40 Under 40 brings together a generation that views age as momentum, not limitation. It represents an evolving force driving experimentation, resilience, and clarity of vision. The individuals featured come from diverse design domains across multiple disciplines. They reflect a collective intelligence actively shaping contemporary practice with conviction and purpose. Their work moves beyond authorship into realms of broader influence and impact. It does not contain ideas but allows them to traverse geographies, disciplines, and societies. What distinguishes this collective is not just the quality of their output but the depth of their engagement with context.
They navigate cultural, environmental, and technological terrains with care and awareness. Their work is rooted in local contexts yet resonates globally. They are not mere executors of briefs. Rather, they function as cultural translators of Indian design perspectives on an international stage. Additionally, they reshape local narratives through their practice.
In doing so, they push against established conventions, rethink inherited processes, and broaden what design can be. Their practice focuses less on isolated objects and, instead, on design as conversation and exchange. Moreover, it becomes a medium for dialogue, interaction, and meaningful transformation through thoughtful design approaches. In this context, 40 Under 40 represents a generation actively shaping the future with clarity and purpose. Furthermore, they construct what lies ahead with strong intent, vision, and responsibility. Ultimately, their work reflects a commitment to design as an evolving, shared experience.
Interiors must constantly evolve to remain relevant in an ever-changing design landscape, a belief strongly held by Anusha Tallam. She is co-founder and art director at Studio EBBXFLO, Bengaluru-based diverse creative studio. The studio specializes in immersive brand and space rooted in design, strategy, and art. Anusha extends her practice beyond traditional branding to create engaging systems of meaning. Her work ensures identity is not only perceived but deeply experienced and revisited. She focuses on visual intelligence and cultural sensitivity in her creative approach. She leads art direction across brand identity, packaging, and spatial experience design.
Her work brings branding into space, orches-trating design and art to translate a brand’s story through cultural relevance, art appreciation, and investment, while fusing math, light, psychology, and lifestyle. This approach shapes environments that act as living extensions of a brand’s identity. At EBBXFLO, she co-develops and applies “Brand Therapy,” an exclusive framework beyond aesthetics. It uncovers a brand’s core truth, personality, behavior, relationships, and self-image. Through KAOZ, the experience design practice by EBBXFLO, she translates the invisible into form. She designs environments, moments, and systems measured not in scale, but in soul.
Design alone does not create brands; careful assembly builds them layer by layer. They eventually articulate their own distinct identity over time. Arjun Guleria and Mathang Thyagaraj co-founded Ogatu Creative Studio in New Delhi. Subsequently, it has emerged as a versatile practice operating at the merging of culture, commerce, and visual language. Moreover, the studio focuses on luxury, fashion, hospitality, and evolving consumer ecosystems. In addition, their method is grounded in clarity of thought and refined restraint. Consequently, they craft identities that extend beyond aesthetics into meaningful cultural positioning.
Rather than ornamental expression, the studio privileges narrative depth, ensuring each system resonates with both local context and global sensibilities. Across disciplines, the founders bring a sharp sensibility for translating abstract ideas into structured brand worlds. Furthermore, their approach merges strategic insight, thereby crafting names, identities, and communication frameworks that remain adaptable yet distinct. In addition, the collective functions as a tightly integrated unit where strategy, design, direction, and production coexist. Consequently, this synergy of strategy and creative direction enables Ogatu to develop cohesive brand ecosystems that are scalable, commercially relevant, and enduring.
A sculptural expression shaped through intuition and handcrafted detailing defines Shivangi Shah’s approach to lighting. She is the founder of Mumbai-based Shivangi Shah-Artisanal Lighting, a studio focused on transforming spaces into captivating environments through innovative design. With an unwavering commitment to detail and unparalleled handcrafted artistry, each fixture designed by Shivangi becomes a conversation starter. Shivangi Shah devotes her practice to signature styles and curated collections. She shapes light into sculpture through intuition, detail, and handcraft. She meticulously oversees every stage of the project lifecycle. Her process begins with site visits and exploratory studies. It continues through design development and technical drawings. It culminates in production and final onsite installation by her team. Bespoke design is also an integral part of Shivangi Shah-Artisanal Lighting. Depending on the project, she crafts designs intricately interwoven with the essence of the context.
Shivangi, along with her team, creates fixtures and installations that go beyond functionality, aiming to enhance the overall experience. Her recent collection, Floral Alchemy, stands as one of her most remarkable works, inspired by nature and exotic florals. Furthermore, she expresses her designs through a distinctive language rooted in material exploration and poetic restraint. In addition, her work is shaped by clarity of vision, artistic intention, and the patience of hand-built processes.
Moreover, each composition studies the balance between fragility and structure, ornament and discipline. Simultaneously, light moves through form in an evocative manner, enhancing spatial and material sensitivity. As a result, intention defines every luminaire, ensuring it is made to live beyond trends, seasons, and time.
Interior spaces are not static compositions but evolving experiences, a philosophy that deeply reflects Anumeha Todi’s practice. She founded Studio Absorb in 2013, a boutique interior design practice based in Kolkata. They dedicate the studio to crafting interiors that are intimate, intuitive, and responsive to everyday rhythms. Their design outlook is shaped by global exposure and strong contextual awareness. Rooted in refined sensibility, Anumeha’s approach blends spatial storytelling with material exploration. Each project emerges as a unique narrative rather than following a predefined style. The studio operates as a hands-on, process-oriented practice focused on design evolution. Design development is closely tied to observation, iteration, and tactile engagement.
They support this methodology with a small, closely involved team, ensuring conceptual intent is carried through every layer of detailing. This includes material selection, spatial sequencing, and finish execution. Studio Absorb’s portfolio spans residences, cafés, restaurants, retail environments, offices, salons, and play spaces. Each is shaped as a distinct emotional and functional ecosystem. Rather than imposing a uniform aesthetic, the practice responds to personality, lifestyle, and context. This results in environments that feel lived-in and emotionally resonant. The studio’s philosophy reflects a belief that design quietly dissolves into memory. Every surface becomes part of a larger, personal narrative of life unfolding.
