Creative Leadership

PDS is not just an institute
It is an experiment, an IDEA.

PDS is guided by a visionary leadership team, composed of industry veterans and design luminaries. Their combined expertise and passion for design education cultivate a dynamic learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit in our students.

LEADING THE CHARGE

Kushal Jadhav
Dean, Pune Design School Associate Professor

In the dynamic realm of Indian design education, we stay ahead by adapting to technological advancements and challenges. Our commitment is to foster innovation and re- flective thinking, preparing designers for the evolving design world. At Pune Design School, we drive change and create culture. Join us in shaping the future of design

Uttam Hasabnis
Associate Director, Pune Design School Associate Professor, Head - VCD

In the dynamic realm of Indian design education, we stay ahead by adapting to technological advancements and challenges. Our commitment is to foster innovation and re- flective thinking, preparing designers for the evolving design world. At Pune Design School, we drive change and create culture. Join us in shaping the future of design

Mentorship by
Industry Experts

Ever wondered how the top players in the industry got there? Get insider access & match with industry titans who will become your personal guides, demystifying their journeys and sharing their hard-won wisdom. This is your chance to crack the code and navigate your own path to success, all with the support of industry masters.

Dr. Sukanta Majumdar

Assistant Professor, Department of Design School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

Majumdar is a Product Designer and Architect. He has worked across sustainable mobility services, traditional crafts and tribal settlements and livelihood pattern with Systemic and Service design concepts. Simultaneously he has worked for the design and development of laboratory and healthcare products. Sukanta puts emphasis on synthesis of product function, usability and architectural aspects for human-product interaction leading to user experience. He has an interest to work on Systemic and Service design concepts as a part of techno-social systems keeping an eye on complexity of consumption and Sustainable scenario. Many of his works refer social science, psychology and behavioural economics-based theories. PhD in Sustainability & Product-Service Systems (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee) M.Des in Product Design & Engineering (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) B.Arch (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee)

Dr. D Uday Kumar

Professor, Department of Design IIT Guwahati

Uday Kumar Dharmalingam is an Indian academic and designer noted for his design of the Indian rupee sign ( ). His design was selected from among five short listed symbols. Kumar attended La Chatelaine Junior College in Chennai. He obtained a bachelor's degree in architecture (B.Arch) from the School of Architecture and Planning (SAP) at Anna University, Chennai in 2001. Subsequently he received his master's degree, an MDes in Visual Communication, from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) of IIT Bombay in 2003. He also did his doctoral studies at the IDC, receiving his PhD in 2010. His areas of interest include graphic design, typography, type design and design research with special focus on Tamil typography (the subject of his doctoral research). He has also designed a Tamil font named "Parashakti" as a mini project at the IDC, under the guidance of Prof. G. V. Sreekumar, who is one of the few font experts in the country. During his M.Des. project he wrote and designed a book on Tamil typography, which is the first attempt at bringing such a subject to a Tamil audience. In this book, Kumar also created new Tamil terminology for many typographic terms where English words were used. Kumar also provided guidance for the designing of the official mascot for the 49th Inter IIT Sports Meet. Kumar conceptualised the design for Rupee symbol for Indian currency. The symbol is created using the Devana- gari letter 'Ra' and Roman capital letter 'R'. The letters are derived from the word Rupiah in Hindi and Rupees in English, so the symbol is meaningful to both Indians and international users. The symbol also uses the Shiro Rekha, the horizontal top line which is unique to Indian Devanagari script. The two horizontal lines form an "equals" sign, which also evokes the tri-color Indian flag. Ambika Soni approved the new rupee symbol on 15 July 2010. Udaya Kumar was awarded prize money of ₹250,000 for his efforts

Prasad Muddam

Founder, CEO and Chief Industrial Designer Heamac Healthcare Pvt Ltd.

Heamac is a medtech startup that originated from the esteemed Centre for Healthcare Entreprenership at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. The focus revolves around crafting therapeutic and diagnostic devices tailored to meet the worldwide requirements within the Neonatal and Maternal domain. Current project involves the creation of an intelligent neonatal phototherapy device, aimed at effectively treating jaundiced neonates.

Patents

Neonatal phototherapy device, 2023.
Phototherapy system, apparatus and kit, 2023.
An automated system and non-invasive method for assistive
neonatal diagnostic monitoring, 2020. Portable folding infant radiant warmer, 2021.
Phototherapy system, apparatus, and kit, 2019

Dr. Hemalata Jain

Designer, Curator, Revivalist Colourist, Educator

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry Activities and societies: revival and sustenance of craft Revived the languished craft Patteda Anchu

Book Published: Techniques of dyeing and printing and authored and published by Ane books New Delhi

Research Articles

Dyeing of Cotton fabricks with extracts of jamun tree and its by-products using natural mordants, Colourage, October 2013
Development of different woven designs for furnishing fabrics on handloom and status of the product in market,
Man - made Textiles in India, in October2011
Effect of Specially Finishes on Handloom Woven Furnishing Fabrics with Different Fiber Contents,
Man - made Textiles in India, in January 2010

Uday Parkar

Founder and Chief Creative Officer Parking Co., Munbai.

