Not too long ago, making a poster meant either hiring a designer or wrestling with software that felt like it was built for someone with a computer science degree. Graphic design was, for most people, a closed door. There came a shift when tools like Canva launched in 2013 with a straightforward promise: design did not have to be hard. It introduced drag-and-drop templates, a freemium model, and an interface that asked nothing of its users beyond an idea. Within a decade, it had over 180 million monthly active users globally. That shift to accessible design tools is now reflected in the industry. The global graphic design market is estimated at USD 59.29 billion in 2026, growing toward USD 85.53 billion by 2031 at a 7.60% CAGR. Within that, Asia-Pacific is forecast to grow at 11.10% CAGR, with India's SaaS expansion among the primary drivers, intensifying the need for multilingual, mobile-optimised creative assets. India currently holds 4.55% of the global graphic design market share, fuelled by its booming startup culture and IT sector, and its graphic design market is expected to grow at a 9.5% CAGR through 2028. India now has students, creators, small business owners and marketers increasingly doing their own designing, reaching for tools that meet them where they are rather than asking them to become professionals first.Adobe, a company with its flagship tools, Photoshop and Illustrator, were not built for this audience. Adobe Express, which traces its origins to Adobe Spark in 2016 and was relaunched in its current form in 2021, was built to close that gap, bringing the company's design capabilities to a much wider set of users. Parimal Deshpande, Global Head of Product Marketing at Adobe Express, describes the platform's ambition around a single idea: that everyone, whether a student, a teacher, a small business owner or a creator, has a story to tell or an idea to express, and the tool's job is to make that possible. In India, the platform has been built with a freemium model, Android availability in a market where Android dominates, and localisation across Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and other Indian languages, with templates shaped around local festivals, WhatsApp sharing habits and everyday content needs. The most visible expression of that thinking arrived in January 2026, when Airtel announced a partnership making Adobe Express Premium, worth approximately INR 4,000, available free for a year to its 360 million mobile, Wi-Fi and DTH customers through the Airtel Thanks app. The Airtel partnership was followed by creator collaborations with names including Shivangi Chauhan, Tanmay Bhat, Aarti Samant and Jai Arora, each chosen to highlight the platform’s use cases in fun, interactive messaging. View this post on InstagramView this post on InstagramThe objective behind these collaborations, as Deshpande describes it, is to meet users where they already are, whether on the feeds they scroll daily or the platforms they already use to communicate. The same thinking extends to the OpenAI partnership, through which Adobe Express is now embedded inside ChatGPT, letting users generate designs through conversation without switching apps. On early results, Deshpande points to the volume of social media activity following the Airtel announcement as an indicator of genuine demand, alongside consistent feedback from users about the speed of moving from an idea to a finished design. Adobe has been applying a similar logic internationally through sports partnerships, recognising that fan communities are among the most active creators of content online. It was named the Premier League's Official Digital Fan Experience and Creativity Partner ahead of the 2025/26 season, and in March 2026, expanded its collaboration with Major League Baseball to bring Express tools and Firefly generative AI capabilities to fans wanting to create and share content around their teams. In this interview, Despande dives into whether sports partnerships in India are within the horizon, how conversational AI is reshaping the act of creation, what behaviours specific to Indian users have shaped the product's evolution, and where Adobe Express plans to direct its next investments in the country.Edited Excerpts:Adobe Express competes in a category where tools like Canva and others have strong recognition in India. From a marketing and adoption standpoint, where does Adobe Express currently stand in India in terms of awareness, usage and market share, and what’s the core insight shaping that status?Adobe has long been seen by customers and the market as one of the original creators in the creativity category. Our broader mission is to empower everyone to create. By everyone, we mean consumers, creators, students, teachers, small business owners and enterprises.Adobe Express is built around the idea of bringing the best of Adobe to a much wider audience. From that perspective, we feel positive about what we are doing with Express in India as well as globally. We are encouraged by the adoption we are seeing and the feedback we are receiving from users.In India, a few factors are shaping this momentum. First, the product is designed for a broad set of users. It brings Adobe’s design capabilities and templates to people who may not necessarily be professional designers. Many of these templates and creative assets are designed by Adobe professionals, which contributes to the perception of quality that users associate with the brand.Second, accessibility is central to the product. Adobe Express is built to be quick and simple to use. People can create designs within seconds. It follows a freemium model, so users can start with the free version and continue using it that way if they choose, while a premium option is available at an affordable price point.Third, the product is available across Android, iOS and iPad. India is a large Android market, so ensuring strong Android availability has been an important priority.Another important element is localisation. The product has been adapted to make it more relevant for Indian