“Design is never a one-size-fits-all solution,” forms the guiding principle of Anmol Arora and Shubhit Khurana’s practice. In 2019, they co-founded Studio Dot, a Delhi-based design studio. It focuses on storytelling through spatial expression. The studio works across residential, retail, hospitality, industrial, and experiential typologies. It maintains an evolving presence across India. Operating as a hands-on, process-oriented practice, they shape every commission with care and precision. Anchored in a client-centric philosophy, they prioritize the needs and vision of each client. Treating each commission as a translation of narrative rather than a stylistic imposition, they focus on meaning-driven design outcomes.
The practice focuses on clarity of intent, precision in detailing, and an iterative design process. Furthermore, each space reflects the individuality of its purpose and user. In this context, Anmol Arora brings technical rigor and executional discipline to the studio. Moreover, he has a background in architecture along with advanced studies in fabrication and computational design. As a result, he structures complexity with precision, ensuring that design intent carries seamlessly through to on-site realization without compromise.
Similarly, Shubhit Khurana contributes a strategic and conceptual lens shaped by international exposure in design management and strategic thinking. In addition, his approach emphasizes spatial logic, brand integration, and experiential sequencing. Consequently, he often pushes layouts toward more expressive and unexpected resolutions.
Precision, purpose, and emotion move in sync to give design significance, and Nirmit Soni’s work strongly reflects this. He is the founder of TUGBÖTZ, an automotive and industrial design consultancy founded in Wiesbaden, Germany, and now based in Ahmedabad. The company operates as a globally connected creative practice focused on mobility systems, product innovation, and advanced design solutions. With a network of seasoned professionals experienced across emerging and established markets, the studio positions itself as a strategic design partner for both legacy OEMs and ambitious start-ups. Its expertise lies in shaping future-ready mobility concepts and industrial solutions that merge engineering clarity with aesthetic refinement.
They approach each project as a problem-solving exercise, balancing proportion, performance, and visual identity together. They ensure outcomes are functional while remaining emotionally resonant and visually compelling. The collective brings together specialists in automotive design, industrial systems, CMF development, and digital visualization. This enables a seamless workflow from ideation through development to final execution. This integrated structure allows the studio to operate with agility while maintaining high standards of technical and creative precision.
TUGBÖTZ’s portfolio spans concept vehicles, mobility interiors, industrial product systems, and transportation design studies tailored for diverse global markets. Moreover, each assignment reflects deep user insight, strong market relevance, and forward-looking innovation. As a result, it consistently produces commercially viable, design-driven solutions. In addition, they guide their practice with clarity of intent and sharp execution. Furthermore, design is not treated as decoration or excess. Instead, it is understood as a disciplined synthesis of purpose, precision, and impact. Ultimately, this approach defines how they imagine and experience future mobility.
One creates significant impact by planning ahead, communicating clearly, and trusting a system of shared accountability. Aksha Sachdev is the Chief Experience Officer & Head of Design at Fractal Ink, a Dentsu company. Drawing from her role as a user experience strategist by profession and a problem-solver by nature, she leverages human-centered design to help clients optimize their digital platforms and products. She holds a master’s in digital management from Hyper Island in the UK and has since been a strong advocate for design thinking as a catalyst for meaningful change. She has contributed to building products across diverse domains, including commerce, fintech, banking, real estate, automotive, enterprise, and B2B. Starting out as lead UX designer at Fractal Ink, her nine-year journey to agency head was formative, shaped by founder mentorship, evolving culture, and pivotal transitions that continually tested her readiness for leadership.
The Fractal Ink team designs end-to-end omni-channel experiences across complex service ecosystems. Moreover, they identify opportunities across customer journeys as well as internal operational processes. In addition, their approach blends human-centered design with strategic thinking. Consequently, they translate user behavior into intuitive digital and physical touchpoints. Furthermore, they enable personalization at scale across diverse user needs.
Meanwhile, Aksha leads cross-functional teams delivering large-scale platforms and integrated ecosystems. Similarly, she works using agile methodologies across design and development workflows. At the same time, her team collaborates closely with business, technology, and data stakeholders. Therefore, the overall process remains highly integrated, iterative, and outcome-driven.
They operate across multiple markets and organizational contexts. Their work includes service blueprints, journey orchestration, and product design. They also focus on innovation-driven design interventions and system improvements. Together, they create cohesive experiences that deliver user and business value. With a 17-year career spanning design, digital marketing, and data-driven strategy, Aksha delivers innovative, transformative outcomes.
Design is not a static outcome but an evolving system of inquiry that anchors the work of Ananya Sharma & Aditya Toöġgnatta. They are the founders of Gurugram-based Custom Design Stories, a disruptive design studio focused on the domains of architecture, interior design, and product design. Ananya & Aditya treat color as an active variable, informing spatial perception and experience rather than just an afterthought. They work at the confluence of computation, craft, and curiosity. Their practice resists formulaic approaches, instead privileging process-led explorations that draw from material intelligence, digital workflows, and spatial narratives shaped through iteration.
The studio translates computational logic into tactile realities through prototyping, parametric thinking, and fabrication-led experimentation. They maintain meticulous attention to detail with a strong commitment to efficient and functional design. Each intervention carefully responds to the specific purpose and performance of the space. Rather than following a singular aesthetic, Custom Design Stories builds frameworks shaped by constraints and possibilities. Each project emerges uniquely from its own contextual and spatial conditions. Their work extends into bespoke installations and research-driven design implementations. We root all outcomes in sensitivity to context, materiality, and functional clarity.
“Every brand is a living story,” quotes Siddharth Kalra. He is the founder and creative director of Delhi-based Dreamjar Studios, specializing in branding, UI/UX development, marketing campaigns, and visual communication. Furthermore, his work draws from a wide range of influences, from music and cinema to writing, sports, and travel. Consequently, this multidisciplinary perspective allows him to approach each project with depth, empathy, and a strong narrative foundation. Over the years, he has, in addition, worked across diverse industries, bringing a strategic and narrative-driven approach to every engagement. At the core of his philosophy, however, is the belief that every brand is a living story. Moreover, he draws from everyday observations and human experiences to create work that feels relevant, dynamic, and culturally aware.
