Pune, the global design hub!

Run PDF Run! The team at the Pune Design Foundation had been just continuously working all night through, prior to the inauguration day. And look at the wonderful way their efforts paid off!




The entrance welcomed everybody with the Pune Design Festival banners and on display was a car designed by Dilip Chhabria, which had everyone drooling for more...
The foyer area was converted into a design hub of sorts, with design firms of the Pune Design Foundation showcasing their works; a lounge area created especially for interaction with the designers; student competition displays put up and more...

The festival began with Sushil Jiwarajka, Chairman, FICCI-WRC introducing the theme, while Satish Gokhale, Chairman, Pune Design Foundation invited Shrikant Nivasarkar, Mentor, Pune Design Foundation to officially inaugurate the Pune Design Foundation and the festival. The lighting of the lamp by all present on the dais marked declared the festival open. Mr. Nivarsarkar stressed on the design community to thus work together for a common goal.

The talks also emphasised that with 30 of the best design studios of India, 2 new colleges of design and most of the manufacturers setting up base in Pune, this city definitely is all set to be the design hub for the country and the world!

"Design is going to be a predominant feature as to why a person is going to buy a brand!"....Dilip Chhabria.

The Keynote address by Dilip Chhabria,Director, DC Design touched upon the salient features of the automobile industry in India. He made some crucial points noting the fact that design today has been an effective tool for companies to launch their products and for customers to distinguish between products and make their preference. He also mentioned that designers have come a long way in being one of the key people who directly report to the chairmen of the companies, and being responsible for giving advice at the management level. "In the times when aspiration commands the entire consumer behaviour value addition can come from design alone," said Chhabria.

Mr. Atul Kirloskar, Chairman and Managing Director, Kirloskar Oil & Engines, in his inaugural address, made an observation that earlier on when there was no product design per se, a product was distinguished on many factors, namely: it's performance, distribution through the country, quality and availability and the deliverables by the company. Today, design has managed taking care of all of this under the umbrella of design aesthetics.

More on the day in the next post. Stay tuned.