197 Best Places to Shop in India

For those who want to browse through handicrafts and hand-loomed cloth and clothing from around the country, this no-fuss, no-frills mall is a good destination. Discovering gems in this sea of government shops may leave you parched, though. Head for Dolly's Tea Shop, on the ground floor, for refreshing hot and cool blends of the finest teas, handpicked by the owner, Dolly Roy, the world's first female tea auctioneer and India's first female tea taster.

This is a leading shop for fashionable clothing, mostly in cotton, some silk, with hand-block prints and paisley patterns---all of which will fit into your wardrobe back home. The selection includes both Indian and casual Western wear, and it has the prettiest lehengas (skirts) in the state. It has a great range of kurtis (short kurtas). You can also get beautiful bedspreads, quilts, and cloth bags here. After shopping, take a break at the attached café for a light bite or cold drink. Note: The store doesn't pay commissions to taxi drivers, which is why your driver might tell you the shop is closed or that they have a better deal for you.

At this shop find lovely, colorful, and quality cotton 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.

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

Housed in a restored 17th-century haveli hidden in the labyrinthine lanes of the Old City, this long-standing shop is a treasure trove of handicrafts and home decor spread across 32 galleries over eight floors. You will find everything from vintage pichwais and carpets to Pashmina shawls and Kashmiri rugs as well as bedcovers, cushion covers, silver jewelry, and clothes. It also houses Vipul Shah Bags, a luxury label that gives a new spin to antique Indian handicrafts through a range of eclectic (if somewhat eccentric) purses, clutches, and totes—these have even adorned the arms of many a Hollywood and Bollywood celebrity. If you're looking for high-quality souvenirs to take home, this is the place in Udaipur.

If you're scouring the city for tasteful, minimalist handmade leather bags and accessories, Nappa Dori is the place for you. The brand's origins were humble (it was birthed in a tiny space in Delhi's Hauz Khas village), but now its clientele includes Kiehl's, Royce' Chocolate, Qatar Airways (Nappa supplies pouches for its first- and business-class passengers), and celebrities such as Mira Nair, Eva Longoria, and Naomi Watts.

The hipster-ish brand Nicobar used to stock its merchandise at Good Earth until it decided to branch out with its own shop, a cheerful, eclectic emporium in Kala Ghoda. The clothes and accessories (for men and women) sport a breezy, contemporary, minimalist aesthetic; there's also a rather chic line of home decor items.

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.

This Mumbai-born brand offers distinctive, beautifully-tailored Indian wear in designer Sanjay Garg’s signature pop colors. Think traditional handlooms, clean lines, and very wearable luxury.

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 and you'll get authentic regional crafts here.

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.

This shop is a favorite among trendy and wealthy Indians for its whimsical silver and ornamental trinkets, as well as semiprecious stone artifacts.

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.

To learn more about the hand-block printing and textiles with natural pigments and dyes that you might want to shop for, check out this museum on your way in and out of Amber Fort. There are workshops held daily (check the website for times); there's a small shop on the premises, too.

This is Jaipur's leading gallery of contemporary art, with a wide-ranging collection of oil paintings, watercolors, and graphics by contemporary artists and sculptors.

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.

Udaipur has many galleries that exhibit original work by burgeoning artists, which attracts serious art buyers. This gallery was started by B.G. Sharma, one of the preeminent miniature painters of India. Unlike most artists of miniature paintings, Sharma produced original ideas rather than copying traditional pictures, and made a huge contribution to advancing the Mughal, Kishangarh, and Kangra painting styles. Now his sons run the business but some of Sharma's legacy remains. As well as creating miniatures themselves in-house, they also sell the work of other painters. Check the authenticity of anything you want to buy.

One of Delhi's most popular book stores, 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 rich brocaded silks of Varanasi. There are also salwar kameez fabrics and beautiful dupattas (scarves) on offer.

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

For precious jewels, including gold ornaments, seek out this showroom, known worldwide for its kundan (a glasslike white stone) and mina (enamel) work. It has some reasonably priced silver jewelry featuring traditional patterns on contemporary styles.

A suburb of Udaipur on the road exiting the city towards Jaipur (15–20 minutes away from the city center), Bhuwana is the place to buy something carved in marble, be it an elephant almost as large as your car or a small knickknack like a soap tray or serving dish. There are rows and rows of shops here, where, with a little bargaining (never take the first price), you will get a good deal. Marble workshops are attached to many of the stores and you may be able to see artisans at work. Check with your hotel or local guide to arrange a car.