His approach goes beyond aesthetics, focusing on building meaningful connections between businesses and their audiences. Meanwhile, Disha Sethi is Head of Design at Dreamjar Studios. Originally beginning as an intern, she progressively advanced into a leadership role. Furthermore, specializing in branding, UI design, digital media, and campaign design, she brings a strong multidisciplinary approach to her practice. In addition, bringing over ten years of hands-on design experience, she has developed deep industry expertise. Moreover, playing a key role in shaping brands across global markets, she contributes to impactful and strategic brand narratives. Finally, receiving multiple design awards, she has been widely recognized for her creative excellence.
Siddharth and Disha collaboratively lead Dreamjar Studios with their team, ensuring a unified design direction. In particular, they foster a design environment driven by clear intent and thoughtful clarity.Moreover, their work consistently balances strategic thinking with strong creative expression. As a result, they help brands evolve into strong, recognisable identities across India and Australia. Ultimately, their projects continue to grow and extend well beyond the initial engagement.
“Every space has a story of dreams, aspirations, and its people,” says Shammi Ameer Shareef. She is the founder of Tales of Design, a Kerala-based design studio. The studio follows a context-responsive philosophy rooted in site, climate, users, and culture. Each project evolves from a nuanced understanding of its environmental and cultural setting. Shammi anchors her work in research and systematic problem-solving approaches. She crafts design solutions integrating functionality, aesthetics, and long-term relevance. His keen interest in visual and applied arts is evident in every project he undertakes.
They focus primarily on residential architecture, and accordingly distinguish the studio’s work through an emphasis on spatial clarity, material articulation, and a refined user experience. In addition, his versatile team of architects, engineers, and technicians specializes in creating meaningful spaces across residential, commercial, educational, and hospitality sectors.
Moreover, some of his bespoke projects include Roshan Villa, House Dyuthi, Casa Raga, Elevated House, Triune, and Casa Fais. By contrast, and yet with equal attention to detail, the studio consistently works by understanding the needs and aspirations of clients, thereby creating spaces that resonate with their stories.
Furthermore, contextual relevance lies at the core of his designs, ensuring that every project aligns seamlessly with its surroundings. Ultimately, Shammi, along with his team at Tales of Design, embodies a balanced approach that merges technical rigor with artistic sensibility, resulting in thoughtful and enduring built environments.
They envision designs to offer meaningful experiences, both in their making and in their outcome, and they craft them to delight and enrich the lives of all who engage with their narrative. This belief is at the core of Kristel Sequeira and Shikha Gupta’s practice. They co-founded Story Studio, a Bangalore-based architectural and interior practice established in 2017. The studio operates at the intersection of hospitality, F&B, and retail design, crafting environments shaped by narrative depth and experiential clarity. They ground their ethos in intimacy and treat each commission as a singular dialogue between purpose and craftsmanship.
Rather than imposing a fixed style, the practice responds to context, allow- -ing spatial identities to evolve organically through collaboration and craft precision. Shikha Gupta brings nearly two decades of architectural expertise, with a strong command over detailing, construction intelligence, and on-site problem-solving. Her sensibility lies in transforming technical rigor into refined spatial resolution. Kristel specializes in branded environments, translating identity into immersive spatial experiences. Storytelling, form, and function converge seamlessly in her work. Together, they lead a studio operating as a cohesive ecosystem of designers, consultants, and artisans. Conceptual exploration and executional accuracy progress in parallel within the practice.
Curiosity sparked a craft that gradually evolved into a movement, leading to Pietra Ware’s inception. Rooman Shah and Abhishek Patel co-founded Pietra Ware Private Limited. The Vapi-based, design-led studio specializes in handcrafted concrete and terrazzo bathware. The studio focuses on sculptural, timeless pieces designed for contemporary spaces. The founders established Pietra Ware in 2022 during a house flip project in Canada. There, they discovered a shared passion for handcrafted concrete and terrazzo materials. What began as experimentation soon evolved into a vision for luxury bathware design. They later relocated to India to explore traditional craftsmanship and local expertise. This led to the establishment of Pietra Ware Private Limited in India. The brand is rooted in design, sustainability, and artisanal craftsmanship.
They root the studio’s approach in simplicity, proportion, and tactile quality. Moreover, they aim to create products that feel grounded yet elevated. In addition, we develop each product in-house by combining traditional craftsmanship with modern production techniques. As a result, this process produces basins, bathtubs, and surfaces that are both durable and visually distinctive. Furthermore, the studio offers over 100 pigmented concrete colors along with various terrazzo compositions. Consequently, this enables a high degree of customization for architects, designers, and luxury projects. Similarly, Pietra Ware serves residential and hospitality sectors with tailored design solutions. At the same time, with a growing presence across India, the studio continues to expand its design language. Ultimately, it maintains a strong focus on craftsmanship, material integrity, and detail.
Mahendra Jangid deeply reflects the idea that one must first visualize a space with complete clarity before building it in his work. He founded Studio 21 at the age of 21, a Mumbai-based architectural and interior visualization practice with a global footprint. The studio emerged with a focused intent: to bridge the distance between conceptual design and visual realization, collaborating with leading architects and interior designers across India and international markets, including Dubai, Belgium, France, Italy, and the UAE. They dedicate the practice to high-fidelity 3D rendering, transforming technical drawings and spatial ideas into immersive visual narratives.
The studio emphasizes fidelity, ensuring that each output remains faithful to material behavior, spatial proportion, and lighting conditions as they would exist in reality. Mahendra’s strength lies in his ability to interpret architectural intent with precision and sensitivity. His approach balances technical understanding with an artistic eye, enabling visuals that are not only accurate but also emotionally resonant. We develop each product in-house by combining traditional craftsmanship with modern production techniques. The studio operates as a highly detail-oriented collective, where artists and visualization specialists work in close coordination with designers and architects. This collaborative framework ensures consistency across scale, texture, illumination, and composition, producing imagery.
Illustrations and design possess a transformative ability to simplify communication, elevate experiences, and engage as well as inspire people across diverse contexts. This is the philosophy that Poulomi Dhar deeply upholds and consistently practices. She co-founded Design Ethics Studio in 2016, a Delhi-based practice that places emphasis on architecture and luxury interior design. Her studio strives to achieve a balance between art, architecture, and all aspects of design. She roots her expertise in the design process and demonstrates her greatest strength in problem-solving.