users. For instance, the interface supports multiple languages such as English, Hindi, Tamil and Bengali, and content can be translated into additional languages. The app also reflects local use cases such as greeting cards and other commonly shared formats.Finally, partnerships play a role in expanding reach. One recent example is the collaboration with Airtel, where Adobe Express Premium is being offered free for a year to Airtel’s customer base. Initiatives like this are intended to increase access and familiarity with the product.Taken together, these factors are shaping how Adobe Express is growing in India and how users are responding to it.You recently partnered with Airtel, providing access to the platform for about 390 million users. Adobe Express and Airtel have also collaborated with creators like Rebel Kid and Shivangi Chauhan. What do you aim to achieve with this partnership? You have also partnered with OpenAI. What is the broader objective behind these collaborations?The goal is to empower everyone to create. That is our central idea. Everyone has a story to tell or an idea to express. Our focus is to ensure that people across different segments have access to tools that help them do that.When we say everyone, we mean consumers, creators, students, teachers, small business owners and professionals in enterprises. A small business owner, a local shop owner or someone working in a large organisation may all want to communicate ideas visually. The aim is to make high-quality creative tools accessible to all of them.If that is the objective, the next step is to meet users where they already are. Today, many people search, create and interact with tools through platforms such as ChatGPT. Through the partnership with OpenAI, users can access Adobe Express within that environment. Instead of going to the Express website or app, they can generate things like a flyer or poster directly through ChatGPT, with Express powering the creation process.Another area of focus is artificial intelligence. Adobe Express uses AI powered by Firefly. One important aspect of Firefly is that it is designed to be safe for commercial use. The models are trained on licensed Adobe Stock images and other content where creators have been compensated. The idea is to allow individuals and businesses to use the tools with greater clarity around intellectual property while also recognising the work of creators whose content contributes to the system.The Airtel partnership follows a similar principle of meeting users where they already are. Airtel has a large subscriber base in India, and the collaboration allows those users to access Adobe Express Premium for one year. The intention is to make a premium creative product available to a much wider audience and allow more people to explore what they can create with it.Have you noticed any early results from users since the launch? How are people using it, and do you have any data you can share?One visible indicator is the amount of conversation and activity on social media following the announcement, which reflects the level of interest around the offering. We do not share specific numbers publicly, but we are encouraged by the feedback we are receiving from users.What stands out is how people are using the product to quickly turn their ideas into designs. Seeing users create and express their ideas within a short span of time is a positive signal for us.Adobe Express has localised the platform by including Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and more, clearly focusing on regionalisation. How important is regional language support in driving adoption? Regional language support is very important, particularly in a country like India. It is one of the most vibrant and diverse creative economies in the world. Language, region and cultural identity are a significant part of how people express themselves.When we say everyone has an idea to express, that also includes expressing it in the language they are most comfortable with. That is why we have localised the product, including the user interface and templates, across multiple Indian languages.The idea is to meet people where they are and allow them to create and communicate in the language that reflects their identity and everyday communication.Globally, Express is used by students, creators, SMBs and marketers. In India, do you think future growth will come more from regional creators and businesses or from metro-based users?It is likely to come from both. India has a strong presence of English-speaking users in large metropolitan areas, but it is also a multilingual market where people create and communicate in several languages.Because of this diversity, the opportunity is not limited to one segment. Users in metros who are comfortable creating in English are an important part of the ecosystem. At the same time, creators and businesses in regional markets are also significant contributors.The approach is to support both. People should be able to create in English if they prefer, or in languages such as Hindi or Tamil, with more languages added over time. The idea is to ensure the product can serve a wide range of users across the country.With Adobe Express integrated into ChatGPT, you’re meeting users inside a conversational interface rather than asking them to open a design app. Do you believe conversational AI fundamentally changes how people create?Conversational AI gives users more control and choice in how they create. The idea is to meet people where they are and allow them to use the tools in the way that suits them best.Some users still prefer working with templates, so offering strong templates remains important. Others may want AI to generate designs for them. That option is also available. Adobe Express recently introduced an AI assistant, which is currently in beta, to support this kind of workflow.There are also users who prefer working directly within the native app on platforms such as Android because it gives them more control over the design process. Others may want a mix of approaches, using templates