When traditional dress is the right choice
Traditional dress — a sherwani, bandhgala, or kurta-churidar combination — is the right choice when the occasion itself is rooted in Indian tradition and when dressing in that tradition is a sign of respect and participation. A Hindu religious ceremony, a traditional South Indian wedding, Eid prayer, Diwali with family — these are occasions where traditional dress connects the wearer to the meaning of the occasion rather than standing apart from it.
Traditional dress is also the right choice when it is expected — when the invitation or the host's context makes clear that Indian formal dress is the appropriate choice, or when a wedding's visual aesthetic is sufficiently traditional that Western or Indo-Western elements would look jarring in the photographs.
When Indo-Western is the right choice
Indo-Western dress is the right choice when the occasion sits at the intersection of Indian and Western contexts — when the event has elements of both traditions and a single-tradition dress code would be incomplete. An international business event in India where Indian identity matters but Western professional norms also apply. A wedding that combines Indian ceremony with a Western reception. A professional event where Indian cultural context is important but Western business dress is the default.
Indo-Western is also the right personal choice for clients who are more comfortable in Western clothing structures — who find the full traditional outfit (kurta, churidar, jutti, dupatta) unfamiliar and restrictive — but who want to dress in a way that reflects their Indian identity. A Nehru jacket over a shirt and trousers, done well, does this effectively without requiring the wearer to navigate an entirely unfamiliar dress tradition.