142 Best Shopping in India

At this shop find lovely, colorful, and quality clothes with block-print designs from Rajasthan.

A must for souvenir shoppers, the friendly Bombay Store sells clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, silk by the meter, housewares, organic wellness products, and gifts. There are a number of branches in the city, but the Fort one is the most expansive.

Purchase crafts from all over the country at this fixed-price, government-run shop; it will ship items abroad too. Even if you don't buy anything here, it's a good place for getting an idea of the upper bounds of prices before you go bargaining elsewhere.

This government-run food and crafts bazaar invites artisans from all over the country to sell their wares directly. More than 60 do so at any given time; the vendors rotate every two weeks according to changing themes such as handicrafts, textiles, or Rajasthani goods. Constants include Kashmiri shawls, Lucknavi chikan (white embroidery on pastel cotton), woodwork, pottery, cotton dhurries, and simple children's toys. Stalls serve regional food from around the country, providing shoppers with a rare opportunity to sample Goan fish curry, Bengali fish in mustard sauce, and Kerala chicken stew outside their states of origin.

An India institution, this emporium is stuffed with block-printed kurtas, salwars, churidars, dupattas, Western tops, and skirts in subtle colors for trendy Delhiites, their moms and dads, expats, and tourists. Quality can vary. Avoid Saturday, when the place is a madhouse and it's difficult to get your hands on the stock. There are also branches in Khan Market, the Delhi airport, Green Park, a mall in Vasant Kunj, Greater Kailash and elsewhere.

Spirituality, self-help, and coffee-table books are the specialty at this bookshop with an attached café.

This lighthearted store carries products like an ashtray shaped like a sandaas and an Indian-style squat toilet. Also fun are wine-bottle stoppers shaped like old-fashioned water pumps and CD stackers in cylindrical tiffin carriers.

Stuffed to the ceiling with Indian teas, herbs, and spices, this teahouse has a charming owner, Vikram Mittal, who will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tea. Another branch is on Barakhamba Road.

Established in 1860, Phillips has the best choice of old prints, engravings, and maps in Mumbai. It also sells many possessions left behind by the British—Staffordshire and East India Company china, old jewelry, crystal, lacquerware, and sterling silver.

Sabyasachi Mukherji, one of India's most well-known fashion designers, is from Kolkata; a trip to his flagship store is a crash course in Indian textiles and craftsmanship. Known for his saris and wedding clothes, Sabya (as he's popularly known) dresses many of India's top film stars and celebrities.

The many state emporiums, strung out over three blocks, can keep you busy for hours: the Kashmir store specializes in carpets, Karnataka in sandalwood, Tripura in bamboo, and so on. The prices are all fixed.

A fun place to stop and stroll, this busy market offers everything from household goods to brightly colored fabrics to tasty snacks. Be prepared to bargain for the best prices.

You'll find a wonderful selection of rare Indian and French perfumes stored in huge decanters here. It also stocks agar wood, a rare incense base, a kilo of which costs as much as a night at the Taj Mahal hotel. Sandalwood oil is another fragrance sold here.

Come here for gorgeous traditional and contemporary silver and gold jewelry.

Very prompt and efficient, Amrapali Creations usually makes Indian clothes, such as salwar kameez and sari blouses, but if you give them a sample to copy they can make you a Western-style outfit.

This outlet of the popular and sophisticated Rajasthani handicrafts and clothing shop carries beautifully tailored women's clothing and linens for the home.

The local outlet of the popular brand Anokhi sells good-value Western clothes with an Indian flair, including cotton and hand-block prints that are sourced from national textile producers.

Next door to Mittal, Asia Tea House sells fine teas and tea paraphernalia.

Exotic home furnishings and fabrics for the home are sold by the meter here. There's lots of expensive silk, and they'll organize tailoring for you.

This place is stuffed to the ceiling with dusty nonfiction, particularly academic history, politics, and Indian heritage, as well as a good amount of fiction titles.

This store sells the rich brocaded silks of Varanasi.

Wood items are designed according to customer requirements, while maintaining the roots of the artisans' creative process. Antiques are also sold.

Traditional gold earrings and beaded necklaces in muted colors and styles are the specialty of this shop.

Specializing in jewelry, this store also sells rare old shawls and wall hangings from all over India.

Some of the country's most skilled goldsmiths and jewelry designers hail from Kolkata. And in Bowbazar, east of Chitpur Road, is where you will find them. The cheek-by-jowl shops that line the busy street sell good-quality traditional gold and silver jewelry, but there are also more trendy and chic designs in platinum, with diamonds and other precious and semiprecious stones. Prices are reasonable, because labor charges are less here than in other Indian cities. Each shop has an astrologer on hand to help you find the most auspicious stone based on your sign and birth date.

This store has a vast selection of tribal and Mughal-print carpets and handwoven dhurries.

The Mumbai branch of this government-owned chain is a decent place to buy souvenirs—though you won't be doing any bargaining, as all prices are fixed (and likely more than you'll pay elsewhere). It's therefore a good way to establish an upper bound for prices before you do any haggling in other places. It's packed with textiles, carvings, and myriad other traditional Indian handicrafts from all over the country, and there's a small but imaginative assortment of Indian costumes for kids, and traditional Indian toys. Mirror-work elephants, Indian dolls, wood and cane doll furniture, tiny brass tea sets, stuffed leather animals, and puppets can all be found on the second floor, as can kurtas and long skirt ensembles in cotton and silk.

For curios in a hurry and at fixed prices, head to Central Cottage Industries. It may seem a tad musty and salespeople may seem disinterested, but you may just find a good bargain.

This expansive stores stocks local handicrafts, miniature wood paintings, brass sculptures, and jewelry. The textiles are particularly impressive: there's a huge collection of scarves, saris, and clothing in silks and cottons, with traditional Indian prints.