India’s leading architects define what “India-right” bathroom design means at THE GROHE CIRCLE Intellect Forum
New Delhi : GROHE, a leading global brand in complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, hosted the inaugural edition of The GROHE Circle Intellect Forum. The closed-door working session brought together 19 of India’s leading architects, including Sanjay Puri (Sanjay Puri Architects), Sebastian Jose (Silpi Architects), Riddhi Jalan Khosla (Riddhi Jalan Khosla), Amaresh Anand (Khosla + Anand), among others, to examine a central question: What do Indian bathrooms need today, and how can the industry develop solutions that respond more effectively to these requirements? The forum provided a platform for an in-depth exchange on evolving consumer expectations, practical design challenges and the opportunities shaping the future of bathroom design in India.
Designed as a working session, the forum encouraged open and experience-led discussions, with no product pitches or brand presentations. The session, moderated by Sanjay Puri of Sanjay Puri Architects, drew on the architects’ direct experience of site conditions, client expectations and gaps in existing product solutions. The participants brought perspectives from varied project environments, representing practices across residential luxury, commercial and hospitality projects, helping to ground the discussions in the diverse requirements of the Indian market.
The discussions were structured around three categories: bathroom fittings, showers and wellness, and smart products. Across these aspects, the participants examined what distinguishes the way Indian bathrooms are built, used and maintained, where existing solutions fall short, how each category is likely to evolve over the next five years, and what specific innovations could address the identified gaps. The exchange brought diverse industry perspectives together to help shape a more relevant and future-ready vision for Indian bathroom design.
The forum brought together leading members of India’s architecture and design community, including Sanjay Puri, Riddhi Jalan Khosla, Rupesh Baid, Natasha Kochhar, Lalita Tharani, Monica Chawla, Maithli Raut, Prasad Nanajker, Devyani Jaiswal, Badrinath Kaleru, Kiran Shetty, Amit Bhat, Amaresh Anand, Rudraksh Charan, Rajesh Shivaram, Rajiv Shroff, Sujit Nair, Sebastian Jose and Sumit Dhawan.
Commenting on the initiative, Priya Rustogi, Leader (Managing Director), India, LIXIL IMEA, said, “The GROHE Circle Intellect Forum series was created with a simple intent, which was to bring together a close-knit community of creative thinkers from the industry, for the industry. Great design in India will be shaped by the people who practise it every day, and our role is to bring them together, listen closely and act on what we hear. I would like to thank Sanjay Puri for his willingness to steer this industry initiative. His leadership gave the room the openness and rigour that a first edition needed. Through this continued exchange, we aim to contribute to the evolution of bathroom spaces that are more thoughtful, functional and relevant to how people live today and in the future.”
Sharing his perspective on the evolving category, Anil Chaudhary, Business Head, South Asia, LIXIL IMEA said, “What stood out was how closely the architects’ observations connected to what we see in the market. When the people who specify and design for Indian homes tell us where the gaps are, it gives the whole industry, ourselves included, a clearer direction for where to invest in solutions that are right for India.”
Adding to this, Sanjay Puri, Principal Architect, Sanjay Puri Architects said, “Bathroom design is evolving beyond the functional to become a more considered part of how people experience their spaces. For this evolution to be meaningful in India, design must respond to the way people live, the spaces they inhabit and the expectations they bring to them. The GROHE Circle Intellect Forum creates an opportunity to examine these shifts through the lens of the architecture and design community, encouraging a more contextual approach to imagining the Indian bathroom of the future.”
The discussion will be consolidated into a landmark Synthesis Document, intended as the industry’s own point of view on where Indian bathroom design is heading. It will contain principles for “India-right” product design, a white-space map across all three categories, and a five-year outlook as agreed by the room.
The inaugural edition of The GROHE Circle Intellect Forum marks the beginning of an ongoing engagement between GROHE in India and the country’s architecture and design community. Through this platform, GROHE aims to bring industry perspectives into conversations on changing consumer needs and emerging design priorities, contributing to the future of Indian bathrooms through continued dialogue and thought leadership.
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