With 10 years of diverse project experience, Poulomi has gained valuable insights. Consequently, she prioritizes creating meaningful, contextually relevant designs. Moreover, for her, good design is practical and remains true to the concept. At Design Ethics, she has led many hospitality and residential projects. As a result, these projects have earned accolades for the firm in a short span. In addition, her work consistently challenges her to deliver inventive yet operationally sound solutions.
Meanwhile, the studio operates across architecture and interiors with an integrated approach. Furthermore, their process treats each project as a collaborative exercise with clear communication strategies. Simultaneously, they emphasize rational planning throughout every stage of design development. Similarly, the team offers unbiased design solutions tailored to project requirements. Above all, they strive to understand user needs by adopting the user’s perspective.
“India has the skill, the craftsmen, and a centuries-old legacy of handicrafts, yet the domestic market has had little access to the very products we work so hard to create,” says Shreya Anup Mantri. She is the founder of Altrove, a Pune-based home décor brand. With over a decade of experience in the global textile industry, she has built a practice shaped by both local insight and international exposure. Her career includes six years in New York, where she worked on design for major mass-market retail brands in the United States, including Target, HomeGoods, Walmart, and Macy’s, bringing together commercial scale and design sensibility across diverse retail contexts.
She describes her home décor journey as cosmically aligned and shaped by diverse early influences. A textile designer parent and businessman’s influence at home shaped her creative foundation early on. Her multidisciplinary education spans engineering, product design, and retail, enriching her design perspective. This layered foundation led her to establish Altrove, a Pune-based design brand. Altrove aims to reposition Indian craftsmanship as globally celebrated and standard-defining rather than just competitive.
At the heart of her practice lies deep respect for artisan-led processes and craftsmanship. Craft is not preserved as nostalgia but reinterpreted through innovation and contemporary thinking. She collaborates closely with traditional skills while embracing modern design approaches and methods. She supports small-batch production as both a creative and an ethical design choice. Together with her team, Shreya creates home décor that feels both beautiful and meaningful. Her work blends versatility, sustainability, and timeless design into effortlessly refined outcomes.
Altrove is among few Indian home décor brands integrating styling support into customer experience. It transforms purchasing into a more guided and meaningful design journey for customers. The brand has developed a strong and recognizable design language over time. Its products are frequently featured in leading design editorials and contemporary homes.
Altrove follows an affordable luxury approach, thereby making quality design more accessible. In addition, it is committed to offering well-crafted and versatile products to a wider audience. Furthermore, the brand fosters a deeper appreciation for craft through thoughtful and accessible design. Moreover, each piece is thoughtfully crafted to be durable and long-lasting. Ultimately, the designs encourage slowing down, connecting, and mindful living within spaces.. They help create homes that feel warm, tactile, and beautifully lived in.Altrove is proudly Indian, rooted in authenticity, and thoughtful in both design and craft at its core.
They never conceive architecture in isolation; instead, they evolve it through light, land, and lived experience. Muhammed Yasin strongly resonates with this guiding philosophy in his work. He shapes each spatial expression through context, climate, and human presence. He is the founder of Studio Avocado, a Calicut-based multidisciplinary design practice. The studio operates at the intersection of modern tropical sensibilities and Brutalist expression. It shapes spaces where material honesty, climatic responsiveness, and sculptural form converge. Together, these elements form cohesive and meaningful spatial narratives.
They dedicate the studio to crafting residential, commercial, and experiential environments that respond deeply to regional context while embracing contemporary architectural language. They define their work through a balance of bold massing and environmental sensitivity, where structure extends the landscape rather than imposing upon it. At the core of the practice is an emphasis on crafting spatial atmospheres, how light enters, how surfaces age, and how voids and volumes interact to create emotional resonance.
For Ashwin Vasudevan and Radhika Sukumar, what truly matters is often not what first meets the eye—this conviction sits at the centre of their architectural practice. As co-founders of Magic Line Studio in Calicut, they approach each project less as a formal exercise and more as an attentive reading of life itself: the rhythms people follow, the values they carry, the silences they inhabit, and the subtle patterns that shape everyday behaviour.
From this quiet observation, form is allowed to emerge almost gently, resulting in spaces that feel understated yet deeply cohesive structures that hold experience together without dominating it. Their work consistently returns to elemental human gestures: the act of sitting, the pause between movements, the habit of observing, and the ethics of care embedded in space. Within this framework, space becomes a vessel for latent compassion formed between individuals, communities, and the natural environment. The studio prioritizes
clarity of understanding over expression for its own sake. Founded on a contextual and research-driven approach, the studio operates across architecture, interiors, and spatial systems, with a strong emphasis on restraint and responsiveness. Magic Line’s practice is dedicated to designing environments that are sensitive to place, climate, and lived experience. Fundamentally, the designer’s strength lies in interpreting the unseen, translating behavioral patterns and environmental cues into spatial logic. Rather than imposing form, the work listens first, allowing design to surface gradually from context, material, and human presence, shaping spaces with quiet, intentional clarity.
“Material carries memory, and design gives it a voice,” reflects the ethos behind Neytt’s practice, where every surface becomes a narrative of craft and transformation. Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas are the founders of Neytt, a contemporary luxury rug label based in Alappuzha, specializing in design-led textile innovation rooted in traditional coir craftsmanship. The studio reinterprets a century-old fiber heritage into refined, globally resonant floor coverings that bridge artisanal knowledge with modern design sensibilities. Sivan draws from a fourth-generation lineage in natural fiber production, bringing deep operational expertise and an entrepreneurial mindset to the practice. Nimisha steers the creative vision, curating a distinctive aesthetic language shaped by narratives and contemporary spatial trends. The studio functions as a creative collective where designers, artisans, and production specialists converge to explore sustainable material systems, circular design principles, and experimental textures.
Their strength lies in transforming humble, natural inputs into elevated, design-forward compositions that retain cultural authenticity while embracing global relevance. Notable contributions include rug collections crafted for international design collaborations and high-profile cultural showcases, most prominently the creation of the Met Gala red carpet, which positioned Indian craftsmanship on a global stage. Their portfolio reflects a consistent exploration of recycled fibers, innovative weaving techniques, and unconventional surface treatments that push the boundaries of textile design. At its core, Neytt views design as a continuum between heritage and evolution, where tradition is not preserved as it is but reimagined with intention, allowing material culture to continuously endure in contexts.
