India Art Fair Closes 16th Edition With Record Exhibitor Numbers, Robust Sales, and Strong International Attendance

India Art Fair closes 16th edition with record exhibitor numbers, robust sales, and strong international attendance

The 16th edition of India Art Fair, the leading platform for modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, concluded with robust sales and strong attendance from both local and international audiences. Taking place from 6-9 February 2025 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi and featuring a record 120 exhibitors, the fair brought together a diverse range of galleries, collectors, institutions, artists, and designers, to foster vital opportunities for creative dialogue and exchange. Supported by BMW India for the ninth consecutive year the fair presented the best of modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, offering a platform for global and local audiences to explore the region’s vibrant creative landscape. Jaya Asokan, Fair Director, India Art Fair, comments: “India Art Fair 2025 was a particularly dynamic edition, with ambitious gallery presentations and rare offerings for the strong group of visiting collectors. We have hosted celebrated artists, gallerists and representatives from leading museums and institutions from across the world at the fair this year. The fair is built on a collaborative spirit, something that was clearly evident in the programme this year with contributions from organisations like Khoj International Artists’ Association, Chennai Photo Biennale, Chanakya Foundation, Bukhara Biennial, Sharjah Biennial and many more, all demonstrating the depth of support for the fair from the creative community. As we now close the fair, we look ahead to furthering our programming and activations by bringing them to even more cities around the country to engage with artists, galleries and collectors throughout the year.” Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group, comments: “We are well into the second decade of India Art Fair and I am not exaggerating when I say everything has turned out absolutely superb. The galleries, the quality of the works, the visitors, the programmes surrounding the fair have not only proven once against the importance of India Art Fair as a platform for Indian contemporary art but also as a crucial international hub where many visitors get to explore and understand the importance of contemporary South Asian art.” Strong attendance from major private collectors as well as representatives from local, regional, and international art institutions, highlighted the fair’s firmly established reputation as a key event in the art world calendar, and a gateway for global visitors to discover art from India and South Asia. VIP attendance on the opening day included curators from institutions such as the Royal Academy, 13th Berlin Biennale, Guggenheim Museum, Asian Art Museum, Ashmolean Museum and MoMA. The fair was attended by leading directors and senior representatives from LACMA, DIA Art Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Delfina Foundation, Stedlijk Museum, Auckland Art Gallery and Haus der Kunst amongst others. Strong representation from Indian institutions and museums included Bhau Dji Lad Museum, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Khoj International Artists Association, Chennai Photo Biennale and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Throughout the fair week, galleries reported robust sales to established and emerging collectors highlighting the strength of the Indian market. A snapshot of reported sales includes: Vadehra Art Gallery sold 90% of their booth on the first day, with prices ranging from $2,500 to $300,000 USD, including works by Sudhir Patwardhan, Atul Dodiya, Shilpa Gupta, and Vivan Sundaram. On the first day, David Zwirner sold a painting by Portia Zvavahera, a painting by Oscar Murillo, a sculpture by Huma Bhabha, and a painting by Sosa Joseph with prices ranging from $12,000 to $450,000, and Carpenters Workshop Gallery made sales worth $600,000. Nature Morte sold 70% of their booth by the second day including a Jitish Kallat for around $100,000. Art Exposure sold six works by Buddhadev Mukherjee for $44,000 in total, with three going to Kiran Nadar, one to another Indian collector, and the final two to a US-based collector. Iram Gallery sold works by Promiti Husain and Sangeeta Sandrasegar, as well as a large work by Dinar Sultana to an Indian collector for $24,000. Ashvita’s sold five works by DP Roychowdhury to a Mumbai-based collector for $69,000. Shrine Empire sold two works by Nandita Kumar for over $30,000 each and multiple smaller works at the $10,000 price point. GALLERYSKE sold works ranging from $1,300 to $400,000. Prateek Raja, Director, Experimenter said: “This is our 15th year participating at India Art Fair with a presentation of over 20 new commissions by artists from our program. It was an exciting edition of the fair and we placed several works in important private and public collections in India and abroad. The fair looks better than ever before. We had meaningful conversations with visiting curators from several important institutions. We also felt that the public engagement of the fair with the projects has also gone up a notch. We look forward to returning next year.” James Green, Senior Director, Head of London, David Zwirner said: “It’s been a very successful four days that built on the previous three years we have attended the fair. We’ve engaged with collectors we know but have also met new people who are interested in our programme, strengthening our foundation in the region for the future.” Tara Lal and Mort Chatterjee, Founders, Chatterjee and Lal said: “The growth of the art fair, and its increasing importance in the global arts ecosystem, has motivated us to present ambitious works this year; we’re happy that many have found great homes over the last couple of days.” Riddhi Bhalla, Co-Founder, Blueprint 12 said: “The sales have been very good this year and every year they have been escalating. The new collector base has increased; a lot of first time buyers were at the fair as well as the regular international buyers who have been coming every year. The first day of sales showed great results.” India Art Fair’s Design section expanded for its second year building on the successful inaugural showcase in 2024. 11 pioneering studios, exemplifying the thriving design scene in South Asia were on display, as well as a special showcase featuring seventeen emerging Indian designers, curated by Alaiia Gujral. Ashish Shah, Designer, said: “India Art Fair is the perfect platform to blur the boundaries between what is art and what is design and to look at art as a bracketless medium and have artists like me showcase my work and sell them through this platform. The booth has been very well appreciated which we are really excited about and this time we felt that there was a great footfall and response. I met a lot of new and very engaged people.” Vikram Goyal, Designer, said: “Our third show at India Art Fair offered an incredible opportunity to present the evolving narrative of Indian craftsmanship on home ground. Our work aims to highlight how centuries-old techniques can hold their place in modern spaces while continuing to innovate. At this edition, we saw strong sales across all categories and explored several potential collaborations.” The Swali Craft Prize, India’s first grant recognizing contemporary craft innovation, was launched at India Art Fair 2025, marking a transformative moment in the country’s interdisciplinary artistic landscape. Founded by Karishma Swali and the Chanakya Foundation in partnership with the India Art Fair, the Craft Prize is an ode to exceptional craftsmanship that bridges heritage with contemporary expression. Through both recognition and opportunity, the initiative highlights the role of handcraft as a living archive and an evolving form of cultural storytelling. The 17th edition of India Art Fair will take place at NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi from 5-8 February 2026.