India has become an important part of us. The collaboration between Italy and India can reap good results. Our aim is to develop a tag one day flaunting ‘Made in Italy and India’,” said Alberto Cannetta of an international design periodical and a key organiser of the ‘Business Bangalore Design Week’ (BBDW), which took place at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat till March 19. BBDW was a week-long exhibition and an initiative focused on Italian design trends.

The event followed the line of the new ‘National Design policy’ approved by the Union Cabinet on February 8 last year, which aims at the global positioning and branding of Indian designs. 

Several key players in the design and architecture field from Italy exhibited their exclusive products like contemporary chandeliers, tables and sofas. Among them are names like Alessi, Artemide, Bernini and Paola Lenti. Italian architects and designers were also present at the venue to testify their work experiences. Apart from the Italian brigade, Indian architects and builders like Sandeep Khosla  and Naresh Venkat also presented their projects.

Alberto said, “India as understood by us has immense creativity but lacks the experience to execute. Quality is an important criterion for us Italians. Through BBDW, we believe that India’s level of production will improve. We are not looking at only developing India’s economy but surviving our own as well. We want Indian students to help us with their rich knowledge and culture unlike the Chinese and American students. Together we want to spread quality into the market.”

But why was Bangalore chosen as the first destination? “Bangalore is the City of high technology and modern culture,” replies Alberto, adding that BBDW will next go to New Delhi followed by Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai.

The business design week kicked off with a fashion presentation by designer Sanchita Ajampur and a dance performance by Nrityarutiya. Nothing was available for sale at this showcase.