Hyderabad, Jan. 23 -- For decades, Numaish has been a space of nostalgia, a place where mirchi bhajiyas can be found at every corner, chaat stalls draw long queues, and shopping means wandering through endless lanes of bedsheets, juttis, Chikankari clothes and more. Moreover, the voices of Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and others formed the background music for an authentic Numaish experience. The vibe at this 85-year-old All India Industrial Exhibition has always been very 1980s and 1990s.

But walk through the exhibition grounds today, and it is clear that the new generation is reshaping the experience. Gen Z may not be rewriting Numaish entirely, but they are subtly changing what it looks like, tastes like and feels like.

From chaat...