Ad Design Show: Architectural Digest’s annual design fair lands at Jio World Centre on November 13, 15, then takes its curated vision to Bengaluru and Hyderabad for the first time.
India’s most established design fair is back. The AD Design Show, organized by Architectural Digest India, a Condé Nast property, will open November 13 through 15 at Jio World Centre in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, marking another chapter in what has become the country’s most reliable barometer of contemporary design direction. Tickets start at ₹1,199, with doors open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, and visitor registration is required.
Since its 2018 debut, the three day event has functioned less as a typical trade show and more as a cultural statement. It’s where Mumbai’s design establishment gathers to observe, debate, and spend. The fair has expanded steadily across these years, pulling larger exhibitor rosters into progressively bigger venues within the city. What began as a regional play has matured into something more ambitious, though its core mission remains clear: to position Indian design and architecture as both product and philosophy worthy of international attention.
AD Design Show Expands Beyond Mumbai to Three Cities
This year marks a turning point. Beyond the familiar Mumbai edition, the AD Design Show will debut in Bengaluru, a city where design practice is increasingly tied to tech money and global ambition. Hyderabad returns for a second run, having hosted a successful inaugural event last year. The three city strategy signals that Architectural Digest is no longer content to position the fair as a Mumbai institution, but rather as a traveling exhibition meant to reflect and shape design discourse across India’s major metropolitan centers.
Each city edition will carry its own character. According to the organizers, the programming will “showcase each city’s unique engagements with design, while also reflecting the unique voice of AD.” This suggests a curatorial approach that’s neither one size fits all nor completely bespoke. The formula involves industry conversations, exhibitor presentations, curated dining experiences, and programming that positions design as something that matters socially and commercially.
A New Curatorial Vision
Kamna Malik, a design curator and brand strategist who founded KRSP, has been appointed as Show Curator across all three editions. Malik’s appointment signals a shift toward more deliberate curation. Rather than a simple market venue, the fair now has a single voice directing its editorial spine. Working in collaboration with Architectural Digest’s editorial team, Malik will shape the narrative thread that runs through Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, presumably ensuring thematic coherence while allowing regional variations to surface naturally.
This move reflects a broader evolution in how design fairs operate globally. The days of purely vendor driven events are fading. Today’s design audience wants context, narrative, and argument alongside product. They want to understand not just what’s being sold, but why it matters and what it means for how people live. Malik’s curatorial role positions the AD Design Show as serious about that conversation rather than just facilitating transactions between designers and buyers.
What This Signals About Indian Design
The expansion itself is the story. That Architectural Digest and Condé Nast are confident enough to take this show to three cities simultaneously speaks to a particular moment in Indian design. There’s enough commercial activity, enough educated consumer interest, and enough emerging talent to justify multiple editions. Bengaluru’s inclusion especially matters. The city has become a design hub by virtue of its tech industry wealth and younger demographic, creating demand for contemporary furnishings and interior innovation that differs markedly from Mumbai’s traditional luxury establishment.
The steady growth of the AD Design Show since 2018 reflects something real about Indian culture: design literacy is rising. It’s no longer the exclusive domain of architects and wealthy collectors. Young professionals, affluent families, and design enthusiasts across multiple cities now see design fairs as essential viewing. The fair fills that need while also serving as a platform for Indian and international brands to reach buyers who are increasingly willing to invest in well designed objects and spaces.
The stakes for this November edition in Mumbai are clear. It needs to justify the expansion strategy about to unfold. The fair must deliver programming, exhibitors, and an overall experience compelling enough to warrant taking the concept to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Success here makes the multi city vision viable. Failure would suggest the model doesn’t translate beyond Mumbai’s established design culture. Given that the fair has only grown since its inception, the odds seem to favor another strong showing.
