Radhika Seth, Co-Founder & CEO, Sequoia London believes that India is one of the fastest growing markets in the interior design industry. She shared her views with Realty Plus.
The beginnings of Sequoia London
My family has been in the luxury sourcing and procurement business for over 20 years. The business was established in 1994 to source luxury decorative accessories and tableware. The luxury interior market has always been my passion. In 2007 we added furniture and lighting into the sourcing mix and in 2011 we added interior architecture, design, project and development management services. Today, Sequoia London offers the complete range of development, design and sourcing services to our London clients and the complete interior architecture, design and sourcing services to our International clients.
The services offered by the company
We are lucky to be able to work with a very elite clientele, who have the budgets that allow us to think outside the box and constantly introduce new elements. Sequoia London’s multidisciplinary studio consists of a team of Interior Designers, RIBA qualified Architects, Project Managers & Quantity Surveyors. We offer tailored services for our private clients, developers and property funds including Interior Architecture, Interior Design, FF & E Sourcing & Design, Project Management and Development Management.
The global interior design scenario
It is impossible to generalize on the happenings of the current interior design scene on a global level as every client, market and project is different. The industry, the brands, the styles, textures, materials and trends are constantly evolving. It is one of the most exciting industries to work in as the more creative you are, the more options you have to work with. But, the rise of social media has definitely been a game-changer for everyone, as it has made the industry globally more aligned and also made clients more aware of trends and what they want.
The experience of working on projects in India
Sequoia London strongly believe that a well-designed home should be the perfect mix of design, not only luxurious in its feel but also functional for our clients lifestyle. All of our projects start with a fundamental understanding of our clients and how they use their space and what luxury means to them.
We have been working on projects in India since 2007 with large corporations, developers and private UHNWI clients. Working on projects in any country is challenging but the key to delivering successful projects is to respect local laws, traditions and systems. It’s important to understand the mind-set of the client and the culture. As I am Indian, the transition of working in India has always been a smooth process. Having spent many years in Delhi, I have a strong network on the ground that makes it much easier to navigate through the system.
The challenges & potential of Indian interiors sector
Even though the country has made significant improvements since the new government came into power, there are still many challenges to working in India. At many levels the bureaucracy can be difficult and frustrating to work around.
A huge issue we face is that import duties are very high compared to other markets and local logistics are difficult to manage. There are many restrictions on timings of deliveries and access issues in certain areas. However, there the country has a lot of potential.
As the Indian market continues to grow, infrastructure continues to improve, local manufacturing and production are better than they have ever been and more and more international companies are moving to India so installation and maintenance of products is much better.