for some tasks and AI for others. Some people may even choose to create through large language models such as ChatGPT.The focus is on providing different ways to create. Users should be able to create what they want, collaborate with others and do it from wherever they prefer. The intention is to give them the flexibility to choose the workflow that works best for them.Are there behaviours or use cases unique to Indian users that have influenced how Adobe Express is positioned or evolved here, in terms of product development and go-to-market strategy?Every market has its own characteristics. There are some common needs everywhere because people want to express ideas and communicate visually. At the same time, certain behaviours in India influence how the product evolves.One example is the conversational nature of communication in India. Many people regularly share messages with friends and family, including daily greetings. This has influenced the availability of templates that can be easily created and shared on platforms such as WhatsApp.Another factor is the country’s cultural diversity and the large number of festivals and occasions celebrated throughout the year. Beyond widely known festivals such as Holi and Diwali, there are many regional celebrations and cultural events. Creating templates and content that reflect these occasions has been an important part of making the product relevant for Indian users.Video is another significant use case. India has a large and relatively young population, and many users actively create and share content online. As a result, video creation features have also become an important part of how people use the platform.There is also a strong interest in trying new technologies. With a young and digitally active population, adoption of emerging tools such as AI is expected to grow quickly. These factors together influence how the product is developed and positioned for the Indian market.Adobe has global partnerships spanning the NFL and the Premier League. How have these partnerships helped you expand visibility? What worked and didn't? In a cricket-dominated market like India, particularly around tentpole moments like the IPL and ICC tournaments, are you actively exploring sports partnerships here?Sports is largely about fandom. People follow a sport because they are fans of the game, the teams or the players. Partnerships with sports leagues help connect with those communities of fans.In collaborations with properties such as the NFL and the English Premier League, the focus has been on giving fans tools to express their support for their teams and players. For example, templates and creative assets related to teams or sporting moments allow fans to create and share content that reflects their interest in the sport.The broader idea is to be present at the intersection of fan communities and the platforms where they express their enthusiasm. Tools like Adobe Express can enable fans to create content around their favourite teams, players or matches and share that within their networks.I understand that Adobe has not partnered with Indian sports properties yet. With the World Cup ongoing and the IPL coming up soon, are you exploring sports partnerships in India?We are always open to exploring interesting partnerships. The focus is on identifying collaborations that make sense for our users and align with how they engage with the product. Broadly, we continue to look at new partnership opportunities over time.As AI makes design more accessible and reduces technical barriers, do you think we’re heading toward a commoditisation of creativity tools? How will brands in this category sustain long-term differentiation?AI should be seen as an enabler rather than the end goal. What ultimately matters is the outcome people want to achieve. For example, a small business owner using a tool like Express is not just looking to create a design. The goal is often to grow the business by attracting more customers and increasing revenue.The role of the tool is to make it easier for them to stand out. This could mean offering templates or AI features that help create visuals aligned with their brand, such as designs that follow their colours and brand guidelines. It also involves helping them distribute that content across platforms like Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp without having to recreate the same design for each channel.Another important element is speed. Many users, whether small business owners or students working on side projects, want to create something quickly and present their ideas effectively. AI can help them move faster and produce results that look polished.There is also the question of how AI systems are built. For businesses in particular, issues such as intellectual property and commercial safety become important. If AI tools are trained on properly licensed content, it reduces potential legal risks and provides greater clarity for organisations using those tools.In that sense, AI is one part of the broader value proposition. The responsibility also lies with businesses and users to make thoughtful choices about the tools they adopt and how those tools support their long-term goals.What will be your next investment priorities in India?The broader aspiration is to enable more people in India to express themselves creatively. India has a strong cultural and artistic sensibility, which can be seen in regional art forms, festivals and everyday expressions of design and aesthetics.There is also significant diversity across the country. As you move across regions, the culture, language, clothing, food and traditions change. That diversity influences how people express themselves creatively.The focus going forward is to make it easier for people to translate those ideas and cultural influences into designs quickly through tools such as Adobe Express. From an investment perspective, this means continuing to develop the product and expand go-to-market efforts to better serve users across the country.
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