Kolkata (Calcutta)
This Assam state–run emporium is a conveniently located place to look for fixed-price cane vases, jute handbags, pearls, fabrics made of cotton or…
Must-see shopping in India
Kochi (Cochin)
Branch of Fort Cochin's beloved Idiom, which began life in the 1990s as a roaming bookstore on local beaches. Particularly good on India-focused titles.
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Doubling as a cooperative training centre that empowers women from the slums, this small shop sells handmade batik textiles, embroidered souvenirs,…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Every card, handmade paper sheet and fabric that you buy here goes back to fund the (ex) street kids who made them. The shop doubles as a simple cafe…
Kochi (Cochin)
Pretty hand-block printed textiles from Jaipur are transformed into floaty dresses, kurtas, trousers, tops and scarves using Kochi designs at this low-key…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Established in Pondy in 1978, Hidesign sells elegantly made designer leather bags, briefcases, purses, wallets and belts, at reasonable prices, and has…
Panaji
A boutique carrying local labels such as Horn Ok Please, Hidden Harmony and Free Falling, Sosa’s is among the best places in Panaji to source upscale…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
Opposite Moti Cinema, this place is a 1st-floor wonderland of vintage vinyl (₹500 to ₹2000; mostly Bollywood, but also British and American) and even…
Jaisalmer
This family of silversmiths makes beautiful, delicate silver rings and bracelets featuring world landmarks and Hindu gods. Asking prices for rings start…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
A large, bustling bookshop, with a good selection of Lonely Planet guides, as well as regional maps and guidebooks (get your 101 Things to Do in Ahmedabad…
Guwahati
Fine bamboo crafts, textiles, wickerwork, woodcarvings, traditional Assamese japi hats and many a carved rhino are all for sale at this state-operated…
Chennai (Madras)
This is one of Chennai's best and most central shopping malls, full of major international and Indian apparel chains. The top-floor food court is good for…
Margao
Margao’s crowded, covered canopy of colourful stalls is a fun but busy place to wander around, sniffing spices, sampling soaps and browsing the household…
Chennai (Madras)
This large branch of the fixed-price state-government handicrafts chain is good for everything from cheap technicolor plaster deities to a million-rupee…
Shantiniketan
Design Asia boutique at Mitali Homestay features a range of beautiful silk and cotton clothes and textiles, mostly locally woven and all designed by owner…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
Gamthiwala, by the entrance to the Mausoleum of Ahmed Shah in the old city, sells quality block-printed and tie-dyed textiles.
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
A Kerala Government–run handicraft emporium with an Aladdin’s cave of fix-priced crafts, souvenirs and antiques, set inside an attractive red-walled…
Shimla
Kullu and Kinnauri shawls, thick Lahauli wool socks and other appealing Himachal crafts are sold at reasonable prices at this state-government crafts…
South Delhi
Join the fray with bargain-hunting locals on the prowl for household goods, jewellery and high-street fashions at this busy, but not too frenetic street…
Chennai (Madras)
Linen clothes, leather footwear and smart accessories for men, on the top floor of this bustling cafe-boutique complex.
Varanasi
This small NGO shop attached to Vegan & Raw Restaurant sells Italian-designed, locally made clothing, natural cosmetics, baked cookies and organic foods.
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
At the busy Connemara Market (named after a British Madras Presidency governor) vendors sell vegetables, fish, goats, fabric, clothes, spices and much…
Mcleod Ganj
Down steps beside the Branch Security Office, this cooperative sells appealing handmade, recycled paper products, organic peanut butter, tahini and more.
Chennai (Madras)
Quality candles, incense, perfumes, bags and beauty products, made by local village women in Auroville (near Puducherry), using eco-conscious techniques.
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
Opposite the palace, Kandiya Heritage sells antiques, reproduction bronzes, brightly painted wooden horses and dolls, old European pottery and jewellery.
Gujarat & Diu
At this Baroda Prints branch you can see printers at work upstairs, then buy the finished product downstairs.
Mumbai (Bombay)
This small Khar (W) shop in a residential building sources artistic bric-a-brac like hand-painted tiffin and cutting chai carries from around India.
Bikaner
Opposite Hotel Sagar, about 2km north of Junagarh, this is a conventional crafts emporium, with a good stock of silverware, textiles and paintings.
Gangtok
This reasonably well stocked outdoors shop sells hiking and camping equipment, including trekking sticks, umbrellas and various sizes of backpack.
Calangute & Baga
Learn magic tricks in just two minutes (that’s the claim!) at this little Baga shop in Tito's Lane. Also has a stall at the Anjuna flea market.
Shillong
This well-stocked shop has a comprehensive English-language catalogue with Indian and international fiction, plus a few Lonely Planet guidebooks.
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
Bursting with clothing of every conceivable kind and colour, Saratha's claims to be (and might well be) the 'largest textile showroom in India'.
Chennai (Madras)
Attractively contemporary, village-made clothes and crafts from an eco-conscious nationwide chain; this is a small but decently stocked branch.
Jaisalmer
Offers a particularly good selection of patchwork quilts, cushion covers and wall hangings put together from village and tribal textiles.
Manali
Shawls are sold all over Manali, but multibranch cooperative Bhuttico offers fixed prices that make it a good place to start looking.
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
Expensive but beautiful furniture, paintings, sculpture and carvings acquired from local homes, along with new quality sculpture.
Mumbai (Bombay)
Good Earth has eco-leaning housewares, glassware, hand-decorated china and sustainable clothing aimed at a more mature audience.
Kochi (Cochin)
In central Ernakulam, this flashy mall sprawls across six floors of shopping, with a food court, a bowling alley and a cinema.
Pushkar
A vast array of textiles, including bright embroidered clothes and bags, is on sale here. Clothing can also be tailored here.
