The World Is Rethinking Where It Sources From. India Is the Answer — and Here Is Why MIHS Matters Now
The global trade order has been redrawn in the past eighteen months. US tariffs on Chinese goods peaked at over 45% in 2025. A new US-India trade framework signed on February 2, 2026, slashed tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18% — covering plastics, rubber, home décor, artisanal products, and machinery. US imports from India rose 19.2% between January and November 2025. Global multinationals are executing China+1 strategies with urgency.
For India’s houseware, kitchenware, and home lifestyle industry — a sector built on exactly the categories that now carry preferential US tariff treatment — this is the most consequential shift in a generation. MIHS — Marcellus International Houseware Show arrives at Pragati Maidan, Delhi, on 24–26 July 2026 at precisely this inflexion point.
The Geopolitical Context Every Houseware Buyer Must Understand
The US-China trade war — escalating from Section 301 tariffs in 2018 to punitive duties exceeding 60% on many consumer-goods categories by 2025 — fundamentally disrupted the supply chains that global retailers built over two decades. Chinese cookware, glassware, plasticware, steelware, and home appliances dominated global retail shelves because of cost, scale, and logistics. Those advantages have been materially eroded by tariff stacks.
US tariffs on China averaged 13.7% in early 2026 — still high enough to push companies to redesign their supply chains. Meanwhile, the new US-India trade deal, announced by President Trump on February 2, 2026, slashed tariffs on most Indian goods from 50% to just 18% — explicitly covering plastic and rubber, home décor, artisanal products, and related categories that map directly onto the houseware segment.
Reduced tariffs improve India’s price competitiveness against Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. International buyers who spent 2024 evaluating India as a sourcing option are now executing on that decision in 2026.
India’s Houseware Manufacturing Base — Built for This Moment
India’s strength in houseware manufacturing is structural, not incidental. Decades of investment in steelware, cookware, glassware, ceramics, and home textiles have created deep supplier ecosystems across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and UP. India accounts for 7.7% of the global kitchenware market and is the fastest-growing market in the segment in Asia-Pacific.
Indian cookware exports — stainless steel pressure cookers, non-stick pans, cast iron products — are among the most price-competitive in Asia. Mandatory BIS certification has raised quality floors, making Indian products bankable for international retail buyers who need consistent standards across large orders. Stovekraft’s strategic partnership with IKEA to develop cookware for IKEA’s global network, starting in 2026, is a landmark signal of Indian manufacturers entering global retail supply chains at scale.
The Indian home décor sector is equally compelling. India has emerged as the second-largest exporter of home décor by volume. For international buyers at a houseware expo or kitchenware fair in India, this is a manufacturing base with real export credentials..
Kitchenware and Cookware: High Growth, High Stakes
The kitchenware market in India is projected to grow from USD 5.6 billion in 2025 to USD 11 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 8.7%. The cookware segment is the fastest-growing — driven by consumers shifting to steelware, cast iron, and ceramic alternatives, the adoption of induction cooking, and a large cohort of first-time urban households.
For international buyers at a cookware exhibition in India, this presents two simultaneous opportunities: a large domestic demand base and a manufacturing ecosystem geared for export at competitive landed costs.
What MIHS Offers Visitors
For trade buyers, MIHS is built to make three days genuinely productive. In a single focused visit, you can compare suppliers across the entire home and lifestyle supply chain, discover new product lines and trends, and build direct relationships with manufacturers, both Indian and international, in a structured B2B environment.
Visitor registration is completely free for verified trade professionals.
Anupam Mittal built a career on recognising people who do things right. In honouring Sachin Mishra, he put a spotlight on an exhibition planner who has raised the bar for how India’s home industry connects, trades, and grows.
MIHS Delhi 2026 is the next chapter. Be part of it.