A celebration of the elegance of heritage and the spirit of innovation for the future is the guiding principle behind Nawazish Kirmani’s work. He is the founder of Dastkari, a Hyderabad-based furniture studio that bridges the gap between designer and craftsman, where context and constraints converge to shape process-driven ideas. Nawazish is an architect, sculptor, painter, and academician who brings over a decade of experience in design and manufacturing. His deep understanding of materials, structure, and process, combined with a remarkable sense of proportion and detail, positions Dastkari as one of India’s strongest design-centric brands.
Being hands-on, he connects with craftsmen at a deeper level, aligning them with his vision and enabling Dastkari to create extraordinary works. He describes himself as a bridge between architects with specific needs and craftsmen who help realize them, ensuring that the design process is informed by making and offering solutions not just from a design perspective but from a manufacturing standpoint as well. Their work encompasses a finely crafted range of furniture, from armchairs and dining chairs to floor seating, alongside an exclusive collection of bespoke pieces. With reverence for tradition and a gaze fixed on tomorrow, Dastkari weaves narratives of ingenuity, crafting stories in fine materials that intertwine time-honored techniques with innovative processes, yielding pieces that stand at the cusp of tradition and innovation.
Architecture is not authored by individuals alone but is shaped through collective listening, negotiation, and context – an idea that anchors the practice of Compartment S4. It is a multidisciplinary design practice founded in 2017, with studios in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Co-founded by eight partners, the collective operates across architecture, urban design, planning, interior environments, landscape systems, rural and urban social infrastructure, and research-based projects. The practice is grounded in people-centric thinking, delivering context-responsive solutions that respond to social, economic, and ecological realities. Their approach is defined by an iterative methodology where design evolves through interaction, testing, and reflection rather than linear authorship. Each project is treated as a layered system, where multiple stakeholders, environments, & constraints inform the final spatial outcome.
The partners collectively bring expertise across the design-to-execution spectrum, enabling the studio to engage with projects of varying scales and typologies. This integrated structure allows architectural intent, technical resolution, and on-ground execution to remain closely aligned throughout the process. Compartment S4’s portfolio includes community-driven housing frameworks, institutional campuses, public infrastructure systems, adaptive urban regeneration projects, and socially responsive rural interventions. Notable works have received recognition on global platforms, including being nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022.
Each project is intended to move beyond surface aesthetics towards a cohesive and enduring design outcome,” says Sahiba Madan. She is the principal architect and founder of Insitu Design Studio, a Mumbai-based architecture and interior design practice working across residential, hospitality, retail, and commercial projects. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Sahiba worked for over two years at leading design practices in the country.
She then co-founded Kalakaari Haath in 2014, a design studio focused on home décor and furnishings. It operates as a platform for collaborative storytelling through design. Rooted in an ethos of accessibility and creative exchange, Kalakaari Haath works across wall features, home textiles, and art, crafting pieces that invite both engagement and interpretation. Drawing deeply from nature, the brand translates familiar elements into thoughtful design expressions that feel both personal and universal. By working closely with skilled artisans, Kalakaari Haath explores diverse material languages and techniques, continually expanding the boundaries of storytelling through design.
Sahiba’s work is rooted in the idea of designing in situ, responding closely to context, use, and materiality, while evolving into a practice driven by precision and execution. Detail forms the backbone of her studio’s approach, informing decisions from planning to execution, with a focus on material transitions, where custom joinery and finishes are carefully resolved as integral expressions of the design intent. From private residences to experiential retail and hospitality environments, her studio brings consistent rigor to varied typologies. With over 67 completed and ongoing projects across 7 cities in India, Sahiba’s practice operates across diverse scales and contexts.
The process is as important as the outcome, a belief strongly held by Suraj Sathyan. He is the founder of 7ft Studio, an architecture and interior design studio based in Bengaluru. Suraj firmly believes that simplicity speaks volumes, where every project carries its own story and rhythm, guiding his approach to translating these visions into reality. His practice is built on a deep passion for design and a belief that great spaces tell human stories.
Over the years, the studio has shaped a diverse range of architectural and interior projects, from concept to handover, each crafted with thought, clarity, care, allowing every idea to evolve into spaces that feel timeless and intentional. A few of his remarkable projects include Ganbeii Microbrewery, Beyond Burg, Wayanad Villa, Purva Villa, and The Barn Bar & Kitchen, among others. Guided by a commitment to detail, honesty, and purpose, Suraj, along with his team, continues to create spaces that are not only functional and beautiful but also deeply personal and enduring. His values are shaped by passion and dedication to delivering quality work that exceeds client expectations while meeting budget requirements.
Interiors are not static compositions but active systems, an idea that lies at the core of Luca Zamparo’s design philosophy. Luca is a design leader whose practice operates at the convergence of brand identity, spatial experience, and human behavior. Working across workplace, commercial, hospitality, and lifestyle sectors, his approach treats interiors as narrative frameworks, environments that influence perception, culture, and interaction rather than simply enclosing activity. With over a decade of international exposure across Italy, Switzerland, and India, he brings a distinctly European design sensibility enriched by a nuanced understanding of diverse and rapidly shifting urban contexts.
His work is distinguished by conceptual clarity and disciplined execution, where each pro-ject begins with a strong guiding idea and evolves into a cohesive spatial language rooted in intention and precision. Luca is the director of interior design for the Mumbai studio at Broadway Malyan, a global architecture, master planning, and design practice headquartered in London. In this role, he leads the interior discipline, defining design direction and overseeing projects that span corporate headquarters, workplace environments, and high-end experiential spaces. His practice focuses on aligning brand narratives with spatial performance, ensuring that each environment communicates identity while enhancing usability and atmosphere. His portfolio includes large-scale corporate workspaces, brand-led commercial interiors, and immersive hospitality environments.
Design is approached not as a static object but as an unfolding narrative shaped by functionality, emotion, and intent. This philosophy underpins Kshitij Rajput’s practice, where design is understood as an evolving experience rather than a finished form. He is the Sr. Manager, head of industrial design at boAt Lifestyle, leading product development that bridges conceptual thinking with production realities. His practice specializes in transforming early-stage ideas into resolved, buildable outcomes that maintain clarity of purpose from sketch to fabrication.
