The Quick Call: Canva’s Chandrika Deb on AI, localisation & future of design in India

In the latest episode of The Quick Call podcast, hosted by Hitesh Rajwani, CEO of Social Samosa, with Chandrika Deb, Country Manager at Canva, they spoke about how the design platform is democratising creativity in India and empowering people to find ‘the designer within.’

Deb explained that Canva’s mission to empower the world to design takes on a unique meaning in India, a country rich in linguistic and cultural diversity. “Democratising design in India means designing not just for India but with India,” she said, adding that the design platform’s approach involves listening to community needs and building a product that caters to local use cases, from festival greetings to everyday family messages.

She noted that Canva is available in 13 Indian languages, while its AI tools support 17, allowing users to generate designs in their preferred language. “We want users to find locally relevant features, content, and culturally aesthetic content that they would like to create and share,” she said.

Deb highlighted that the company’s localisation efforts extend beyond product features to pricing and marketing. Canva’s sachet pricing model, offering one-day or one-week subscriptions, was first introduced in India to serve value-conscious users and has since inspired similar rollouts in other markets.

Discussing the brand’s 'Dil Se Design Tak' campaign, Deb said the idea was born from the belief that everyone has a creative side. “The thought comes from the idea that there’s a designer in each of us…And as long as you find that designer within you, as long as you find that storyteller within you, Canva will empower you to translate what's in your heart to design.”

On the role of AI, Deb called it an ‘enabler to creativity.’ She emphasised that AI tools like Magic Write and Magic Design are not meant to replace designers but to ‘supercharge creativity’ and make workflows more efficient.

Deb also spoke about Canva’s growing creator community in India, which includes over 500 designers contributing localised templates and content.

Looking ahead, she predicted that ‘design will be at the centre of India’s digital economy,’ shaping how individuals, brands, and businesses build their presence and tell their stories in the years to come.