Interior Designing Career Scope: Jobs, Placements, Salary 2023, Top Recruiters/Companies

With the broadening horizons of the Indian education system, not only the traditional but some unconventional career options have taken over the market. Interior designing is one of them. It has grown significantly since the last decade and is continuing to bring amazing career opportunities for the present generation. From firm-level jobs to freelance experts, this industry has scope for all sorts of professional exposure.  Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees are all offered in interior design courses. Top colleges and online learning environments also provide certificate programmes in interior design and associated disciplines.

Popular Courses in Interior Design include BDes, BA/BSc, and diploma that can be pursued by students after the 12th grade. After completing an undergraduate degree in interior design courses, candidates are entitled to enrol in interior design postgraduate programmes like MDes Interior Design, MA/MSc Interior Design, or Postgraduate Certificate in Interior Designing. The pay for interior designers in India varies according to the work profile. Depending on their qualifications and level of experience, designers from various streams typically make a variety of salaries.

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Why Choose Interior Design?

The employment of interior designers is predicted to rise more quickly than average during the upcoming ten years. There will be a greater need for interior designers to plan and create practical spaces as the population expands and the demand for new homes and commercial space rises. Interior designers are likely to have the best job possibilities if they have excellent communication and project management abilities.

• According to Market Watch, the interior design market between. 2019- 24 can expect to be valued at 212,300 million USD globally, with a potential (CAGR) growth rate of 8.5%. This value was 130,000 Million USD in 2018.          
• In India only, the home interiors and renovation market is evaluated to be between USD 20 Billion to USD 30 Billion.        
• With the growing investments in real estate, the demand for interior designers in India is never likely to go down.           
• There are currently more than 10k jobs of interior designers on naukri.com, more than 1K on Indeed, 261 jobs on Monster and more than 1.5k jobs on LinkedIn.          
• A career in the field of interior designing is very promising, according to a report by Brandongaille, as the interior design jobs are expected to grow by 13% in the next decade.
• As per a research conducted by CII, out of the total 36,387 designers in India, 10.17% are interior designers.

• According to naukri.com, the average annual salary of an interior designer is around INR 6.9 LPA .

Top Careers in Interior Design

In India, interior design is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after careers. Interior designers assist businesses and homeowners in organising the structure, colour schemes, furniture, and decorations of their buildings. The primary responsibility of an interior decorator is to make any space appealing and functional. Interior designers and interior decorators are the most typical and in-demand professional paths after completing an interior design education.There will be a greater need for interior designers to plan and create practical spaces as the population expands and the demand for new homes and commercial space rises. Interior designers are likely to have the best job possibilities if they have excellent communication and project management abilities.

• Interior Decorator- The interior designer plans the spatial layouts and aesthetics of the project. They provide suggestions to clients for decorating their residential or office spaces and are also responsible for recommending colour schemes, wall designs, furniture and lighting installations. Most interior decorators work on a contractual basis or prefer to be self employed and freelance rather than taking up a full time job.           
• Colour Consultant- The role of a colour consultant is to ensure that residential or working space has an atmosphere or a surrounding that matches the client’s personality. Colour consultants work with design and architecture firms or sometimes even with paint companies to help clients with personalisation of home or office decoration.
• Retail Interior Designer- The interior designs of stores in commercial establishments like restaurants, malls and other shopping spaces are executed by Retail Interior Designers. Their job includes planning and designing of the store layouts, product displays and colour schemes and understanding.        
• Production Designer- Production designer creates sets for films, dramas and videos based on the creative script and direction. They must be familiar with the different phases of production, cinematography, lighting and camera techniques, sound designs and such others.                   
• Exhibition Designer- The designing of the floor work, seating arrangement, displays and fittings for various events or public places is the work of an Exhibition Designer. Exhibition designers must have a thorough understanding of infrastructural designs where ever they plan the exhibition.  
• Lighting Designer- Lighting designers can convert the ambience of any space with adequate and effective lighting installations. They may have to implement the light design plan in office, exhibitions, stores or home and work in coordination with architect, electrical engineer and lighting fixture vendor for providing suggestions about lighting styles, arrangements and types.             
• Corporate Interior Designer- Corporate designer works from small scale offices to huge corporations. They may redesign, redecorate or renovate existing spaces as well as develop designs for cabins, cubicles, boardrooms, conference rooms and common spaces.         
• Landscape Architect- Landscape architect are responsible to design outdoor spaces such as parks, ground, campuses and open spaces. These are designed for businesses, recreational facilities, stadiums, playgrounds, houses, etc. Landscape architect integrates existing landscape features into design and creates an atmosphere that represents the brand.        
• Kitchen Designer- As the name suggests, kitchen designer specialise in designing of kitchen aesthetics and dining spaces. These includes designing and preparing layouts using sketches and blueprints with an in- depth knowledge of cabinets, electrical connections, fixtures, appliances, lighting, plumbing, colour schemes etc.           
• Visual Merchandiser- Visual merchandiser present, display and arrange in stores, in catalogues or online and helps in promoting retailers brands, products and services. Their role consists of defining, designing and implementing a creative visual merchandising strategy to increase sales, get buyer’s attention and provide an excellent in- store experiment.