Within its essential structure, Kshitij’s expertise lies in bridging conceptual depth with technical precision, ensuring that form, function, and emotional resonance remain inseparable. He approaches design as an evolving conversation shaped through iteration, material inquiry, and close collaboration with engineers, craftsmen, & manufacturers. His team engages in a wide spectrum of work spanning product systems, consumer objects, and experiential artifacts. Notable explorations include research-led furniture typologies, modular utility devices, and bespoke product interventions developed in collaboration with fabrication units and independent brands.
Sterling silver and hand-blown glass – two ancient crafts, one contemporary language. Urvi Bansal Atelier works at this intersection, creating jewellery, glassware, and architectural-scale silverwork from its studio in Lucknow, with a retail presence at B.K. Saraf Jewellers, Mahanagar. Founder Urvi trained across materials, honing her practice with India’s established design houses before earning international recognition – the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Award in London, with work exhibited in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, and London.
What began as a sterling silver jewellery set with hand-blown glass has expanded into glassware objects, on-site silver cladding, and home divinity installations. A defining commission came from the Janki Mahal Trust, Ayodhya – designing and crafting 22-karat gold mukuts and body ornamentation for the sacred Ram Vivah ceremony. Months of Ramayana iconography research preceded the making: sun and shankh motifs for Lord Rama’s Suryavanshi lineage and peacock forms for Goddess Sita’s grace. Today, the atelier spans jewellery to life-size architectural installations – each project an extension of one conviction: that craft, given room, will always find a new horizon.
Architecture finds its deepest relevance when it responds equally to human experience and its surrounding context, a principle central to Nipun Prabhakar’s collective practice. He founded Dhammada Collective, joined by partners Nilesh Suman and Simran Channa, an interdisciplinary architecture, design, and research practice based in Bhopal. The studio functions at the confluence of sustainable building, cultural continuity, and participatory design.
Derived from “Dhamm-Ada” – a principle rooted in performing one’s duty for collective well-being, the studio focuses on shaping context-responsive environments across rural India and Tier-2 cities, with a strong emphasis on ecological balance and social relevance. It is work that extends beyond architecture into research and documentation, engaging deeply with indigenous knowledge systems and evolving building practices. Nipun brings a unique dual lens of architecture and visual storytelling, enabling the practice to document and reimagine spatial realities. His approach bridges observation and intervention, ensuring that design decisions remain grounded in experience & cultural memory.
A brand must adapt, evolve, and express, much like a living organism responding to its environment. This philosophy is embodied in the work of Rucha Shivade, co-founder and brand strategist at Chameleoon Media, a Pune-based creative agency specializing in branding, digital storytelling, and social media strategy. Rooted in agility and cultural awareness, the studio crafts dynamic brand systems that remain relevant in an ever-shifting digital landscape. Rucha’s strength lies in weaving strategy with visual finesse. With a background that began through her independent venture, MSMM (My Social Media Marketing), she developed a nuanced understanding of identity-building, translating business intent into compelling narratives.
Her expertise spans creative direction, styling, and content-led communication, where each element is curated with precision and intent. At Chameleoon Media, she leads a multidisciplinary team that operates with fluidity and cohesion, integrating branding, design, and marketing into a unified framework. The studio’s approach is driven by consistency in tone, clarity in positioning, and a strong emphasis on storytelling across platforms, ensuring every output resonates with purpose and distinction. Among its notable works is the Chameleoon Media Studio on Prabhat Road, a thoughtful transformation of a traditional ‘Dagdi’ bungalow into a contemporary creative hub.
“Clarity in design is achieved when intent, execution, and experience move in the same direction,” reflects the guiding principle behind Vivek Agarwal’s work. He is the co-founder of Maanavi Homes, a Surat-based design and furnishing practice specializing in bespoke interiors, modular kitchens, wardrobes, and customized home solutions. Established alongside Abhishek Agrawal and Aman Bansal, the studio, envisioned as a one-stop solution provider, was established to streamline the fragmented processes within the interior industry and offer unified design and execution services.
Vivek’s expertise lies in bridging architectural thinking with business strategy, ensuring that design intent is not diluted through execution. His approach is grounded in spatial logic and user-focused outcomes, allowing creative vision to translate into buildable reality. The practice functions as an integrated system where design, production, and delivery operate in close alignment. The team integrates designers, planners, and craftsmen who work in sync to maintain consistency across detailing, material selection, and on-site implementation. Notable works by Maanavi Homes include customized residential interiors, modular kitchen systems, and design, manufacturing, and execution partnerships for clients across premium housing segments.
Timeless architecture is born out of thoughtful details, and enduring intent is a guiding principle Sumit Bagade & Vaidehi Bagade consistently carry forward. They established Sumit Bagade Architects, a Pune-based studio niche leading in architectural, interior, and landscape design. They draw inspiration from a synergy of built form and natural context, guided by the belief that good design transcends visual appeal. The journey of Ar. Sumit Bagade is one marked by passion, perseverance, and clarity of thought.
Originating from a small town and growing into a name recognized for design integrity across Maharashtra, the firm has carved its niche by staying true to its values of authenticity and sensitivity. Joined by Ar. Vaidehi Bagade, who brings her own nuanced approach to design, the practice continues to evolve while maintaining a strong foundation of principles. Sumit & Vaidehi Designs draws inspiration from a synergy of built form and natural context, guided by the belief that good design transcends visual appeal.
As they see it, design must enrich lives, respect the environment, and endure with timeless relevance. Environmental stewardship lies at the heart of their design philosophy, guided by the belief that architecture must coexist with nature rather than compete with it. Their signature lies in their ability to balance functionality with aesthetics, creating spatial experiences that are refined yet rooted, sophisticated yet simple. With a studio culture rooted in integrity, curiosity, and craft, Sumit Bagade Architects has evolved into a design house where architecture, interiors, and landscape are integrated expressions of a unified idea.
Most workplace design starts with a brief. Deepak Parashar starts with a question: What does it actually feel like to spend eight hours inside this space? As Associate Director of Design at Space Matrix, Deepak works at the intersection of organizational strategy and human experience, studying how the people actually living inside it move, collaborate, and find meaning in their environment. This behavioral rigor isn’t academic; it shows up in spaces that perform.
