Designed in India: The Narrative We Need to Own

India has always been a land of design. As one of the world's oldest civilisations, the Indian subcontinent has long imagined beauty into being — not just through grand monuments or fine jewellery, but in something as everyday as fabric. Terracotta figurines, painted pottery, and seals from Indus Valley excavations depict pleated skirts, shawls, turbans, and patterned cloth — evidence that 4,000 years ago, design was already deeply embedded in our civilisation.

That legacy of form, function, and beauty is visible today in the textile traditions and artisanal crafts that define Indian heritage. Yet while Italy is celebrated for fashion, Japan for minimalism, and France for luxury, India — often called the factory of the world — rarely receives credit for its design.

"Made in India" appears on countless garment tags across global retail chains. But how much of what is made here is also designed here? Why is "Designed in India" still such a rare stamp of pride?

It's a question we at Project SatatKi have been asking consistently — not rhetorically, but through our work on the ground with independent labels, small-batch manufacturers, studios, ateliers, sampling units, and family-run workshops. What we've witnessed, again and again, is the depth of India's design intelligence. And what we've also witnessed is how routinely it goes uncredited.

The pattern is clear: we've long valued the ability to make, but not always the ability to imagine.

The Workshop, Not the Studio

In today's global economy, India is seen far more as a production powerhouse than a design-led one. We are the hands, not the mind.

Our founder Shruti Jaipuria puts it plainly: "Designed in India, to me, is everything to do with thinking. Indians have a design language of their own — from a university-trained designer to a generational craftsman, everyone in the business of fashion here seems to have their own design language and their own karigari. If it's been crafted thoughtfully, with effort, with some level of love and aesthetic, it's Designed in India. Not just Made in India."

Therein lies the paradox. We are producing globally admired fashion, yet the intellectual credit often lies elsewhere.

Part of the reason is structural. As Ashima Raizada of The Conscious Stitch, a sampling and production house from Bengaluru, explains: "The systems of the global fashion industry have historically separated design from production — placing design in the West and execution in the East. That oversimplifies and undervalues the design intelligence embedded within Indian manufacturing."

Even within India, the word "design" is often reduced to its most surface-level meaning — a pattern, a motif, an embellishment. We don't always associate it with strategy, with thinking, with storytelling. As Dhwani Choksi, Founder and Designer at Dhwani Choksi The Label, notes: "Many associate design with decoration, not strategy or storytelling. It's still common for people to ask, 'Why is this priced higher?' without seeing the layers of research, development, and testing that go into each piece."

Design Happens on the Factory Floor Too

One of the most persistent blind spots is where design actually takes place. The assumption that it only happens on a sketchpad or runway simply isn't true. Some of the most critical creative decisions are made during sampling, prototyping, and production. As Ashima puts it, "Designs that look perfect on paper often need to be adapted because they may not be technically executable or functionally sound. That's where the manufacturer becomes a co-creator."

Shruti had her own moment of awakening while studying in London, when she came across Indian-made garments in a high street store — beautifully constructed, with impeccable detailing. Back home, the same manufacturing units were producing barely functional export leftovers. "That stayed with me," she says. "I realised that manufacturing companies and factories in India weren't just stitching outfits together — they were deeply involved in pitching designs, with merchandisers and in-house design teams toiling day in and day out to create and ideate global cuts and silhouettes."

Yet those contributions rarely make it to the label.

Why This Conversation Matters

It matters because design is valuable. As Pavan Soni wrote in Mint Lounge, "Design not only adds greater value to the end product or service but also remains difficult to copy." Manufacturing can be relocated. The ability to think, innovate, and create cannot. India has that talent. What it needs is visibility and ownership.

According to IBEF, India's textiles and apparel industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% to reach US$350 billion by 2030. If India positions itself not just as a production hub but as a hub for original design, that growth can be accompanied by far greater global influence, value retention, and creative leadership.

It also matters because when Indian design goes unrecognised, so does fair pricing. "Why does the world think it's cheap to produce in India?" Shruti asks. "It's not. It's cheaper, yes, but it's not cheap. Design, craft, and manufacturing come at a cost — and the world must learn to pay for it."

At a time when Indian designers are appearing on red carpets at Cannes and the Met Gala, there's a renewed sense of possibility. But as Dhwani rightly points out, "These platforms are bringing visibility — but the recognition often still focuses on the celebrity wearing the design, not the designer's journey."

What's Holding 'Designed in India' Back

This movement is still in its infancy, and three challenges stand in the way.

The first is intellectual property and ownership. When a designer's thinking, research, and creative effort go unacknowledged — absorbed into someone else's label or relegated to the margins — they lose both voice and value. Design must be protected and priced as the unique creative asset it is.

The second is the gap between design education and market realities. Design enrolments in India have grown significantly — AICTE reports a 40% increase over the past decade — but a CII report flagged that many graduates still lack the critical thinking or technical rigour needed for real-world impact. This shows up in practice, too. As Priya Agarwal, Designer and Founder of Priya Agarwal Clothing, observes, Indian designers often imitate Western aesthetics rather than drawing on their own cultural roots. Shruti's position on this is clear: "Contemporary doesn't mean Indo-western. Nor does it mean adding Indian craft to a Western silhouette. It means modern, current, relevant. And relevance looks different in different parts of the world."

The third is structural: the barriers that make it harder for emerging designers to build sustainably. Buyers still routinely request consignment or credit-based deals. Subtle, thoughtful designs are frequently passed over in favour of louder, trendier pieces — further entrenching the idea that Indian design equals ethnic maximalism.

A Call for Authenticity

If India is to lead as a design destination, a few things need to shift in tandem.

Design thinking must be embedded across the entire ecosystem — from education to production. IP awareness and pricing practices must strengthen, so that design is commercialised and protected, not quietly absorbed. Even something as simple as a label that reads "Designed in India" can begin to shift perception. And independent voices need platforms — so that the world doesn't just celebrate Indian design through red carpets, but understands the stories, struggles, and innovations behind it.

The Narrative to Own

India stands on the cusp of transformation. Its talent — from handicraft to high street — is real and growing. Its global appearances are a foot in the door.

But real change will come when we shift from copying to crediting, from making to imagining, from craft to intellectual property.

For us at SatatKi, success would look like more young designers proudly tagging their garments "Designed in India," buyers choosing originality over margin, and Indian design being recognised for what it truly is — a global creative force, not a service economy for fashion.

"We have so much to offer — textiles, crafts, inks, dyes, culture, colour," Shruti says. "We just need to stop waiting for permission."

Her advice to emerging designers: stick to your terms, get original, take risks. Understand what you're doing deeply, not just because it's trending. You're building a business, not just a label.

The soul of Indian fashion has always been in the design. It's just been too humble to ask for the spotlight.

It's time to change that.