India’s design landscape is young and vibrant, says Salone del Mobile's Annalisa Rosso

The words “high energy” come up often when Milan-based Annalisa Rosso, one of the key voices shaping contemporary design discourse, talks about the Indian design scene. “India’s design landscape is vibrant, young and emerging,” says Rosso, the editorial director and cultural events adviser of Salone del Mobile, the annual international furniture fair held in Milan.

She met Lounge on 8 February, the concluding day of the India Art Fair. This year’s edition marked the first collaboration between the fair and Salone del Mobile, signalling India’s growing presence on the global design map. India now ranks 10th among the 160 countries sending visitors to the Salone.

When Rosso, who also works as a curator and consultant to brands across the world, says “high energy”, she is referring to the trajectory of Indian designers such as Vikram Goyal, Gunjan Gupta and Rooshad Shroff, who have been displaying their furniture and collectible design at international platforms such as Design Miami/Paris, Milan Design Week, PAD London and Salone del Mobile.

Even in her consulting work, Rosso has noticed a growing curiosity about what India has to offer. “Riyadh is the other emerging market. But India and Italy share a special bond,” she says. Italy is among the European Union’s top exporters of furniture to India.

Historically, Italian marble, glass and tiles have decorated India’s palaces and colonial-era mansions—long seen as markers of wealth. What is changing now is the context. As Indian design grows more confident in its own craft traditions, homeowners are increasingly mixing vocabularies—pairing local textiles or artisanal furniture with international marble or lighting. “In Europe, the US, Japan and the UK, you’re seeing people look at what other countries, especially India, have to offer,” says Rosso. She went on to explain the reason behind the increased interest and discuss the future of design. Edited excerpts from the interview:

What makes India so exciting?

How do I say this without it sounding clichéd? There’s an inexplicable energy, a culture of design that you can’t pack into a suitcase—it’s something you simply have. The understanding of craftsmanship, the attention to detail, the seamless blending of past and present… these aren’t things you can teach. They are embedded in the culture.

I spoke with many architects and designers at the fair. What struck me was their openness, not just in sharing experiences but in listening. That reciprocity is the foundation of good design and it comes from seeing design as a tool for community and belonging.

You work with designers across the world. What’s the potential of Indian designers in the coming years?

Tremendous. There are going to be 2,000 exhibitors, including Indians, at Salone (21-26 April) this year. Within that space, I am curating a new section called Raritas, that will feature 25 top names from across the world who will showcase collectible design and antiques. I can’t tell you the names right now but you will certainly see Indian works there.

How are consumers’ tastes evolving?

I have a strong view on this, partly because of my background in anthropology. We are living in a post-globalisation moment. We’ve moved beyond the phase where everyone wanted the same sofa in Delhi, Mexico City, Rome and New York. That model no longer works. Neutral is no longer enough, and you could see that at the fair.

Even airports are trying to create a sense of place. People want spaces that speak globally but retain local elements, craftsmanship, materials, textiles, cultural references. When I look at designers here, I see work that is both Indian and global. They offer international design solutions while preserving identity. This is happening in Europe too.

Think of designers like Gunjan Gupta, who uses traditional casting techniques to create contemporary objects. Or Italy’s Andrea Anastasio, whose lamps are almost sculptural. These ideas aren’t new but they feel unique because of the identity and personality they carry.

What has driven this shift?

It’s a reaction to the previous trend. We lived through a period of neutrality—soft colours, soft shapes, everything looking similar. What we’re seeing now is the counter-movement. Anthropologically speaking, we’re in a time of uncertainty, socially and politically. In such moments, people look for things that make them feel rooted. After covid, we also rediscovered how important our homes are. We realised those uncomfortable, ugly chairs that were everywhere don’t work anymore. We want our spaces to reflect personality and roots.

Design is often seen as elitist…

There’s some truth to that. But perhaps this is no longer the era of museums and foundations alone. Maybe now it’s time to look around and realise that the most powerful creative voices are in the streets, in schools, in unexpected places. If you only look for new design where you expect to find it, you’ll discover what everyone else is already seeing.

Digital art is also a growing field. What’s your take on the use of AI?

I’m not concerned. It’s a tool, and within limits it can help brands tell stories better. At the end of the day, there’s always a human mind behind AI. Truly transformative ideas still come from humans. Think of designers like (Alessandro) Mendini or (Achille) Castiglioni—their work was unexpected, disruptive. I saw many such pieces at the fair. Such imagination comes from human intuition.

What makes design “good”?

Good design offers solutions. The table we’re sitting at, which allows us to engage easily, or the street lights outside that make a neighbourhood feel safe—design shapes how we live. I always say design is culture. Ours is a cultural industry. The most effective designers and brands are those who bring together something specific, functional and unique. It sounds simple, but achieving that balance is incredibly complex.