New Delhi, July 2024.

Mahindra University has announced the launch of School of Design Innovation in Hyderabad today. The School of Design Innovation has a partnership with the Pininfarina Design Academy, Torino, Italy and Shenoy Innovation Studio IDC IITB and will provide students with an opportunity to be mentored by some of the best design brains from India and across the world. The first academic session will commence on 15th August 2024 with a Bachelors Program in Design.

Uniquely structured, the curriculum will provide students with a combination of design fundamentals, including sketching, engineering labs, prototyping, and digital tools followed by specialisation in any of the three disciplines- Industrial Design, Communication design and Experience design while leveraging and integrated curriculum and focus on cutting-edge technologies like AR, VR, and AI among others. The course will culminate with a Capstone Project that is aimed at solving real-world challenges in the industry and this will be the basis for the student’s specialization.

Dr. Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor of Mahindra University stated, "As India moves in the next phase of technological growth towards achieving its goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat we are seeing an exponential growth in adoption of new technologies requiring new skill sets and competencies. The launch of the School of Design marks a significant milestone in Mahindra University's journey towards excellence and innovation in education. We believe that design is not just about aesthetics but about creating solutions that address real-world challenges. Through our rigorous curriculum and state-of-the-art facilities, we want to make our students ready for the future of jobs."

All students after their 10+2 across all streams with a passion for design and sketching are eligible to apply along with their portfolio of work and selected candidates will be called for an interview. The School will provide a 25% Chancellor's Scholarship, amounting to INR 1 lakh every year to the first batch.

According to Prof. B. K. Chakravarthy, Founding Dean, School of Design Innovation, Mahindra University, "The core objective of design innovation is an effective problem-solving method that blends creativity with strategic acumen and it guides students to ideate and develop their concepts into innovative products and services. A friendly user interface, for any software is as important as the technology behind it and the convenience to use makes it more market friendly. Through hands-on experiences, field visits, and cross-cultural design boot camps, we aim to instil in our students the skills and mindset needed to tackle complex challenges. Our aim is to not stop at the design concept or prototype stage but to leverage our deep industry synergies to take it to the market in line with our idea of Turning your Passion into your Profession.”

The curriculum at the Mahindra University School of Design Innovation will be guided by Prof. Chakravarthy’s, who conceptualised the Chakku’s 7Cs, the Seven Concerns of Design Thinking for Innovation across all student projects. This includes The Cause, The Context, The Comprehension, The Check, The Conception, The Craft, and The Connection.