Tuesday, Jun 10, 2025 18:06:35
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 10: Design Democracy returns for its third edition from September 5–7, 2025, at the HITEX Exhibition Centre, reimagining how interior design in India engages with culture, craft, and dialogue. Founded by Indian design entrepreneurs Shailja Patwari, Pallika Sreewastav, and lighting designer-architect Arjun Rathi, the event will showcase interior design products and experiential spaces by 120+ top brands and design studios from India. It will also bring together leading designers, architects, buyers, curators, and design aficionados y for a three-day program focused on spatial innovation and cultural exchange.
“Hyderabad’s growth—both economic and architectural—made it the ideal home for a contemporary design forum,” says Shailja Patwari.
“Design is the silent language of beauty. It lifts a place beyond function, into feeling,” adds Pallika Sreewastav”.
Arjun Rathi says, “Design Democracy is a platform created to engage with the design community through showcases, conversations, and collaborations. It is about building connections — between creators, users, and the larger ecosystem.”
The 2025 edition is presented by The Charcoal Project, with a pavilion curated by Sussanne Khan, offering a distinctive take on integrated design and immersive spatial narratives. The event is supported by a broad network of sponsors, collaborators, and media partners from across the design, business, and cultural sectors.
This year’s edition introduces a number of industry-first features, marking a significant shift in the broader evolution of the event’s vision and structure. Central to this is a new pavilion focused on curatorial and architectural explorations, positioning Design Democracy as a cultural anchor within India’s design landscape. The event is organised around three thematic zones: Atelier, highlighting emerging materials and processes; Canvas, centred on storytelling through design and the evolving language of craft traditions; and Muse, showcasing innovation and work that pushes creative boundaries.
A central feature of the event will be DD Talks, a two-day series of panel discussions and keynotes featuring over 40 speakers from across India and beyond. Returning to this edition is the much-anticipated Museum of Telangana (MOT), curated by architect Supraja Rao in collaboration with Hanuman Enterprises, offering a bold take on the interplay between heritage and modernity. Additionally, Design Democracy will be unveiling multiple special projects curated by the country’s top designers. The details of which will be shared soon.