What Design Factory India does

Design Factory India (DFI) is a privately held, founder-owned multi-disciplinary design studio founded in 2012 by Siddharth Bathla (an alumnus of Uttar Pradesh Technical University, IIT Kanpur, and Aalto University Design Factory, Helsinki). Headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, with additional offices in Mumbai and Lucknow, the firm designs experiential and narrative spaces. Its work spans six interconnected service lines: Museums & Exhibitions, Urban Planning & Heritage, Interior & Architecture, Projections & Installations, Branding & Communication, and Publications. The studio employs an estimated 11-50 people and combines spatial design, architecture, visual communication, environmental graphics, digital/projection installations, and heritage conservation under one roof.

DFI's primary market is government and cultural-institution clients: it delivers museums, memorials, heritage-site interpretation, urban redevelopment, and city-branding projects, frequently secured through public schemes such as Monument Mitra and Smart City programs. Reference projects include the 68,500 sq ft Anant Anadi Vadnagar Archaeological Experiential Museum (8 galleries, 6,000+ artefacts), Smritivan Earthquake Museum in Bhuj, Museum of Socialism in Lucknow, the Red Fort Visitor Center, national museums at Red Fort, the 45-minute Gateway of India laser show (2017), and city-branding programs for Agra, Lucknow, and Varanasi. Secondary segments include corporate workplace/branding clients (e.g., a 300,000 sq ft experiential workplace for Mentor Graphics) and private real-estate developers (e.g., Orange Castle branding).

The business model is project-based professional services. Revenue is generated through commissioned engagements priced by scope, scale, and complexity of each project; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement and client type. Go-to-market is direct enterprise/field sales into government bodies, institutions, and corporates, supported by government tender processes, institutional partnerships, and reputation-based referrals. The firm also runs internal programs (dtours expeditions, dtalks sessions, pd6 workshops), publications, and a dshop merchandise store that function primarily as talent development and top-of-funnel marketing rather than material revenue streams. No external funding, institutional investors, subsidiaries, or parent company are disclosed.

Name

Design Factory India

Legal name

Design Factory India

Website

https://designfactoryindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Factory India is a Noida-based multi-disciplinary design studio creating experiential museums, heritage-conservation, urban-planning, projection installations, and branding projects, primarily on commission for Indian government bodies, cultural institutions, and select corporate and real-estate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experience Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Experiential space design
• Museum exhibition design
• Heritage conservation services
• Urban planning design
• Brand identity design

Headquarters

HQ city

Noida

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design and Project Management Services: DFI generates revenue through commissioned design projects for cultural institutions, government bodies, and corporate clients. Projects span museums, exhibitions, urban planning, heritage conservation, interior architecture, and experiential installations. Revenue is project-based with fees determined by scope, scale, and complexity of each engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Design Factory India is a multi-disciplinary design studio that creates experiential and narrative spaces. It delivers commissioned design and project management services across six interconnected areas: museums and exhibitions, urban planning and heritage conservation, interior and architecture, projections and installations, branding and communication, and design publications. Clients include government bodies, cultural institutions, and corporate organizations, primarily across India.

Product overview

Design Factory India is a multi-disciplinary design studio that creates experiential and narrative spaces. Their core offerings span six interconnected service areas: Museums & Exhibitions (designing cultural institutions and memorial spaces), Urban Planning & Heritage (city redevelopment and conservation), Interior & Architecture (commercial and residential spaces), Projections & Installations (monument lighting and immersive experiences), Branding & Communication (city and corporate identity systems), and Publications (design documentation and thought leadership). The studio operates through offices in Noida, Mumbai, and Lucknow, supported by professional development programs including dtours (annual design expeditions), dtalks (knowledge-sharing sessions), and pd6 workshops (product development training). Their notable projects include the Anant Anadi Vadnagar Archaeological Experiential Museum, Smritivan Earthquake Museum, Museum of Socialism, Gateway of India laser show, and multiple city branding initiatives for Agra, Lucknow, and Varanasi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museums & Exhibitions Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 68,500 sq ft museum curation area with 8 galleries showcasing over 6,000 artefacts
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with deep experience in workplace, hospitality, cultural and civic projects. Represents the larger-scale competitor DFI could increasingly face when bidding on flagship government and cultural commissions in India.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design consultancy with strong experience in city and place branding. Directly comparable to DFI's city-branding work for Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi but operating as part of a much larger, multi-region network.
• Pentagram: Largest independent design firm in the world, with partners working across graphic, environmental, exhibition and brand design. Overlaps with DFI's branding, environmental graphics and exhibition capabilities but at a much larger, multi-geography scale.

Direct peers

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Globally leading museum and exhibition design firm responsible for major institutions such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Directly comparable to DFI's museum and cultural-institution practice, working at the same scale of narrative and heritage storytelling.
• Studio Joseph: Exhibition and spatial design studio known for MoMA, The Met and Guggenheim projects. Directly comparable to DFI in delivering high-craft, narrative exhibition design for cultural institutions and civic clients.
• Local Projects: New York-based experiential and narrative design studio behind projects like the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Closely aligned with DFI's blend of physical space, digital installations and storytelling for cultural clients.
• Studio Lotus: Delhi/NCR-based Indian design practice with capabilities across architecture, interiors, product and visual communication. Comparable to DFI in offering a multi-disciplinary platform rooted in Indian cultural context and serving cultural and commercial clients.
• C&G Partners: New York design studio specialising in branded environments, museum and exhibit design, and wayfinding. Mirrors DFI's mix of spatial design, environmental graphics and brand communication under one roof.
• Elephant Design: Pune-based multi-disciplinary Indian design firm covering brand, communication, packaging and environment design. The closest Indian parallel to DFI's integrated, multi-disciplinary studio model serving both corporate and public-sector clients.
• Thinc Design: Museum and experience design firm that led the 9/11 Memorial Museum exhibition design. Comparable to DFI in focusing on emotionally driven, content-rich cultural and memorial projects that integrate spatial and digital media.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/designfacindia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Factory India