The 25th CII Global Design Summit and Exposition 2025, held in Bengaluru on 26-27 November, brings together an extraordinary assembly of design leaders who have fundamentally shaped how India approaches design, engineering, and innovation.
The summit brings together educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs who are collectively reshaping design education and practice in India, emphasising sustainability, technology integration, and human-centred approaches.
Leaders in Design Education
Professor Dhiraj Kumar, Director of Academics at UID Karnavati University and former Director of the National Institute of Design, Madhya Pradesh, is an expert in design education with extensive experience in design policy framework, product design, design research, and design management. Over 25 years, he has successfully established and led five design institutions and departments, taking them from inception to national recognition.
Dr Arindam Das, Director of Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology, MAHE Bengaluru Campus, has served as Campus Director at multiple NIFT campuses including Delhi (2013-2014), Gandhinagar (2014-2020), Bhopal (additional charge, 2018-19), and Shillong (2020-2023). He is a graduate of the first cohort (1988-90) of Apparel Merchandising & Marketing from NIFT Delhi and has presented papers at leading institutions globally including Nottingham Trent University (UK), Dong Hua University (Shanghai), and Melbourne Institute of Textiles.
Ms Archana Surana, Founder & Director of ARCH College of Design & Business in Jaipur, has pioneered specialised undergraduate and postgraduate design programs with international and national certifications. A Vital Voices Lead Fellow and U.S. State Department alumna, she served as Vice President of the CUMULUS Executive Board (2022-25) and has been re-elected as a Board Member for 2025-28. She is also Founder & Chairperson of Women Mentors Forum, impacting more than 1,500 women entrepreneurs and professionals.
Mr Bhaskar Bhatt, Dean of UPES School of Design, has been at the forefront of shaping design education and practice in India for over two decades. An alumnus of NID Ahmedabad and IIM Lucknow, he has influenced design policy and practice at a national scale through committee service, advisory roles for government initiatives, and evaluation of excellence as a jury member for India’s Best Design Awards and the CII National Design Awards.
Ms Srishti Bajaj, Director of the Presidency School of Design, is an accomplished design educator with over 22 years of experience. An alumna of the Royal College of Art, London, and NIFT Delhi, she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Anant National University. Her expertise lies at the intersection of design thinking, product innovation, and sustainability, with research interests including speculative design and design management.
Professor Shalini Gupta, Associate Dean of Academic Innovation and Development at Pearl Academy, brings 23 years of experience including work in designing and styling for magazines, television, and celebrities. She co-founded ‘What’s Pink,’ a fashion accessories label that achieved immense success in India, Europe, and the Middle East from 2000 to 2015. Her research focuses on visual literacy and its intersection with the fashion image, and she received the Best Research on Sustainability at The Global Fashion Conference 2021.
Mr Gopal Meena, VP Strategy Initiatives at Chitkara Design School, has over two decades of work experience and holds a Master’s degree from the National Institute of Design. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategic vision, curriculum innovation, industry collaboration, and international relations for the design school while also serving as Dean of the Department of UX/UI.
Dr Shweta Choudhary, Founder and Director of CODE Edu – Centre for Originality, Design & Expression, Jaipur, holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture (2004) and a Doctorate in Architecture. She is certified with both GRIHA and GEM Green Building Certification Councils and serves as an Executive Member of the ASSOCHAM Green Building Council. Under her leadership, CODE Edu has emerged as a forward-thinking EdTech and creative learning ecosystem for the Industry 5.0 era.
Ms Niraja Adloori, Assistant Professor and HOD at the School of Design, Presidency University, is an architect and educator with a strong focus on sustainability and green construction. She holds a Master’s degree in construction management from Texas A&M University and is both an IGBC Accredited Professional and LEED Green Associate. She is widely recognised as an SDG-aligned educator and strategist.
Design Entrepreneurs and Consultants
Mr Prasadd Bartakke, Co-founder and Chief of Design at YUJ Designs, has spent over 25 years shaping design into a disciplined practice connecting research, craft, and business outcomes. Under his leadership, YUJ has executed 3,000+ projects across 25 industries. An alumnus of IIT Bombay’s Industrial Design Centre, he leads founder-led learning programs covering Design Leadership (YUJ.DNA™), Research Systems, DesignOps, and Agentic Design Architecting.
