India’s foremost design week returns to Mumbai

#1 A RIVETING THEME

This year’s theme, The Age of Design Syncretism, sets the tone for an edition that celebrates a confluence of design, culture and crafts. In an era where cultural, technological and aesthetic boundaries are increasingly porous, the exhibition asks: what happens when global influences collide and coalesce? The answer explores a narrative where design becomes a vessel of hybrid identities, layered histories and the interplay of the local and the global.

Design Syncretism is imagined as a philosophy. It embraces cultural dialogue as the starting point of creation, where form and function are shaped by multiple inheritances rather than singular origins. As visitors move through the fair, they will find this spirit refracted across disciplines, materials and geographies — a glimpse of our shared future in the making.

#2 WORLD IN WORKSHOPS

At the heart of the fair is a vivid spectrum of design expressions that span continents and crafts. The Editions section unveils the latest collections from the world’s most admired design houses alongside India’s own leading studios, spanning furniture, lighting, kitchen, bath and decor.

In Design, the narrative turns homeward, as the Indian Crafts Story is retold through contemporary lenses. Here, innovative ateliers and makers bring ancient skills and materials into dialogue with modern sensibilities, proving that craft’s future lies in reinvention. The New Guard casts the spotlight on four cutting-edge studios shaping the next chapter of Indian design with audacious ideas and unbound energy, hinting at the shifts that will define the decades ahead.

#3 COLLECTIBLES FOR THE CURIOUS

For those who seek the rare and the radical, the ID Collectible section offers objects that blur the lines between art, architecture and utility. Each piece is a singular vision, crafted with intent and meant to be lived with as much as admired.

Nearby, the Installations are designed to stop visitors in their tracks. Provocative and unconventional, these exhibits challenge perception with their bold formal experiments and striking creativity, transforming the fairground into a theatre of ideas.

#4 GLOBAL THINKERS

If objects embody ideas, the ID Symposium gives them voice. This global forum for design-forward discourse brings together over 40 architects, designers and creative leaders from across the world and India for solo talks, interactive dialogues and panel discussions.

Among them is Ricardo Bofill of Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, carrying forward the 60-year legacy of his father’s firm in Barcelona. Known for his postmodern monumentality and colour-rich reimaginings of affordable housing, Ricardo’s work fuses poetic clarity with strategic vision.

Also taking the stage is Valérie Maltaverne, founder of YMER&MALTA, who approaches art furniture like cinema, directing collaborative processes between designers and master craftsmen to transform traditional techniques into contemporary creations coveted by institutions like Centre Pompidou and Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

#5 THE INDIAN VANGUARD

Equally compelling is the constellation of homegrown luminaries at the ID Symposium who are redefining India’s design discourse. PK Das of PKDA Architects brings decades of activist urbanism, having spearheaded participatory waterfront renewal projects and championed democratic planning models that foreground people over profit.

Sussanne Khan, founder of The Charcoal Project, has carved a singular path with her narrative-driven approach that bridges art, architecture and emotion in high-end residences and luxury developments. Heritage finds a tireless steward in Vikas Dilawari, whose conservation practice has revived Mumbai’s most storied landmarks while advocating for the cultural, environmental and financial value of preserving the past.

Meanwhile, Ratan J. Batliboi of Ratan J. Batliboi–Consultants Pvt. Ltd. continues to shape India’s infrastructure with over 1,400 projects spanning exhibition centres, railway hubs and urban design interventions, while EDIDA winner Kohelika Kohli of K2India bridges architecture, interiors and furniture design with a cosmopolitan eye.

#6 SPECTACLES OF SYNCRETISM

True to its theme, this edition of ID Mumbai mounts daring curatorial projects that celebrate syncretism as a creative force. Under ID Special Projects, Fair Director Misha Bains presents NEO DECO, a special exhibition marking a century of Art Deco. Over 40 contemporary objets d’art from Indian and international ateliers reinterpret Deco’s iconic geometries and materials through today’s sensibilities, crafting a dialogue across time.

Meanwhile, Syncretic Threads weaves stories of identity and belonging through textile-led installations. This immersive display celebrates how craft and design can layer histories, cross boundaries, and foster a shared sense of cultural hybridity.

#7 A GOURMAND’S DELIGHT

Where creativity meets cuisine, ID Mumbai 2025’s Gourmet Experiences returns to celebrate the city’s culinary soul. A handpicked ensemble of Mumbai’s most iconic restaurants, intimate cafés and spirited bars turns dining into an art form. From delicate artisanal dishes to daringly crafted cocktails, nothing completes a day of food for thought quite like the simple joy of a truly unforgettable meal.

Book your tickets now!