His projects are measurably tied to outcomes: how teams inhabit space over time and how belonging gets built into a floor plan. He treats design language the way a good editor treats prose, stripping out what doesn’t earn its place and building in what endures. Within his team, he leads with the same philosophy: ownership over instruction and trust over hierarchy. For Deepak, great design is evidence that someone understood the problem deeply enough to make it disappear into the solution.
The best design decisions are purposeful; this conviction strongly defines Ashish Singh’s approach to design. He is the principal designer of Studio AsA, an interior design practice based in Pune whose core expertise lies in workplace design. His practice operates at the intersection of strategy and the translation of business values into spatial outcomes that enable efficiency and future expansion. He invests time in understanding workflow, team dynamics, and operational goals, as he firmly believes that every project begins with listening. Ashish, along with his team, builds environments that enable better work, stronger teams, and sustained business performance. They partner with organizations to rethink how space can better serve people, process, and performance, from early-stage strategy and space planning to interior design, technical detailing, and full turnkey execution.
The most effective design solutions emerge from a collaborative synergy between client input and expert planning, followed by thoughtful and precise implementation, a philosophy strongly upheld by Ameeta Sharma Menon. In 2008, she co-founded Mu Design alongside her husband, Krishnendu Menon, a multidisciplinary studio specializing in architecture, interiors, and landscape design. She leads the conceptual and experiential direction of the practice, focusing on spatial narratives, material palettes, and user-centric environments. The studio’s philosophy centers on a holistic “design-build thinking” approach, where concept development aligns closely with construction feasibility and long-term performance. Its ideology has always focused on conscious and sustainable design, using biophilia and nature-inspired spaces as the backdrop for its work. By treating architecture, interiors, and landscape as interconnected layers, the team ensures continuity in spatial experience and detailing across scales.
Every project is a dialogue between form and purpose, designed to evolve gracefully with the people who inhabit it. Shivani Joshi, the founder of Pink Coyote Design Studio, firmly upholds this philosophy. Shivani’s design language combines clean lines, minimalism, and functional forms with unpretentious materials to create elegant, fluid, and luxurious spatial designs. She strongly believes that spaces should be cohesive, custom-made, and timeless environments that adapt and grow with their users. Founded in 2018, Pink Coyote is an Ahmedabad-based multidisciplinary design studio that has successfully completed more than 45 architecture & interior design projects, with custom-made elements for each to narrate its unique story. With an established practice across the design spectrum, ranging from architecture to interiors to bespoke furniture, Shivani, along with her team, has carved a niche based on the philosophy of integrated design, with a balanced approach to modern language and regional context.
The conviction that design attains its greatest strength when it moves effortlessly between what is seen, used, and experienced is central to Alisha Nisar Doshi’s practice. She is the co-founder of Ahmedabad-based Gaatha Design Studio, positioned as a design-led innovation studio where architecture, interiors, digital systems, and narrative environments are developed as interconnected layers rather than isolated outputs. Its scope extends across brand identity systems, digital product ecosystems, built environments, and museum-like experiential settings, each shaped with a unified conceptual backbone. Alisha’s expertise lies in integrating spatial intelligence with strategic clarity, offering a rare blend of structural insight and human-centered sensibility. Her approach emphasizes behavioral insight, emotional resonance, and contextual awareness, allowing each project to evolve as a response to lived experience rather than a fixed formula. The studio operates through a collaborative, research-oriented framework where designers, strategists, and technologists contribute to a shared creative process.
Color is not a decorative layer but a cognitive and emotional language, a philosophy that defines Vidya Iyer’s practice. At the intersection of interior design, material intelligence, and consumer experience, her practice is rooted in crafting intuitive color ecosystems that simplify complex decision-making for both professionals and end users. She currently leads color system development at Birla Opus, where she shapes frameworks, tools, and curated palettes that respond to regional sensibilities and evolving lifestyle narratives. Her role involves building modular color structures, fan decks, and large-scale visual languages that bridge design intent with practical usability across diverse spatial contexts. Her expertise is informed by earlier experience at Asian Paints, where she developed a deep understanding of expansive color networks, retail behavior, and consumer psychology within the Indian market. This foundation strengthened her ability to interpret how cultural shifts, geography, and lived environments influence aesthetic preference and choice-making patterns.
Each project becomes a study in equilibrium between human presence and context, illumination and shade, craftsmanship and idea, a principle that lies at the core of Girisha Gajjar and Naitik Vakharia’s practice. They co-founded RAASA, an Ahmedabad-based architectural design studio founded in 2019 by Girisha Gajjar and Naitik Vakharia, dedicated to shaping built environments that respond sensitively to their surroundings while strengthening community interaction.
The practice operates with a clear intent to reimagine spatial experiences through contextual awareness, cultural grounding, and refined design thinking. The studio’s approach lies in balancing expressive spatial composition with functional clarity, ensuring that each project becomes both purposeful and experiential. Rather than treating architecture as isolated form-making, RAASA engages with it as an ongoing exchange between individuals, context, and intent, resulting in environments that feel lived-in, inclusive, and socially responsive. Girisha Gajjar brings a nuanced understanding of spatial articulation and material sensitivity, focusing on how design decisions influence emotional and experiential outcomes. Naitik Vakharia contributes a strong structural and conceptual framework, ensuring that ideas are translated into coherent, buildable, and enduring architectural solutions.
Passion for the craft lies at the core of Nanditha Vikram’s work. She is the founder of Synergy Architecture and Interiors, an architecture and interior design studio dedicated to developing strong design philosophies and delivering flawless execution across residential, commercial, and retail spaces. Nanditha built her expertise and reputation by working with various firms in Chennai and Bangalore before establishing Synergy. Through keen observation, her team understands every client’s lifestyle, habits, and unique spatial requirements.
Furthermore, the team consistently exceeds expectations through thoughtful execution and carefully delivered design solutions. Meanwhile, she provides end-to-end solutions for independent residences, ensuring clarity throughout every project stage. Additionally, she assists clients through approvals while helping select suitable contractors for seamless project coordination. Throughout the process, she remains consistently involved until move-in day, ensuring continuity and design precision. Moreover, through collaboration with Euro Interiors, Synergy integrated comprehensive design-and-build services into its practice. Notably, projects including Prashantham and Villa del Sol reflect the studio’s refined architectural approach.
