What should I buy for my sibling who loves padel? For my mum who just turned 60? For a friend who only wears artisan-made? For a baby who is too big for her boots? For a pet who needs a posh roll-over? Lucky for you, we’re know-it-alls in the gifting department. And we have a gift for that kind of person too. Download before your trip & share as a PDF here.
Sweet(est) Gift Partner: Deliciae by Bunty Mahajan.
For game night! Everyone’s favourite carousel crafter now has a quick-buy shop that sells the loveliest presents. See for instance, this gorgeous stone marquetry carrom board with each piece waterjet-cut and set by hand, available in three colourways. There’s also a Scale box set of tools made of stone, brass and glass, ready to measure all things except happiness. That one, you will have to do all by yourself.
Shop at www.outoftheshed.shop, Instagram.
Brainvita, but make it beautiful. This tactile strategy game of yore is reimagined by rockpaperscissors using waste plywood and solid brass marbles, checking both, your play and display boxes. This Bombay design studio also handmakes other beautiful games from waste wood, as well as stackable wooden tealights with striking natural grain patterns that take the shapes of smooth zen pebbles and hourglasses. And speaking of getting a rays this Diwali, we also love their tiny 10 inch table lamps.
Shop at rockpaperscissors.co.in, 9619824891 & 9619074504, Instagram, start at Rs 1,180.
Our favourite tableware peddler’s usual whimsy extends to playing cards this year. Two decks illustrated with the cutest characters, live in a pull-out keepsake box. And while you’re here, consider our favourite Frozen Tulle steel coupes that are “light as spun sugar”.
Shop at www.patchouhome.com, Instagram, start at Rs 650.
Velvet Ribbon founder Petals Deas knows what you want. Her stationery and gifting label expanded from bows to Bam, to include the prettiest Mahjong sets and accessories. Think acrylic stands, hot pink dice, cute totes, scoring notepads and pastel tiles that will remind you of pista and rose barfis.
Shop at www.velvetribbon.in, Instagram, start at Rs 200.
Your snac of a friend will thank you when they receive this bounty of viral groceries that Food Square sources from around the world. From Fishwife’s vibrant tinned fish and Hot Girl Pickles to David’s beautifully packed and meticulously protein-counted Wild Caught Atlantic Cod. And at the end of it, oral gratification can come in the form of Italian heritage toothpaste, Marvis too. Show us those pearly whites now.
At Linking Road, Santacruz, 9833355199 for delivery, Instagram.
Make a date with Deliciae’s sugar free Chocolate Gift Boxes featuring delish Dark Chocolate Rochers, Pistachio Kunafa Crunch Bites, and Dry Fruit Dates. Founder and baker extraordinaire Bunty Mahajan excels in the baking department, where designer Celebration Cakes for all your occasions are available for quick delivery within 30 minutes. And lastly, the fresh pick of strawberries find their way into made to order desserts packed in Bronze Gift Boxes.
Shop at orders.delcakes.in, 9029023000, Instagram.
Our new spirit animal. Drum roll for Bodega please, a new made-in-Mexico spirit made from 100% Blue Weber Agave. It is crafted in Jesús María, Jalisco keeping in mind the Indian palate, weather and hang-over potential. We drank a bunch of this and woke up fresh, so consider this a personal recommendation for back-to-back drinking nights this season. Available in Blanco, Repasado and Anejo.
Visit www.bodegasuprema.com, shop at wine stores and sip at bars across Bombay, Instagram.
For your hot headed friend: a housemade, no additives hot sauce that “somehow fixes everything”. Fermented over 30 days, Ghaslet is available in five variations including Classic, Truffle Bomb, Tamarind Blaze, Tingle Berry and a Gates of Hell that needs no explanation.
Instagram, start at Rs 500.
Chef Harsh (previously at Yauatcha and Ranbir Kapoor’s private kitchen), runs a wait-listed supper club as well as an online shop that sells ultra-cute odds and ends, like this hand-held mirror shaped like a knife, as well as fun T-shirts (see ‘Only Pans’) and multi-purpose magnetic top boxes in colours like Caviar, Ham and Not Tiffany. Ring him?
Shop at theprivatechefsclub.com, Instagram, start at Rs 2,000.
Saar is raising the bar for home and hosting rituals with cheeky products that do a great job at towing the line between irreverent and gimmicky. They sell pasta plates that compliment more than the chef’s cooking, cocktail napkins that politely ask you to leave by 9 pm, door knob tassels, a social smoker ashtray, and a tray in British hunting green that signals to the fact that you were born for room service. Also see their padel Court Tote for the friend who can’t stop talking about this ‘life-changing sport’. Ugh.
Shop at saarobjects.com, Instagram, start at Rs 3,000.
