

TradeandBusinessDelegationsfortheFashionSectorA multi-sector delegation from Lombardy region visited India in July 2009.An Indian buyers’ delegation visited the Marche region in Italy in June 2009.

BETWEENINDIAANDTHENETHERLANDS

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 Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers three scholarships to Dutch students every year till date. In the first month of 2009, trade relations between the Netherlands and India had reached a higher level with the opening of Netherlands-India Desk. It aimed to establish business contacts between enterprises of the two countries especially in terms of market research and public relations. The following are a few Indo-Dutch collaborative trade partner organizations: • Nederlands Centrum voor Handelsbevordering (NCH) • The Agency for International Business Cooperation (EVB) • India Netherlands Business Association (INBA) • Dutch Trade Board (DTB)• Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and • Industry (FICCI) • Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Potential areas for joint collaborationsThis section seeks to identify the various areas of potential collaborations between the Netherlands and India in different industry verticals.

Education• Exchange Programs – Faculty and student• Twinnings Programs • Joint Research in areas of Ethical Fashion • Student Projects • Industry Placements and Internships • Design Competitions • Seminars, Panel Discussions, Conferences • Research Programmes TradeandIndustry• Retail: Joint store promotions in India and Netherlands • Presentation of Dutch Designers at Indian Fashion

Weeks and Forums. Similarly, presentation of Indian 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 government organisations and councils, specifically promoting fashion

• Installations and exhibitions of Dutch design and fashion to be mounted at Indian galleries and museums and vice-a- versa.

Media• PR campaigns directed at increasing awareness of

Dutch fashion in India and Indian Fashion in Netherlands

• Promoting Dutch designers at red carpet events in India• Liaising with Indian media houses to feature Dutch

Fashion in ‘cover stories’ and ‘special features’; also encourage exchange of fashion journalists between the two countries

• Collaborative projects/media campaigns featuring both Dutch as well as Indian industry professionals such as photographers, make-up artists, models, and stylists.

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

ContentFashion,DesignandArchitecture:

Harmeet Bajaj

Hrridaysh Despande

Anand Patel

Introduction:

Gert Staal

Foreword:

Christine de Baan

Translations:

Gerrie van Noord

Coordination:

Mei-Lan Tjoa

Graphicdesign:

cover: Thonik, Amsterdam

inside: CO3, Amsterdam

Commisionedby:

Dutch Design Fashion Architecture

P.O. Box 21798

3001 AT Rotterdam

The Netherlands

+31 10 4136252

info@dutchdfa.nl

www.dutchdfa.nl

www.dutchprofiles.com

design fashion architecturedutch

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.