Design and build in India - Opportunities and Strategies in a changing global landscape

India is at a pivotal point in global trade and innovation. Shifts in geopolitics, tariffs, and supply chain realignments have opened doors for alternative manufacturing hubs. Among them, India stands out as a design and manufacturing powerhouse in the making. For Indian firms and global brands alike, “Design and Build in India” is a practical, future-ready strategy.

Global Trade Shifts – India’s Window of Opportunity

Trade disruptions, especially US tariffs on Chinese imports and the global “China+1” diversification strategy, have made companies wary of single-country dependence. India, with its democratic framework, improving ease of business and geopolitical trust is emerging as a preferred partner.

India brings a young, skilled workforce. With one-third of the world’s STEM graduates produced here annually, companies can tap into a vast pool of engineers, designers, and technologists. A domestic market of 1.4 billion consumers, combined with high-volume manufacturing capacity, makes India one of the few countries offering both supply and demand at scale.

Global brands are responding. Apple now produces 20 per cent of its iPhones in India, worth 22 billion dollars annually. This demonstrates how India is becoming central to global high-tech supply chains.

A rising economy and rising demand

India has surged past Germany to become the world’s fourth-largest economy in 2025, maintaining the fastest growth rate among major economies at 6.3 to 6.8 per cent. Rising incomes, reforms and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision fuel this momentum.

Exports now stand at 825 billion dollars, led by electronics, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods. This shows that India is moving steadily up the value chain. Foreign direct investment inflows have crossed one trillion dollars, with record investments in manufacturing.

On the ground, new industrial clusters, auto hubs, and electronics parks are expanding. Government policies such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme are boosting sectors including semiconductors, electric vehicles and renewable energy. For companies, this creates fertile ground for designing and producing at a competitive cost with modern infrastructure.

From “Make in India” to “Design in India”

India’s next leap is designing products for the world. Manufacturing growth has been strong, but real value lies in indigenous design and IP creation. Smartphone manufacturing is a clear example. India is the second-largest phone producer by volume, yet much of the value addition still lies outside. Design, chips, and core innovation often come from abroad. To avoid staying at the low end of the chain, Indian firms must scale up R&D and design capabilities.

This shift is underway. Global and Indian firms are setting up design centres. Vivo’s first “Designed in India” phones reached the market in 2021. Automakers, appliance brands, and startups are increasingly embedding local design into their strategy. Government initiatives, startup incubators, and hackathons add further support.

Physical products with digital innovation

India’s edge is the coexistence of manufacturing and IT expertise. In today’s world, products are as much digital experiences as physical objects. Success depends on fusing hardware with software.

India has this full-stack capability. Hardware design and production can be paired with world-class IT and UX talent in one ecosystem, enabling seamless integration. Startups and large firms are producing smart mobility solutions and portable health tech that combine devices with apps and cloud platforms.

For Indian design companies, every new product should be imagined as both physical and digital. Ticket Design has long worked at this intersection, creating IoT-enabled products, medical devices, and consumer solutions where industrial design and UX come together. This convergence defines India’s differentiator.

Building self-reliance with a global vision

The Aatmanirbhar Bharat push for self-reliance is about strengthening domestic capabilities while integrating into global supply chains. By producing critical goods locally in electronics, medical devices, and green technology, India reduces import dependence and builds credibility as a reliable partner.

Frugal innovation is another Indian strength. Whether in 30-dollar ECG machines, affordable cataract surgeries, or rugged consumer products, Indian firms have created value-driven solutions that succeed both at home and abroad. Solving for India often translates into solving for other emerging markets.

Self-reliance becomes a foundation for global competitiveness under the idea of “Made in India, for the World.”

What Strategies can we adopt?

For India to become a design-led manufacturing leader, companies need clear strategies:

1. Invest in R&D and IP: Build in-house innovation, collaborate with academia, design firms and develop proprietary technologies. Differentiation is as critical as cost.
2. Develop Design and Engineering talent: Elevate design as a strategic function. Partner with firms, studios and institutes, attract global expertise and create career paths for industrial designers, UX specialists, and engineers.
3. Fuse Hardware with Digital: Treat every physical product as a connected product. Integrate IoT, AI, and companion apps from the start to add value.
4. Focus on Quality and Global Standards: Adopt ISO, Six Sigma, and lean practices. Establish “Made in India” as synonymous with excellence.
5. Drive Sustainability and Resilience: Apply eco-friendly design principles and adopt green manufacturing practices early. Position India as a sustainability-first producer.
6. Forge Partnerships and Brands: Collaborate with design firms, join standard-setting bodies and invest in branding abroad. Transition from anonymous OEM to recognised global brand.

Role of design companies, Ticket Design

For over two decades, Ticket Design has been part of this transformation. From medical devices and industrial equipment to IoT products and electric mobility, the studio has supported startups and multinationals in bringing products to market.

The approach blends aesthetics, engineering and digital design. The belief is that India’s future lies in designing products holistically, where user needs, sustainability, and digital innovation come together. This experience positions Ticket Design at the forefront of India’s design story. As a trusted partner, the studio invites companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators worldwide to collaborate in shaping the next generation of “Designed in India” products.

India’s opportunity is real and time-sensitive.

Competing nations such as Vietnam and Mexico are also vying for the global supply chain shift. India must move decisively, investing in design, infrastructure and innovation.

The vision is ambitious yet achievable “Made in India, Designed in India, for the World.”

Ticket Design has built products that prove Indian design can compete globally. The next decade belongs to those who combine creativity with manufacturing excellence.

India is open for innovation. For brands, innovators, and investors, the time to engage is now. Together, it is possible to redefine what it means to design and build in India and establish the country as a true global design and manufacturing hub.