Archive · 18 Aug 2026
IKEA Chrome Plates Spark Indian Steel Thali Reaction Online
A woman from the United States shared a video on the internet about shiny plates she bought at a store called IKEA.
She was very happy with them and said they cost about 764 rupees.
People from India saw the video and started laughing because the plates look just like the metal plates they use at home, called 'thalis'.
Some people said in Hindi that it is just a steel thali, which is very common in India.
This made many people talk about how Indian things are given new fancy names in other countries.
For example, a dupatta was once called a 'Scandinavian scarf' and Kolhapuri chappals were called 'leather sandals'.
Jhumkas became 'statement earrings', bandhani became 'tie-dye', and mehendi became 'henna body art'.
Some people think this is unfair because Indian culture is not given credit.
Others think it is just how products are sold in different markets.
The whole story shows how the same simple plate can be seen very differently in different parts of the world.
An American woman praised IKEA's 'Chrome plates', which retail for Rs 764, in a viral post.
Indian social media users pointed out that the plates resemble the traditional Indian steel 'thali'.
One commenter remarked in Hindi that the item is just a 'steel thali'.
The video has reignited debate about the 'whitewashing' of Indian cultural items in Western markets.
Other Indian items previously rebranded in the West include the dupatta, Kolhapuri chappals, jhumkas, bandhani, and mehendi.
- Who
- An American woman who posted about IKEA's chrome plates and Indian social media users who responded
- What
- A viral reaction in which Indians identified IKEA's 'Chrome plates' as traditional Indian steel thalis
- When
- Recently, based on the viral social media post
- Where
- IKEA store, viewed through social media
- Why
- Because users saw the plates as another example of Indian cultural items being rebranded in Western markets
Cultural Whitewashing Concern
Market Rebranding Perspective
Origin of the product
Cultural Whitewashing Concern
The chrome plates are just Indian steel thalis sold under a new Western name without credit to their Indian origin, continuing a pattern of 'whitewashing' Indian culture.
Market Rebranding Perspective
The plates are IKEA products marketed for a global audience, and similarities to Indian thalis may just reflect shared design appeal rather than deliberate appropriation.
Rebranding of Indian items
Cultural Whitewashing Concern
Renaming Indian items like dupattas, jhumkas, and mehendi erases their cultural identity and history.
Market Rebranding Perspective
Rebranding is a normal part of global commerce, helping products reach new customers in different markets.
- Product
- IKEA 'Chrome plates'
- Price
- Rs 764
- Comparable Indian item
- Steel thali
- Indian remark
- "Steel ki thali hai wo" (It is a steel thali)
- Other rebranded Indian items
- Dupatta (as 'Scandinavian scarf'), Kolhapuri chappals (as 'leather sandals'), jhumkas (as 'statement earrings'), bandhani (as 'tie-dye'), mehendi (as 'henna body art')
- Wider trend cited
- 'Whitewashing' of Indian items in Western markets