Sancha is steeped in Bandra, Lower Parel and Kala Ghoda, offering the three neighbourhoods not just ‘stores’ but discovery hubs where you can wander in, slow down, stop to smell the Saffron Kahwa, try and buy. Before there were Sancha “tea boutiques” there was one family’s obsession with the art and science of tea that began 45 years ago. Since then, founder and Master Tea Taster Sanjay Kapur has been selecting micro-lots from India’s best tea estates. Their beautiful gift boxes are great for all seasons and reasons. PS: if you’d rather have the sip at your fingertip, you can also shop them online.
Shop at sanchatea.com, boutiques in Bandra (8882274237), Phoenix Palladium (8882418809) & Kala Ghoda (40020852), Instagram, start at Rs 600.
So much glee over cow ghee, which grabs the spotlight in Parsi Dairy Farm’s Heartfelt Hamper, along with gulab jamun, mix mithai, and traditional delights like laddus and halwa. Rich! See their other gift hamper options here.
Shop at www.parsidairyfarm.com, Instagram.
Pulp fiction, this is not. Fact: formed out of pulp and hand made with layers of paper mache, + Nine One’s large and small decorative pots are light weight but have all the beauty of heavy weights – a vintage-y, textured, clay-like vibe. We love this one! At Rs 3,600 it’s cheap-chic; just add dried flowers and gift. + Nine One founder-designer Raena, who studied at Parsons School of Design, sells both antiques and new objects, ceramics and a smattering of furniture.
Shop at plusnineonehome.com, Instagram, start at Rs 3,000.
These just might be the loveliest lamps we’ve seen in recent times. Crafted from natural alabaster with organic veining in shades of toffee, caramel and caviar, these lights – floor, table and wall – are beautifully shaped and appear like sculptures when they aren’t turned on. And when they are, the light through the alabaster is diffused to give out the warm glow you’ve been seeking from your guru all along.
Shop at mugenhome.com, Instagram.
Founder Nivedita Ganeshram is on a mission to show that South India is far from “a single story” — it is a region of many layers, histories and identities. She brings these to life by reimagining the everyday objects, motifs and flavours of its many states and cities through contemporary design, transforming them into everything from candles and coasters to totes and totems. The result is a growing collection that feels rooted yet refreshingly unexpected. We love how joyful Madras Checks find their way onto brass coasters, while the Drishti Bommai, traditionally believed to ward off the evil eye, makes an appearance on a gold-plated keyring. Elsewhere, stormy dark chocolate bars are infused with filter coffee, pure brass filter coffee sets make for thoughtful gifts, and dessert bowls arrive already full — of lore.
Shop at madrasfinds.com, 9342649100, Instagram, start at Rs 350.
Designer Nimish Shah’s SHIFT is back! After a hiatus, one of our favourite Indian labels returns with menswear and home novelty objects. We love the Zirad Throw, created in collaboration with French artist Marie Marcell. Here, she celebrates the hibiscus flower by way of her pop surrealist language and vintage tapestry style jacquard. Edition of 25; go cover ground.
Shop at www.shift-india.com, Instagram.
Ajay Shah, an industrial designer whose furniture practice you may know and love from Rubberband, has created a small collection of objects he’s “always wanted to live with”. Informed in part by intuition, memory and observation, these include glossy Stepped Trays in scarlet and lilac hues, tactile Jelly Coasters, and our favourite – a red Regal desk lamp whose scalloped top is a reference to the once-upon-a-time red velvet curtains of Mumbai’s Regal Cinema. Some popcorn to go with that?
Shop at industrial-playground.com, Instagram, start at Rs 800.
This decade-old Jaipur based studio that works with multiple international labels, takes its wonderful block prints from tunics to table linen. Created with in-house master artisans and their wooden blocks that have been passed through generations, table linen inspired by the “joie de vivre of Indian bazaars”, appear in hues of tangerines, aubergines and deep blue jeans. They also sidestep the usual floral block prints to create technicolored stripes, filigree, diamonds and 3D checkerboard patterns that are meant to spark joy and conversation around a table.
Shop at shaivyya.com, 9929702369, Instagram, start at Rs 1,250.
When many moons ago, we read about Mary-Kate Olsen’s wedding decor featuring “bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes”, we’ve been on a quest to look up a lighter that’s hot enough for the job, should we try and recreate this theme for a house party. Dhora comes close this Diwali, with a gold lighter bearing a 3D bejewelled tiger. Big cat energy!
Shop at dhoraindia.in, Instagram, Rs 4,900.
This Jaipur jewel house makes striking stud earrings that can go with a shift dress just as easily as they do with a sari. Handcrafted from precious and semi-precious stones, these designs draw inspiration from India’s diverse architecture, cultures, and geographies. Our favourites: the elegant Diana earrings that are an ode to English nobility; the deep inky blue Art Deco-ish shaped Anne; and Shunya’s ruby-woo rounds. JOBNER creates jewellery in other categories as well, and they are just as lovely.