Anchored in an interface between innovation and context, the work of Mohit Chordia reflects an architecture that is both progressive and grounded. As the founder of Ocube Architects, he leads a practice shaped by “Obscure-Orthodox-Originators” principles. Meanwhile, based in Jaipur, the studio crafts architecture responding sensitively to context, communities, and intent. Furthermore, the practice integrates advanced architectural approaches with deeply rooted vernacular sensibilities across diverse projects. Consequently, every project remains uniquely connected to its surrounding environment, cultural identity, and functional purpose. Additionally, Mohit’s approach is grounded in research, collaboration, and an evolving understanding of contemporary design. Moreover, each project becomes an opportunity for exploration, experimentation, and meaningful architectural dialogue. Ultimately, his work balances creativity and practicality, delivering refined, thoughtful, and economically efficient design solutions.
World of Outdoors is not about furniture but about shaping experiences that linger with those who encounter them. Rooted in this sensibility, Rishi Bathla founded the Noida-based furniture studio that has shaped a design practice that redefines open-air living through restraint and enduring clarity. World of Outdoors is dedicated to crafting refined exterior environments where furniture, architecture, and landscape merge into a unified visual language.
Rishi’s approach is anchored in distilling forms to its essential lines while allowing proportion, ergonomics, and material honesty to lead the narrative. His focus lies in creating pieces that resist temporal trends, instead offering continuity through timeless silhouettes and thoughtful detailing. The studio operates as an integrated collective where design, engineering, and craftsmanship evolve together under one roof. Consequently, this in-house ecosystem enables meticulous control from ideation to execution with remarkable precision.
Moreover, the process upholds durability, tactile richness, and spatial coherence across every stage of development. Meanwhile, World of Outdoors is recognized for bespoke outdoor settings across luxury residential and hospitality landscapes. Furthermore, the studio designs refined spaces for terraces, private courtyards, luxury villas, and hospitality environments. Additionally, each creation balances structural clarity with elegance through carefully considered material applications. Notably, teak, aluminum, and performance textiles are employed thoughtfully to ensure longevity and enduring outdoor performance.
A firm believer that architecture should support and elevate the quality of life, Dhivya Ravishankar brings this philosophy to the core of her work. She is the founder of V.O.Z Architects & Designers, a Chennai-based multidisciplinary studio grounded in the belief that architecture is not just about building spaces but about shaping experiences. Dhivya engages deeply with the psychological impact of the built environment, exploring how space influences emotion, behavior, and perception. Each project is approached as an exploration, translating ideas into spatial narratives that are both intuitive and intentional. Her work seeks a balance between clarity and complexity, where material, detail, and context come together with fluid coherence.
More than a recognition, 40 Under 40 stands as a reflection of a transformative moment within contemporary design culture. It captures a generation that is redefining creative practice through empathy, intelligence, and responsibility. The individuals featured here are not bound by discipline, geography, or convention; instead, they operate within fluid intersections of architecture, interiors, art, technology, sustainability, craft, and cultural research. Their work demonstrates that design today is no longer confined to aesthetics or function alone, but extends into shaping experiences, influencing societies, and responding to global realities with sensitivity and intent.
What unites this collective is an unwavering commitment to meaningful engagement with people, material, environment, and future possibilities. They challenge existing systems while building new frameworks for innovation and cultural continuity. Through their practices, they reveal design as a living force capable of provoking dialogue, creating connection, and driving positive transformation. 40 Under 40 ultimately represents signifies a powerful collective vision shaping the future of Indian design with lasting impact on both local and global stages.
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
Architecture font choices go beyond style—they shape how your work is perceived. From portfolios to presentations, the right architecture font instantly communicates clarity, precision, and personality. As architects, we design not just with space but with every detail, including typography. Selecting a strong architecture font shows your commitment to visual storytelling and design consistency. In […]
Looking to make a lasting first impression? Your main door design is more than a point of entry, it’s the gateway that reflects and enhances your home. In this blog, we dive into 50 stylish door design concepts that blend style with functionality, from innovative materials, classic styles, and intelligent lock systems that provide convenience, security, and refinement straight to your front door. 1. Fluted Wooden Doors A combination of smooth fluted surfaces and deep wood grain, this modern door brings subtle drama to the entrance. Upgraded with a clever lock, it combines modern security with classic style. 2. Geometric Patterns The geometric element of the safety grill and […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]
Plants for home garden, apart from making houses look more beautiful and inviting, add health and calmness to them. Having any kind of indoor plant, a herb plant or a flowering plant adds some value to your decor and the quality of the space. Always choose plants that will flourish in your space and climate. […]
Educational buildings across India are continuously evolving, showcasing innovative designs that blend functionality with sustainability. From the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) to modern schools and colleges, architectural firms have embraced traditional and contemporary elements to create spaces that nurture learning and community engagement. These educational buildings have been designed to enhance the student […]
When it comes to enhancing the kitchen window over the sink, various design ideas are possible to decorate Indian homes. From rooted in tradition to Western-style modular kitchens offer both functionality and attractive aesthetics. Apart from the sleek profile and raised breakfast counter, the kitchen window over sink is another spot to add appeal and […]
Indian homes place equal importance on pooja room door designs as they do on main door designs. With diverse and unique ethnic backgrounds, every family strives to reflect their personalities and identities in their designs. These identities can encompass religious or spiritual interests, local contexts, or other personal elements. This series of blogs, featuring 50 […]
Types of roof materials in India depend on the diverse climate and varied architectural styles. Each of them caters to specific needs, preferences, and environmental conditions. From traditional thatched roofs in rural areas to contemporary green roofs in urban landscapes, the evolution of the types of roofing materials reflects both cultural heritage and modern technological […]
The door design for main door is a defining feature of any Indian home, embodying both style and cultural significance. In a country rich with diverse architectural traditions, the entrance to your home reflects not only personal taste but also cultural heritage. Whether you’re drawn to the intricate carvings of traditional Indian door designs or […]