Mumbai, 1^st May 2019 (GPN) : Index Fairs 2019, India’s premier international Furniture, Interiors & Design Trade Fair at Mumbai opened today to an eager audience, whose expectations have been buoyed up by the excellent showing in the previous year’s edition. Index Fairs is one of Asia’s most influential exhibitions and India’s largest focused commercial platform on the sector, bringing together suppliers and buyers in a design atmosphere. A pioneering pit-stop in this sector, the Trade Fair will be running its 31^st edition, successfully in Mumbai from 1^st – 4^th May at Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

Index is the one-stop sourcing and buying destination for furniture, lighting, artifacts, materials and design for home, hospitality, office and kitchen and a visit show for architects, designers, dealers, distributors and builders.  

The inauguration was graced by illustrious personalities like, Padma Bhushan Shri Rajeev Sethi, Founder & Chairman, Asian Heritage Foundation; Shri. Alfonso Coca, Trade Advisor, Consulate General of Spain, Mumbai; Smt. Manisha Verma, Principal Secretary, Tribal Development Department, Government of Maharashtra; Smt. Swati Kale, Director – Art & Culture, Government of Maharashtra; Mr. Pinaki ranjan Mishra, Partner & National Leader, Consumer Products & Retail, Ernst & Young; Mr. YayatiKene, Founding Member, AGNI &Co-Founder, Amala Realty; Shri Ketan Vaidya, Chairman, IIID, Mumbai; Shri Nitin Nagarale, Founder & Secretary, Hospitality Procurement Managers Forum; Shri Baldev Krishna Sharma, Chairman, All India Wallpaper Association; Shri Alay Nagori, Vice President, Ahmedabad Timber Merchants Association; Shri Jayeshbhai Chavda, President, Rajkot Hardware Manufacturers Association;  Shri Bharat Dinesh, President, Jodhpur Handicrafts Exporters Association; Mr. Ajay Nahar, Managing Director, Nahar Projects and other dignitaries.

Index Fairs exhibits an impressive array of products from a large number of suppliers from the Kitchen, Office and Residential Furniture segments, complemented by the best of Indian design and production at the special pavilions dedicated to Indian Designers (IDP) and Indian manufacturers (IFFA). The new, dedicated fair Innomat, in Hall 2 showcased an outstanding display of materials while Hall 3 saw even larger display of furniture and architectural fittings and hardware, in the dedicated fair Interfurn.  The Trade Fair also witnessed the participation of celebrated architects, builders and designers, industry luminaries, international trade commissioners and country representatives as key visitors.

Liyakat Ali Khan, Managing Director, UMG Index Tradefairs Pvt. Ltd. explains that the industry has grown with newer and bigger companies from both India and abroad, entering the market. “India continuing to grow as a design hub to the world, can be demonstrated by the fact that we have introduced many ‘First-time-in-India’ products at Index Fairs, which will continue to add value to our clients. We are delighted to see participation by both buyers and sellers and are proud to present the Trade Fair as the launch pad for numerous new products from the leading design houses in India”, he said.

The Trade Fair, spread across 300,000 sq. ft., will boast over 350 companies promoting over 1400 brands, including products from Canada, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Germany, UAE, Taiwan, Poland, Turkey and China along with prestigious and reputed Indian brands. The Trade Fair aims to connect manufacturers and traders dealing in furniture and accessories, lighting, kitchen and appliances, office furniture, hardware and fittings, with architects, interior designers, builders, project managers, consultants and procurement heads across the hospitality, corporate and government sectors has already drawn over 45,000 professional and trade visitors from all over India and overseas.

Key industry and professional associations continue their strong support of Index, adding power and prestige to the event while raising the business component of the Trade Fair. These include the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), Indian Society of Structural Engineers (ISSE), Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), Association of Designers of India (ADI), Ahmedabad Timber Merchants’ Association (ATMA), Jaipur Handicrafts Exporters’ Association (JHEA) and Rajkot Hardware Manufacturers Association (RHMA).

Special dedicated spaces which are a hugely successful initiative at Index Fairs include, the Indian Furniture, Furnishings and Artifacts (IFFA) Pavilion; the highly successful India Design Pavilion (IDP), country pavilions and the Art Enclave, in association with Aura Art. Numerous platforms for b2b interactions abound, from b2b meetings to presentations and discussions, seminars and focused industry meets at the ‘e! Events @ Index’. Index recognizes talent and landmark achievements through the Indexcellence Awards for architects at the exciting ‘Smoking Hot!’ event and the industry awards at the ‘Bollywood Nite!’ The Kudos Gallery will salute great work through project displays of eminent architects and builders.