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Interior Designer Scope in India 

Interior design in India has a huge range. More and more individuals are choosing to live in smaller, more compact homes due to shortage of areas, growing population and rising costs of houses. In such a case, the interior designers can conserve space while adding a distinctive and seductive touch to the area with their theme-based designs. According to extensive industry research, the market for interior design is expanding quickly. Some of the areas where interior designers can find work are:

1) Architectural Firms- Many architectural firms partner with or hire an interior designer that co- ordinate with them in making the most out of the space and provide the perfect kind of interior the client wants. This includes various job roles for a single interior designer or sometimes many designers at the same time depending on the budget and time of the client.

2) Retailers- The designing of every retail outlet, be it a small unit or a large mall, needs technical as well as commercial awareness. The growth of retail sectors in recent times has brought with it a growing demand for proper and scientific designing of the retail outlet for which interior designers get amazing opportunities to showcase their work.

3) Interior Design Companies- Interior Design companies particularly hire interior designers specialised in various sectors to provide to the companies or directly clients as and when then the need arises.

4) Business Houses- As the business grows, they expand and move into their own premises. To utilise this space in the most efficient manner, the need for interior designers arises. This not only includes proper utilisation of space but also to develop a workspace that is aesthetically pleasing to the employees working there.

5) Construction companies- Construction companies hire landscape architects to plan the layouts and have a mindful blueprint of the construction in future. They may also have opportunities for lighting designers, colour consultants or other specialised professionals to build a beautiful property.

6) Set Designing companies (for theatre, TV or film)- Production designers are well suited for this field as they tend to have knowledge of various other things related to this field besides designing which is necessary for the set- designing companies.

7) Event management Companies- Event management is a booming business now- a- days. But what goes behind this is the work of an interior decorator or an exhibition designer who plans the designs and layouts to attract the attention of people.

8) Educational Institutes- Classrooms, laboratories, washrooms, libraries, auditoriums and all other facilities provided by the school are designed responsibly keeping in mind the nature of the students and their requirements. All of these include inputs from interior designers with different specialisations.

9) Residential Sector- The interior designers in this sector may get to work on high- end properties along with the architect in order to satisfy the client’s requirements. The designers have to take care of the lighting, ventilation, colour schemes etc. based on the needs of the client. They may get contracts of residential complexes and other such projects for which they have to keep up with the on- going trend.

10) Hospitality- Another field where interior designers will always be in demand is the hospitality sector. Every hotel, restaurant, bar or even cruise wants to provide its customer a unique atmosphere and therefore the designing and creative capabilities of an interior designer comes in demand. They are not restricted to just designing of dining or meeting places but also theatres, golf courses and cruise facilities.

