India's Premier Design and Architecture Festival

Hyderabad: Design Democracy, India’s definitive platform for design, craft, and future thinking, today kicked off its 2025 edition at the HITEX Exhibition Centre. The three-day festival, running until September 7, unites the country’s foremost creators and thinkers to explore the future of Indian design on a global platform. With a showcase of over 120 leading brands, insights from more than 80 influential speakers, and an expected attendance of over 15,000, the event solidifies Hyderabad's position as the creative capital of South India.

The festival commenced with a grand inauguration ceremony, graced by esteemed dignitaries including philanthropist Pinky Reddy, Mr. Gummi Ram Reddy (Chairman and Managing Director, ARK Group and Secretary, CREDAI National), and Gagandeep Kalsi (Associate Vice President - Strategy and Home Decor, Asian Paints). They were joined by the visionary founders of Design Democracy: Pallika Sreewastav, Shailja Patwari, and Arjun Rathi.

Attendees arriving today meet with an expansive, cross-disciplinary showcase spanning furniture, lighting, home furnishings, and fine art. The exhibition floor is structured into three immersive pavilions—Atelier, Canvas, and Muse—each designed as a sensorial experience that dissolves the boundaries between craft, design, art, and culture.

The festival's intellectual core, DD Talks, commences today with two days of dynamic keynotes and panels. Visionaries including Reza Kabul, Pavitra Rajaram, Sussanne Khan, and Akshat Bhatt will address urgent themes shaping India's future, from climate resilience and circular economies to cultural storytelling. Complementing the main stage, DD Focus offers intimate, in-booth dialogues with India's design vanguard, providing authentic glimpses into their creative processes.

A central draw of the festival is a quartet of exclusive, curated exhibitions that explore the evolving language of Indian design through materiality, memory, and imagination:

• Museum of Telangana (MOT): Curated by Supraja Rao, Stone and Shade is a poetic exploration of architecture rooted in India’s climate.

• Gallery of Sustainability: Co-curated by Abin Chaudhuri and Snehashri Nandi, this exhibition showcases conscious design practices shaping an ethical and resilient future.

• Precious Objects: The debut of this immersive gallery by curator Farah Ahmed celebrates objects that are both beautiful and meaningful, telling stories of craftsmanship and emotion.

• FLOW: A site-wide spatial intervention by Nuru Karim (Nudes) that reimagines movement and transforms the exhibition experience into a living narrative.

Speaking on their collective vision, founders Shailja Patwari, Pallika Sreewastav, and Arjun Rathi shared, “Our goal with Design Democracy is to build a platform that fosters genuine connections within the design ecosystem. Hyderabad’s dynamic growth makes it the perfect home for this dialogue. We believe design is the silent language of beauty that lifts a place beyond function into feeling, and this festival is a celebration of that transformative power.”

The festival's scale and immersive quality are made possible by the support of industry leaders. The Charcoal Project leads as Title Sponsor, with Beautiful Homes by Asian Paints as Platinum Sponsor. Gold Sponsors include ANCA and Bondtite, with FIMA, Osum, Dimore, Tabu Veneers, MCI, and West Elm as Associate Sponsors.

Event Information:

• Event: Design Democracy 2025

• Dates: September 5–7, 2025

• Venue: HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad