BMW Group India returns as the Presenting Partner of the 17th edition of India Art Fair, reaffirming a decade-long commitment to fostering art, culture, and creative expression in India. The fair will take place at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, New Delhi, from 5 to 8 February 2026.
Recognised as the leading platform for modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, India Art Fair 2026 will feature a record 135 exhibitors, including 94 commercial galleries, alongside major regional and international art institutions. The edition welcomes 26 new exhibitors, making it the fair’s most expansive showcase to date. With a strong curatorial focus, the fair continues to foreground compelling voices and practices from South Asia while presenting leading contemporary international artists and collectible design, reinforcing its position as a key destination for discovering art and culture in the region.
A Decade of Art, Innovation, and Cultural Engagement
Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO, BMW Group India, said: “BMW Group India’s decade-long association with India Art Fair reflects our belief that culture, creativity, and innovation are essential drivers of progress. Through initiatives such as ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission and our continued presence at this vibrant platform, we celebrate the transformative power of artistic expression in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. The BMW Concept Speedtop showcased this year embodies our commitment to pushing boundaries—where design, technology, and craftsmanship come together to inspire what’s next. Together with India Art Fair, we are proud to support an ecosystem where art and innovation create meaningful change, beyond the automotive world and across society.”
Through its partnership with India Art Fair, BMW Group India continues to strengthen the intersection of art, design, and innovation, championing creative dialogue and cultural progress in India.
‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission: A Bold New Chapter
Marking ten years of creative partnership with India Art Fair and five years of the landmark ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission, BMW Group India continues to champion emerging Indian artists on the global stage. The 2026 Commission, themed ‘Crafting in Continuum’, is awarded to Afrah Shafiq for her immersive installation ‘A Giant Sampler’, displayed prominently across the fair’s façade for the first time.
Shafiq’s work reimagines progress as continuity, a harmonious coexistence of handcraft traditions, digital systems, and human touch. Drawing on embroidery motifs and textile practices linked to women’s histories, the installation integrates an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) experience, inviting visitors to engage with layered narratives of memory, movement, and transformation. The BMW wheel, rendered in cross-stitch, emerges as a contemporary emblem of precision, motion, and cyclical change, connecting the brand’s heritage with artistic innovation.
As winners of the prestigious ‘Future is Born of Art’ Commission, led by BMW and India Art Fair, Afrah Shafiq joins the ranks of India’s most promising artistic voices. Previous winners, Non-Linear (Dennis Peter) and Cursorama (Yash Chandak) 2025, Sashikanth Thavudoz (2024), Devika Sundar (2023) and Faiza Hasan (2022), have set the stage with visionary works exploring community, materiality and ecology.
Exclusive Showcase: BMW Concept Speedtop at the BMW Collectors Lounge
The BMW Concept Speedtop embodies BMW’s seamless fusion of art, design, and innovation, presenting a bold vision of craftsmanship and performance. Its striking shark-nose front, illuminated kidney grille, flowing central spline, and distinctive Touring profile create a powerful presence, enhanced by a dramatic roof gradient from Floating Sunstone Maroon to Floating Sundown Silver and bespoke two-tone wheels.
Inside, the precise craftsmanship from BMW’s Dingolfing plant defines a luxurious cabin with brogue style detailing, two-tone leather in Sundown Maroon and Moonstone White, and an ambient light beam inspired by the exterior spline. The leather finished trunk is thoughtfully divided for multi-day journeys.
A collaboration with Italian leather specialist Schedoni adds bespoke luggage and behind seat storage, underscoring the concept’s exclusivity. Powered by BMW’s most powerful V8, the Concept Speedtop combines dramatic design with exhilarating performance. Limited to just 70 units worldwide, it offers collectors a rare opportunity to own a true automotive masterpiece.
The Concept Speedtop reflects BMW Group’s commitment to cultural engagement and the convergence of art, technology, and future mobility.