Average salary based on Job Position

The average annual salary of an entry level interior designer is around INR 2L per annum, a mid- level professional can earn about INR 4- 5L per annum whereas an experienced or senior level professional can earn about 7L- 9L per annum. The salary package in this field may vary depending upon the organisation, skill set, city and experience of the candidate.

Top Recruiters for Interior Designers

With booming property prices and the number of smaller houses/residential apartments growing, many people rely on professionals to design spaces to achieve a comfortable and happy environment. Going by this increasing demand of professionals for interior designing, the career prospects in this field is growing continuously at a higher rate. Various small and medium sized companies are observed to dominate the market. There are a few well organised design companies that offer jobs in multiple specialities for the convenience of the employee as well as the client. Some of the key and leading players of the interior design market include:

• De Panache
• Livspace          
• Ace Interiors          
• Spacewood          
• Shobha Interiors          
• Carafina          
• Brawn Globus         
• Acme Interiors         
• Dream Space India         
• Space Matrix

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Top Interior Designing College for Placements

The fast evolving lifestyle and rapid urbanisation has definitely increased the demand for interior designers. The scope of interior designing has grown, making it one of the most sought after professions in India currently. To have a successful career in interior design, a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from a recognized college/ university would help. Candidates may also opt for Diploma in Interior Design which can be pursued after 12^th. Here is a list of some of the top private colleges that provide interior design courses along with the highest placement package:

Below is a list of some of the top government/ public colleges that provide interior design courses along with the highest placement package:

How to get a Job After Interior Designing Course?

In India, the interior design market is considered to be fragmented and highly competitive in nature. There are a huge number of designers and designing studios trying to establish themselves in this muddle. With this intensified competition in the Indian Interior Designing Market it seems difficult to set a foot in this field. However, it is not so difficult after following the given steps:

• Explore- Candidates who have completed their Interior Designing course are now well aware of their specialisation and its requirements and should start exploring more about the market trends and leading companies providing jobs in this field.           
• Learn essential tools- What you need to present to the world should be first mastered by you. Learning key skills would let you finish your work with perfection as well as give fulfilment in your work- life. Look up to what best suits you and your professional world and take a step in that direction.          
• Make a portfolio- For an interior design, a portfolio of their ideas and works is very important. A good portfolio opens doors for many new opportunities and is therefore advisable to candidates to build a good and real portfolio.          
• Grow your network- To showcase your portfolio, to exhibit your skills and to land on a good opportunity, you need to have a strong network of like- minded people who would help you grow and learn more. There are many platforms to grow your network now- a- days besides the basic old- school techniques.          
• Build a resume- An excellent resume sells your strongest skills and accomplishments which will eventually lead you to land on your dream job. Always keep your resume up- to- date, include only relevant information, experiences, skills and necessary personal details. Also you should keep customising your resume based on your role and always proofread before you deliver.          
• Go for internships- Internships provides you an opportunity to train yourself more on your skills. Choose internships that match your profile and try to go for as many as possible before you land your dream job.

Top Indian Cities to get Lucrative Jobs after Interior Designing Course

The key role of an interior designer is to consider how a particular space can be utilised and how people will move through that space. With rapid urbanisation and growing corporate sector, people are moving towards bigger cities for jobs and a better lifestyle. This increases the demand for smart planning as the growing construction but depleting spaces have left no choice but to make the most out of the given. As a result, majority of the design activities are focused in the following urban cities:

Life After Interior Designing

As the time changes, there must be a change in the way of doing things. One could not stick to traditional job roles set up in the past. Rather they should explore the unconventional path as this is the need of the time and opportunities are sure to be abundant in this field. Interior design is currently one of the most sought-after occupations in India due to the country's changing lifestyle and rapid urbanisation. The demand for interior designers is increasing noticeably, according to industry trends. Many people rely on experts to create rooms so they can live comfortably and joyfully. Indian homes are getting smaller as a result of rising real estate prices, and interior design appears to be the answer to their lack of room problems. Based on their area of interest, interior designers can work on a variety of fronts in the multifaceted subject of interior design. To make their homes stand out, people are drawn to interior design with a theme, which could result in an increase in employment for interior designers.

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