Get your panties in a bunch over the fact that we finally have a homegrown lingerie brand that isn’t tacky. These lacy underthings are so pretty that we once spotted its founder wearing an Olakh bra over a white tee at a party. We love their beautiful bralettes and corsets that “hold you without restricting you”. You can layer these so just the neckline shows, we’re told, or wear it under sheer fabric. See the rest of their products here.
Shop at byolakh.com, Instagram, start at Rs 2,199.
Why settle for one talisman when you can have a whole team? Julia & Sita puts the Drishti Bommai — a traditional evil eye doll native to the South of India — on hand crafted mules, velvet notebooks, embroidered bag charms and brooch pins to ward off evil and negativity. We’re positive that we want one of each!
Shop at juliaandsita.com, Instagram.
The host with the most fabulous totes is back with their signature bags, this time all glammed up for the season. There’s The Racer, a nod to the golden age of Grand Prix glamour; The Wanderluster, “your everyday-everything tote,” so you can carry on being you; and Rana, The Leopard, a knockout in black, dazzling in zari - a fiercely glamorous ode to India’s most seductive feline. Holy Carry Bradshaw, Art-chives!
Shop at www.artchivesindia.com, Instagram, start at Rs 7,500.
Every piece designed by this studio, from a bench to a black hoodie, is on a quest to embody the search for contemporary Indian + global sensibility. We love this elegant cast silver marigold necklace as well as this black Natraj graphic tee. A lesson in how to do Indian design without shouting.
Shop at anda-ba.com, Instagram.
Angular glass bottles cut to look like gem stones, Veruzo’s outsides are a gift before you venture to look in. Which is what makes this a great gift. But wait, there’s more. Veruzo claims to be “India's first fragrance brand that does not hide hundreds of unregulated ingredients behind the mask of ‘Parfum’”. These consciously crafted, gender neutral scents are available in four variations; our favourite is Vanilla Vice, with notes of rich vanilla + toasted brown sugar and a feel of soft cashmere wood + glowing amber. “Dangerously cozy,” is the warning label.
Shop at myveruzo.com, Instagram.
Taking cues from the human body’s architecture, Anthropoiid’s delicate 925 sterling silver jewellery pieces come in see-through magnetic cases, like specimens on slides that are about to go under the microscope. Inspired by ribosomes and lysosomes, these super cool multi-purpose earrings can be worn four ways; while these extensions are the prettiest earring backs we’ve ever seen.
Shop at www.anthropoiid.com, Instagram.
Takio might just be our cutest find of the year. Handmade in Jaipur, Takio’s simple but genius Dine & Play tablecloth, complete with windows and doors, turns any dining table into a play tent for kids. We also love their roll-up Asan mattresses in fun prints, that are useful for cushioning a fall - for grownups, kids and pets too.
Designer Nimish Shah makes this Sous Chef tee that comes wrapped in a sous vide pouch. A perfect present for the whole pack of wildlings while you host a baking play date.
Shop here, Rs 1,800.
Vintage style meets modern mechanics in this tricycle that offers an intuitive, easy-to-pedal design, a front wicker basket and a palette of joyful colours including Mermaid Teal, Popsicle Pink, Whimsy White and Boat Blue. Feel good, wheel good.
Shop at www.toddslife.com, Rs 8,990.
This season, let saffron hop from phirni to face, as Sadhev presents a miraculous fusion of aloe vera and saffron skincare gel with Kumkumadi Tailam to help you get your shine on for Diwali. Other bpb favourites focus on much-needed TLC that this hectic season demands; order the slick Coconut Shower Oil to slip through the clutches of evil and a super-functioning Ayurvedic Shampoo for post-cigar den rituals.
Shop at sadhev.com, 7305015635, Instagram, start at 249.
For the giftee who loves to be mist-ified, presenting a breathable, micro-fine SPF 50 PA+++, water-resistant mist that shields your skin from UV, blue light, pollution and offers a boost of mid-day hydration, leaving your skin looking dewy fresh. Aerah also has an excellent feather-light sunscreen cream.
An Eternity Elixir feels like just the thing we need to live out the late nights and smoggy days of this festive season. Future Me puts its proprietary FutureBlend™ – a mix of potent active ingredients – into all its products, ensuring profound hydration, skin renewal, and slower ageing.
Shop at futuremeworld.com, Instagram.
The founder of Luxe by Kan, an online shop which curates beauty that only a friend travelling from the West can bring back for you, now has her own label. It’s an Indian suncare brand that’s both pretty and persistent. Artisun sells two formulas, made with the best filters and actives from Germany, Japan and Finland. Buy the Milk Emulsion and Pearl Skinwear here.
A new Indian skincare label makes high performance formulations beginning with First Light, their debut brightening serum designed to target dark spots, dullness and uneven skin tone. Easy to layer under make-up, sunscreen and the stress of glowing all-season round.
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Don’t forget to dip into our archive of super useful bpb Long Lists for recommendations on where to frolic and feast in Goa, the best home improvements to make, the tastiest snaxx for your hunger, tried-and-rested beauty buys, and everything your wedding planner doesn’t know about.