IKEA may be well-known for Swedish design, but for over 40 years, India has been one of its most important sourcing markets. Reinforcing the brand’s long-term commitment to India as a sourcing region and key market, Inter IKEA Group has established an IKEA Product Development Centre in India that will support the development of products on behalf of IKEA of Sweden.
“India has been an important part of the IKEA story for many decades and over the past ten years we have also established our retail business here,” says Oskar Lindkvist, managing director at IKEA Product Development Centre India. “With retail, sourcing and now product development, we have the full IKEA value chain represented in India.”
By being closer to customers and suppliers, IKEA can better understand everyday life in India and develop home furnishing solutions that are relevant, affordable and well-designed, he tells LBB. “At the same time, we can build on India’s unique strengths across materials and categories such as textiles, wood furniture, ceramics, glass and handcrafted products. Combined with a growing manufacturing ecosystem and deep craftsmanship traditions, these are areas where we see significant opportunities to continue developing the IKEA range.”
Crucial to developing a relevant range is combining insights into life at home for the many people in the markets where IKEA stores are present. “At IKEA, product development always starts with learning about life at home. By spending time with people in their homes and listening to their experiences, we can understand what works well, what could work better and where there are opportunities to create better solutions,” Oskar says. “Having a product development presence in India allows us to do that more closely and translate those insights into products that are meaningful for many people.”
To start with, the new company has been tasked with developing 500 products that are affordable and relevant for Indian consumers. Every product is developed according to IKEA’s Democratic Design principles, balancing form, function, quality, sustainability and affordability.
“For example, we’ve expanded our Cooking and Eating range in India with products such as pressure cookers, roti tawas and heavy-duty cookware that reflect the way many people cook at home,” he says. “Products like the GAMMALBYN sofa, made in India for India, and kitchen essentials including the Sol Gel HEMLAGAD frying pan and ARVFÄLTMAL and BANDGURAMI pressure cookers are examples of how we combine local insights with IKEA design principles to create solutions that are practical, functional and affordable.”
India’s rich craftsmanship traditions also continue to inspire the range. “Collections such as MÄVINN, developed together with social enterprises, and products featured in collections like STOCKHOLM showcase how local craftsmanship and skills can contribute globally.”
As the product development journey continues, Oskar says, “Customers can expect to see more products that build on India’s unique strengths, including local materials, craftsmanship traditions and manufacturing capabilities to create relevant local products, while also having the potential to become part of the global IKEA range.”
