Indian furniture production is worth about US$ 1,700 million. The Indian furniture market can be defined as "non organised", as 85% of its production is provided by non industrial companies. Artisan firms are concentrated in the wooden furniture segment (mainly home furniture), while metal and plastic furniture produced on a medium-large scale and intended for professional use is provided by the "organised sector". This sector has some 5,000 active companies of which 8% produce wooden furniture, 10% metal furniture and 82% manufacture accessories and furnishing items in plastic. The office furniture segment, particularly metal furniture, is much more advanced (in terms of size and technological innovation) than the home furniture one and a larger percentage of its production is exported. The Indian furniture industry as a whole employs a total of around 300,000 workers.

Furniture making is an art, which is practiced with consummate skill by the craftsmen of India. One of the reasons why Indian furniture is held in high regard the world over is its ethnic flavor and minute craftsmanship. In spite of rapid developments in the tools and materials used, traditional Indian woodcarvers are still rooted in the ancient style of their ancestors, and use the simplest of hand instruments while crafting the most exquisite furniture pieces. It is little wonder that the furniture styles of Barmer, Kashmir, Saharanpur, Gujarat and the South have earned the appreciation and admiration of people the world over.

The most popular forms of Indian furniture include home and garden furniture, office furniture, kitchen furniture, bedroom furniture, upholstered furniture, seating, furniture parts and contract furniture in wood, metal, plastic, cane and bamboo. These furniture pieces are available in a variety of finishes. Choices range from antique or exotic looking furniture to painted furniture. Popular items of furniture export are mainly a large variety of cabinets, cupboards, ethnic settees, beds, partitions, chairs, tables, frames, boxes and bajots, and many other decorative articles.