A passion for textiles runs in Aditya Ahuja’s blood. His grandfather, originally a wool buyer for Tattersfield Co, Philadelphia, formed his own company manufacturing flatwoven rugs in the central plains of Uttar Pradesh in 1963. His perseverance and design aesthetic led to the rejuvenation of a moribund industry and a revival of the craft of fine dhurrie weaving in India. In turn, Aditya’s father dedicated over a decade to working with karigars (craftsmen) as they deftly wove intricate dhurrie rugs for the company’s discerning clientele. His obstinate will and production acumen transformed the handloom fabrication process, enabling the production of detailed patterns on incredibly large single-piece custom rugs. Alongside him, Aditya’s mother focused her efforts on the manufacture of chainstitch rugs and crewel embroidery from the hills and valleys of Kashmir. Her detail-oriented approach and penchant for colour and pattern also led her to design, helping create some of the company’s most iconic pieces. 

It is no wonder then that Aditya Ahuja’s first memories are of leaping from carpet pile to carpet pile at his grandfather’s home-furnishing showroom in Mumbai, India. Nor is it especially surprising that excursions with his family often dovetailed into design explorations – spending hours in clothing stores examining quality and fibre, talking about colour and feel, rather than trying on shirts and trousers. Naturally, Aditya joined his grandfather’s company, SHYAM AHUJA, right out of college. For over a decade, Aditya worked and learned alongside his grandfather in New York, imbibing a singularly important lesson – quality above all else in production and understated elegance and simplicity in design. While working his way up to CEO and Director of SHYAM AHUJA, he also had the good fortune to interact with some of the finest interior designers and architects in North America, allowing him to expand his burgeoning design knowledge and finetune his own singular interior aesthetic.

His first individual venture, ADITYA AHUJA, is truly but an excuse to continue fascinating over design. His hope: to showcase the beauty of Indian pattern and textile in new and exciting ways, just as his family always has.