The Pune Design Festival (PDF) has long been a beacon for design enthusiasts, professionals, and students alike, offering a platform to showcase creativity, innovation, and design excellence. The 19th edition of the festival, held on February 28 and March 1, 2025, was no exception. Under the guiding theme “Mind The World,” the festival emphasized the role of design in addressing global challenges and fostering sustainable solutions.
As a faculty member of the Institute of Design at Nirma University, I had the privilege of attending this esteemed event alongside 20 of our talented students. Our participation not only provided invaluable exposure to contemporary design discourse but also culminated in remarkable achievements that have brought honor to our institution.
OVERVIEW OF PUNE DESIGN FESTIVAL 2025
Organized by the Association of Designers of India (ADI), the Pune Design Festival is recognized as one of India’s premier design events. Each year, it brings together a diverse community of designers, educators, industry leaders, and students to engage in dialogues, workshops, and exhibitions that celebrate and interrogate the multifaceted world of design.
The 2025 edition, themed “Mind The World,” focused on the intersection of design and global consciousness. Discussions revolved around how design can contribute to sustainable development, ethical practices, and innovative solutions to pressing global issues. The festival featured a series of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and interactive sessions led by renowned figures in the design community.
SPEAKERS
The Pune Design Festival 2025, held on February 28 and March 1, featured a diverse lineup of speakers who shared their insights on various facets of design:
Suresh Venkat: As the festival’s anchor, he set the tone with his engaging welcome address.
Bhargav Mistry: A design practitioner, pedagogist, and musician, he captivated the audience with a musical performance that blended design and art.
Dick Powell: Co-founder of Seymourpowell Ltd, he delivered a keynote on “Optimistic Futurism,” emphasizing the role of design in shaping a better future.
Ajay Saran Sharma: Senior Vice President of Design at Mahindra & Mahindra, he discussed the company’s bold new electric vision, highlighting design’s role in sustainable mobility.
Manoj Kothari, Uday Dandavate, Navdeep Kaur, and Shipra Bhutada: This panel delved into “Design Research from Insights to Impact,” exploring how research drives transformative design solutions.
Ashwin Chikerur, Parag Natekar, and Nikhil More: They led a session on “Shaping a World with Purpose and Impact,” focusing on design’s potential to drive positive change.
Omkar Pandharkame: In his workshop on “Cognitive AI & Emotional Intelligence in Experience Design,” he explored integrating AI with human-centric design.
Dr. Shruti Shah: Her “Mind the Finance” workshop provided designers with financial management strategies to enhance their business acumen.
Faezeh Jalali and Suresh Venkat: They co-conducted a workshop titled “How to Speak, Present and Pitch like a Pro!”, equipping participants with effective communication skills.
Navdeep Kaur: In her workshop “Seeing Through Touch: Crafting Colour with Sensory Intelligence,” she examined the interplay between tactile perception and color in design.
Binaifer Dulani: A founding partner at Talented, she discussed “Beyond the Cringe: The Power of Deeply Personal Ideas,” emphasizing authenticity in creative work.
Alok Gadkar: CEO and CCO of Tuesday, he presented “Looking Sideways,” encouraging unconventional perspectives in design.
Vaibhav Kumaresh: Founder and Creative Director of Vaibhav Studios, Mumbai, he shared his journey in “Animating my world with stories that matter,” highlighting storytelling’s significance in animation.
These sessions collectively underscored the festival’s theme, “Mind the World,” reflecting on design’s capacity to influence a sustainable and connected future.
PARTICIPATION OF NIRMA UNIVERSITY
Our delegation from the Institute of Design, Nirma University, comprised 20 students from various design disciplines, reflecting the institute’s commitment to providing students with platforms to engage with the broader design community. The students actively participated in various sessions, workshops, and networking events, gaining insights into emerging trends and practices in design.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE BATTLE OF PROJECTS, 2025
A highlight of our participation was the “Battle of Projects 2025,” organized as a part of the 19th edition of the Pune Design Festival (PDF) hosted by the Association of Designers of India (ADI). The competition attracted around 650 participants across eleven categories. This competition allowed students to present their projects to a panel of esteemed judges, receiving feedback and recognition for their work. The students of the Institute of Design, Nirma University won across 7 different categories. Our students’ exceptional performance is detailed below:
1. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Product and Interaction Design Programme bagged the 2nd Runner-up position for the project ‘NuVia’ in the Lifestyle Design category
Students: Moulashree Bhavsar, Ronak Sutariya, Sumukh Kulkarni
2. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Product and Interaction Design Programme bagged the 1st Runner-up position for the project ‘Chikkit’ in the Packaging Design category
Students: Ronak Sutariya, Reet Kukreja
3. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Communication Design Programme bagged the 2nd Runner-up position for the project ‘TailsTale’ in the User Interface Design category.
Students: Khushi Makin, Krisha Koradia, Aashi Shah
4. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The student of the Product and Interaction Design Programme was the winner for the project ‘Floppy’ in the Packaging Design category
Student: Ayushmaan Singh Jodha
5. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Communication Design Programme were the winners for the project ‘The City Under A Banyan Tree’ in the Film and Animation Design category
Students: Soumyanshu Ghosh, Arunoday Thakur
6. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Communication Design Programme bagged the 2nd Runner-up position for the project ‘Tire Tire Narmada’ in the Film and Animation Design category
Students: Arunoday Thakur, Soumyanshu Ghosh
7. Battle of Projects, 2025
Award/Achievement: The students of the Communication Design Programme were the winners for the project ‘Tire Tire Narmada’ in the Sustainability Design category Students: Arunoday Thakur, Soumyanshu Ghosh.
Participation in the Pune Design Festival was a great learning experience. We got to see the world of design from both local and global perspectives. It has helped set the bar higher for the students and me as an educator. We have all come back enriched with a deeper understanding of the design community and the work happening across various design disciplines, both nationally and internationally.
Author Prof Kanupriya Taneja