There are some events that you visit with a very clear expectation. You know what you are looking for, you know the kind of people you want to meet, and you more or less know what you will take back with you.
There are some events that you visit with a very clear expectation. You know what you are looking for, you know the kind of people you want to meet, and you more or less know what you will take back with you.
My visit to Index Plus at Yashobhoomi, Delhi, was somewhere between the two.
For someone associated with interior design and execution, exhibitions like these are always interesting. They bring together a variety of things under one roof, and more importantly, they bring people together. Designers, architects, manufacturers, distributors, vendors, fabric suppliers and brands all come into the same space. Sometimes the real value of an exhibition is not what you see on the display, but the conversation you have standing next to it.
This visit was no different.
One of the things I found interesting was the growing variety of pre-moulded furniture and ready-to-use furniture solutions. There was a visible movement towards products that can save time at site without necessarily compromising too much on the design aspect. For an industry where timelines are becoming tighter and clients are increasingly particular about finishing, such products have a definite place.
I also came across several new vendors dealing in fabrics. That, for me, was one of the more useful parts of the visit. Fabrics are often underestimated when we talk about interiors. A fabric can completely change the character of a chair, sofa, headboard or even an entire room. Meeting new suppliers also gives designers a chance to understand what is coming into the market, what is locally available and where there might be an opportunity to experiment.
And then there was material.
Almost everything.
Surfaces, finishes, furniture, fabrics, hardware, lighting, decorative products and several other categories that form the rather large universe of interior design. Some products were familiar, some were interesting, and a few made me stop and think about where they could actually be used in a project.
But exhibitions are not only about what is good. They are also about what could be better.
And honestly, I felt there is scope for improvement.
An exhibition of this scale has the potential to become much more than a collection of stalls. It can become a real experience for the people who visit. There could be more curated displays, more live demonstrations, stronger thematic sections and perhaps more opportunities for designers and vendors to actually interact meaningfully.
Sometimes, walking through an exhibition can feel like walking through a very large catalogue. You see hundreds of products, but it can become difficult to understand why one product matters, where it fits and how it can be used.
I would personally appreciate more effort towards creating those connections.
For example, instead of simply displaying a material, showing it as part of a finished interior could make a huge difference. Instead of only showcasing furniture, demonstrating how it can be customised or integrated into a project would make it more relevant. And instead of simply having visitors walk past a booth, creating small conversations, workshops or practical demonstrations could make the experience much more memorable.
That said, I don’t think it is fair to judge an event only by what it did not have.
There was a lot to appreciate.
A large number of brands made the effort to participate and bring their product ranges to Yashobhoomi. They spent time, resources and energy putting their work in front of designers, architects, contractors and people from the larger building and interiors ecosystem.
That effort deserves acknowledgement.
Events like Index Plus play an important role in keeping the industry moving. They give smaller and newer brands an opportunity to be seen. They allow established brands to introduce new collections. They help professionals discover materials they may not have otherwise come across. Most importantly, they keep conversations around design, materials, technology and trends alive.
For me, the biggest takeaway from the visit was not a particular product or a particular brand.
It was the reminder that our industry is changing continuously.
New materials are coming in. Manufacturing is becoming more sophisticated. Furniture is becoming more modular and efficient. Fabrics are becoming more experimental. Clients are exposed to global trends almost instantly. And designers have to keep learning, exploring and questioning what they have been doing for years.
That is perhaps the real purpose of such exhibitions.
Not necessarily to come back with a shopping list.
But to come back with a few new ideas.
Index Plus at Yashobhoomi has a good foundation. With a little more curation, interaction and experience-led presentation, I believe it can become much more valuable for the professional community.
So, a genuine thank you to all the brands that participated, showcased their products, introduced new collections and took the effort to update the industry about what is new, what is changing and what could possibly be next.
There is always room for improvement.
But there is also value in simply showing up, sharing, meeting and learning.
And that, in itself, makes these events worth attending.