Mr Samir Chabukswar, Founder and CEO of YUJ Designs, has worked at the intersection of design, business, and human factors for over three decades. He has guided YUJ’s evolution into a mature design consultancy partnering with 200+ clients across North America, Europe, and Asia. An alumnus of Clemson University with a Master’s in Human Factors Engineering, he now focuses on Agentic AI Design—developing principles for intelligent systems that are transparent, ethical, and human-centred.
Mr Saurabh Singh (Desmania), CEO and Co-Founder of Desmania Innovation Labs LLP, leads a team collaborating with major corporate houses, Fortune 500 companies, MNCs, and startups to develop cutting-edge products across EVs, consumer durables, FMCG, healthcare, and technology. He holds a Master of Design in Industrial and Product Design from IIT Delhi. His mantra: “DESIGN is the best STRATEGY but any STRATEGY is only as good as its EXECUTION.”
Mr Lawrence Chong, Group CEO of Consulus and Secretary General of the World Design Business Organisation, is on a mission to make economy of communion measurable through faith-based capital markets. A two-time TEDx speaker, he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2020 to serve on the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and is a 2024 King Hussein Global Business and Intercultural Peace Awardee. Consulus, founded in Singapore in 2004, operates in 23 nations across the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
Mr Dharmesh Mehta, Founder and CEO of LMNX Ventures, is a design generalist, serial entrepreneur, advisor to startups and corporate boards, and angel investor. His venture works at the intersection of design-led transformation, global social impact, and conscious entrepreneurship. He also heads Strategy, Growth, and Design at the BluOne group of companies and co-founded Earthr.org to crowdsource sustainability-related problems and solutions.
Mr Dhaval Joshi, Founder of SIMU LABS, helps brands and advertising agencies leverage Generative AI. He previously led the Innovation team at Tencent Games HQ in Shenzhen, China, focusing on developing IPs with interactive AI and XR technologies. His research has led to 12 granted US patents and 2 EU patents for his work in AI, AR, VR, and Mobility.
Sustainability and Climate Design Leaders
Dr Satish Mishra, Chief Sustainability Officer at Trident Group since July 2025, leads the company’s global sustainability vision, including ESG strategy, climate action, and circular economy initiatives. With over two decades of experience, his previous roles include positions at JSW Steel, Dalmia Bharat Group, and Vedanta Group. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and an MBA from IIM Sambalpur.
Ms Gayathri Kuppendra Reddy, Founder of NOW Venture Studio, leads a DeepTech and DeepScience venture studio and VC fund focused on Sustainability and ClimateTech. She also serves as Director at RGA Infra, which has developed over 10 million sq. ft. of office space. An active angel investor, she founded KReate Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving urban planning. Recognised among India’s top emerging women leaders, she was selected for Davos50 and the L’Oréal Women Climate Collective Cohort 2024, and attended COP29 as a youth delegate.
Real Estate and Spatial Design
Mr Raj Menda, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at RMZ, champions a hyper-growth strategy leveraging exponential technologies to disrupt traditional urban development practices. His leadership emphasises sustainability and strategic investments in emerging sectors, positioning RMZ at the forefront of industry innovation.
Mr Nalin Gagrani, Founding Director and CEO of Blue Pebble, brings over 28 years of leadership experience across aviation, consulting, telecom, retail, and FMCG sectors. Blue Pebble is an NSE-listed spatial branding and workplace experience firm where he leads strategic vision, innovation agenda, and long-term value creation.
Mr Sunjeet Gupta, Managing Director at .Next, Accenture Song in India, leads the Expert Advisory and Architecture group for Song. He is a Senior Technology Architect with core expertise in designing and implementing Digital, Corporate and Marketplace Portals, Enterprise & Web Content Management solutions, and customised web-based applications for large organisations.
The 25th CII Global Design Summit represents a watershed moment in India’s design journey, bringing together voices from industry, academia, and entrepreneurship under the theme “Celebrating 25 Years of Design for Good: Transforming India and the World.” With its focus on People, Planet, Purpose, and Profitability, the summit underscores how design thinking has evolved from an aesthetic consideration to a strategic imperative that shapes businesses, communities, and nations.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
