India has made a significant impact at INDEX Dubai 2025, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading interior design and furniture exhibition, with 55 companies showcasing their products to tap into the region’s expanding $25 billion interior design market, projected to grow to $35 billion by 2031.
The three-day exhibition, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 27 to 29, has long served as a vital platform connecting international brands with buyers from across the Middle East. This year’s Indian presence was coordinated by key export promotion councils, including the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil), which brought 10 companies; the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), which facilitated 12 participants under The Hotel Show segment; and Gram Vikas Seva Sansthan, representing 11 companies.
The 250-square-meter India Pavilion was established to spotlight India’s diverse offerings in home textiles and handicrafts-ranging from bed linen, towels, and bathrobes to rugs, kitchen linen, and decorative items. The pavilion was inaugurated by Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai, who interacted with exhibitors and emphasized India’s growing role in the region’s interior and hospitality supply chains.
The Hotel Show, running parallel to INDEX, attracted buyers from across the GCC including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Jordan. Indian participants received encouraging feedback and strong interest in products such as duvets, curtains, and pillows, driven by rising demand from the UAE’s expanding residential, hospitality, and healthcare sectors.
India’s robust participation is supported by the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement ,which came into effect in May 2022. The agreement provides Indian textile exporters, especially in the cotton segment, with zero-duty market access to the UAE, enhancing competitiveness.Textiles and clothing imports into the UAE stand at around $2.5 billion annually. Notably, the textile share has increased to 40%- up from a previous average of 20-25% with cotton textiles alone accounting for $95-110 million annually over the past three years. Indian companies noted that UAE hotels generally source through wholesalers due to smaller order sizes, creating specific opportunities for Indian SMEs offering bundled solutions in smaller quantities.
INDEX Dubai 2025 features over 530 exhibitors and expects more than 30,000 trade visitors, including architects, designers, developers, and retailers. The event also hosts the “INDEX Design Talks” conference series, where industry leaders explore trends such as sustainable design, AI integration, client engagement, and redefining luxury. Nearly half of the speakers are making their INDEX debut, reflecting the show’s focus on innovation and fresh perspectives.Running alongside The Hotel Show and WORKSPACE, INDEX Dubai continues to strengthen Dubai’s role as a global center for interior design, with the city’s dynamic real estate and hospitality sectors driving demand for high-quality, sustainable interior solutions. For Indian exporters, the exhibition reaffirms the growing potential of the UAE market, particularly under the CEPA framework.
