Anil Kakodkar, President National Academy of Sciences, has called upon the educational institutes to create an ecosystem where students can think of best collaborative designing which are key for products.
Addressing the two-day ‘Industrial Design Conclave’ at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) here on Thursday he said: “Designing has too many dimensions. A designer needs to be trained in taking all these aspects into consideration and his capability lies in making the right choice. Constructive engagement of technology, society and humans is a requirement.”
Solutions for MSMEs
“Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the largest exporters in India and they have several problems like capital investment and technology upgradation. They do not know whom to approach to address their problems,” Dr. Kakodkar, who is also Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, said.
“We sent students from ordinary engineering college to six MSMEs to address such issues and they were successful,” he added.
Students from third year engineering should be sent to these industries to identify their problems and prepare a project report in the fourth year where they develop a solution, Dr Kakodkar suggested. “Let them be given a grant of ₹ 1 lakh on the condition that they should solve the problem of the particular industry they visit,” he said.
Referring to the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) -2035 report, Dr. Kakodkar said that the report envisaged how the lifestyle of Indians would be then like access to public transport system. Design is key for the success of products like Tesla and iPhone, Director IITH U. B. Desai said. There is a proposal to introduce design as a minor subject, he added.
Global standards
We should have sustainable designing with global standards and there is a need to create design and research hubs, Amita Sharma, visiting professor at IIT Bombay, said. She also stressed the need for designing as a course and collaboration of academics, industry and government. The Industrial Design Conclave was organised on the occasion of World Industrial Design Day in association with CII, Kirby, Altair and K&S.
