Naaya Studio Wins Lighting Brand at the TOI Home & Decor Awards 2026

Some milestones deserve a moment of pause.

We are grateful to share that Naaya Studio has been recognised as the winner of the Lighting Brand category at the TOI Home & Decor Awards 2026.

On 28 September 2026, our founders, Nitu and Neeraj, received the award in Delhi.

For us, this recognition is a reflection of the work that happens behind every piece, developing ceramic forms, experimenting with light and material, refining proportions and finishes, and continuing to make by hand.

A recognition of the work behind the light

At Naaya Studio, lighting begins with the material.

Ceramic gives us the freedom to explore light through form,

its shape, scale, texture, proportion and the way it interacts with a space.

Our process involves developing forms, creating and refining moulds, working with different finishes and repeatedly testing what works. Much of this happens within our studio in Bengaluru, where the making of each piece remains closely connected to the design process.

Over time, this approach has shaped Naaya's language of ceramic lighting, from individual pendant lights and wall sconces to chandeliers and larger sculptural installations.

The award is a meaningful recognition of that ongoing work.

A moment for the people who make Naaya

Nitu and Neeraj may have received the award on stage, but the recognition belongs to many more people.

It belongs to our studio team, who work every day with clay, moulds, finishes, firing and packaging.

It belongs to the architects and interior designers who bring our lighting into their projects.

It belongs to our customers and collaborators who have trusted our work and given Naaya a place in their spaces.

And it belongs to everyone who has been part of the journey so far.

From Bengaluru to spaces around the world

Naaya Studio was built around a simple idea: that lighting can be more than a functional object.

We wanted to explore what happens when the light itself becomes part of the form, when ceramic is treated not simply as a shade, but as a material through which light, shadow and space can be experienced differently.

What began in our Bengaluru studio has since travelled into homes, hospitality spaces and design projects across different parts of the world.

That journey has also shaped the way we think about making in India.

We continue to develop our forms and processes here, while working with architects,

designers and customers across international markets. For us, the opportunity lies in taking a material and making process rooted in our studio and allowing it to find a place in very different spaces and design contexts.

Looking at Indian craftsmanship through a contemporary lens

There is something particularly meaningful about building a contemporary lighting practice around ceramic in India.

Ceramic has a long history of making and craftsmanship in the country. At Naaya, we approach it through the language of contemporary lighting and spatial design.

We are still exploring what the material can do, how far a ceramic form can be pushed, how it can hold and reveal light, and how handmade processes can coexist with a design-led approach.

This award encourages us to keep exploring that space.

Not as a destination, but as another milestone in an ongoing journey.

Grateful for this moment

We are grateful to the TOI Home & Decor Awards for recognising Naaya Studio in the Lighting Brand category.

We are grateful to our studio team, and to the architects, interior designers, customers and collaborators who have trusted our work over the years.

And we are grateful for the journey that brought us to this moment.

A recognition like this gives us a reason to pause, look back and appreciate how far the studio has come.

Then, as always, we return to the studio, to the clay, the forms, the experiments and the next piece waiting to be made.

Naaya Studio

Winner - Lighting Brand

TOI Home & Decor Awards 2026