Business Potential of Industrial Design in India – An unexplored goldmine

In India, where patents and trademarks dominate the IP conversation, industrial design remains an overlooked asset. This post explores how businesses can use industrial design to differentiate their products, protect visual innovations, and unlock global market potential. With low cost and high strategic value, industrial design is a game-changer waiting to be embraced.

In a market that understands Patents and Trademarks as important forms of Intellectual Property, another form of IP with immense potential is often forgotten or ignored. While countries like Japan, South Korea, and the US use industrial design as a strategic tool for innovation and brand building, India is yet to fully tap into this reservoir of creative and economic potential.

Industrial design refers to the creation of new and original features of shape, configuration, surface pattern, ornamentations and composition of lines or colours applied to articles which in the finished state appeal to and are judged solely by the eye.

From the curves of a car’s dashboard or that of the car itself to the grip of a water bottle, industrial design plays a pivotal role in user satisfaction, product identity, and ultimately, business success.

Despite being the fourth-largest economy in the world with a booming consumer market and manufacturing ecosystem, India lags in leveraging industrial design for commercial advantage. Some potential reasons include:

Lack of Awareness: Most Indian businesses equate “design” with logos or packaging. The concept of product-level design strategy is still nascent. Undervalued IP: Very few companies realize that industrial designs are protectable under the Designs Act, 2000, giving them a monopoly over the visual appearance of their products. Fragmented Design Ecosystem: Industrial designers are present, but not well-integrated into business strategy or product development pipelines.