Gold medallist from Sir JJ School of Art. More than 25 years in advertising. Won more than 125 Global and National awards. Guest mentor at the leading Art, Advertising and Architecture Institutes in India for the last 10 years. Currently heading his own creative hot shops called Breathing Space, Koba Space Designers & Parking. Hosting creative seminars & workshops by the name of A Day With U'day to groom creative brains. Brands under his Supervision are Essel Group, ZEE Entertainment, Viacom 18, Network 18, Reliance Group, Times of India, Bombay Times, Bisleri, Edelweiss, RedBrick Co-working Offices, Coverfox Insurance, Kama Sutra, Water Kingdom, Hit, Westside, HDFC Mutual Funds, Playwin Max Lotto, Atmosphere, Sanctuary Magazine, Welspun, Kaya Skin Clinic, Parachute Jasmine, Parachute Rose and Hair & Care from the Marico. Gulf, Tata Indicom, Pears, Babool, Stayfree, ICICI Bank, Cox and Kings, Godrej, Bombay Store, Lawrence & Mayo, Reebok, Omved Natu- rals, Essel World, Water Kingdom, Tea Villa Cafe etc. to name a few. Loves composing poetry, painting and trekking, reading history.
He believes in work that works, work that wins!

Priyadarshini Rao

Fashion Designer and Founder Priyadarshini Rao PNR Clothing Mumbai.

Priyadarshini Rao is an established designer whose label is sold out of India's most premium boutiques, since 1996. Her work is best defined as luxury pret and she believes her customer to be someone who seeks an elegant and evolved clothing solution rather than a follower of fads. Priyadarshini's clothes are rich in naturally occurring colour palettes, and in natural fabrics like cotton, silk and linen. She has been the preferred choice of designer for many A listers from business, independent professionals and movie stars. She has been represented in India's fashion weeks and also exhibited her collection at the Singapore Fashion Week, in Moscow and Hong Kong. Her label sells out of India, Spain, Japan and the UAE. She has been the Design Head for Shopper's Stop 2001-02, and a consultant to Globus Department Stores for its Indian wear.
She has a Diploma in Fashion Design (SNDT University), a Diploma in Textile Design (Sophia Polytechnic) and has completed a Corset and Jacket Making Course at London College of Fashion Studies, UK

Dr. Prafulla Wadaskar

Founder of VADACTRO Technologies India Pvt Ltd. CTO - Innovation & Technology Advancement Goal

He has extensively worked on developing loT solutions, innovating connected lighting solutions and technologies that includes DALI and WiFi Lighting and SL-BUS technology. He has a strong passion and contribution towards open source community & IoT Education. As a part of this activity he is acting as a custodian for u-boot project for Marvell SoCs. In addition, Mr. Wadaskar has been elected as a chairman for Indian society of lighting engineers, Pune Local Center in 2019.
He has been co-opted on the Bureau of Indian Standards Sub-Committee on LED Lamps and Controlgear, as well he is also co-opted on the Board of Studies of Electronics and Computer Streams of several Universities and Institutions. He is life member of SPEED (Society for Promotion of Excellence in Electronics Discipline). He is very keen on social and regional development through his expertise. Setting up Embedded Electronics Technology Centres in the colleges and Universities, Mentoring Start-ups and Students, Carrying out Technical Seminars in Educational Institutes are part of his personal life

Nikhil Kulkarni

Designer, Co-founder Imagenie Art Hub - Gandhinagar, Vijigisha - Sawantwadi, Kankavali, Pune. AADIM, Life Style Products

'Organization is design' and I firmly believe in this. While colours are the lead performers, forms are to built and words are to reflect the story in my work. Paper craft is my hobby. Illustration is my passion. Theatre always pampers me. I am obsessed with seeing, observing, making and believing in the films. These various forms of art give me the platform to experiment with new ideas and help me to evolve into a better creative person. Tree Design, New Delhi - Design Head Handling Accounts - PVR CINEMAS, TATA TEA, HONDA, HORLICKS, Little Millennium School, Organic India, HP India. Viridian, World Trade Cen fic, Varun Bahl - Fashion Designer, Delhi Art Gallery, Dastakar Ranthambore, Danette Oddinery Marketing, Mumbai Handling Accounts - Kellogg's, Pringles India, Burger King India, Pure IT, Flipkart Supermart, Aditya Birla Group, Star Plus Marathi, Hershey's, Abbot, Merico, Kwality Walls

Nilesh Bajaj

CEO, Vayve Mobility Pvt. Ltd

Nilesh is an entrepreneur working on electric urban mobility solutions. He has experience with electrical and electronics design & manufacturing industry. He is skilled in digital design, algorithms, control systems and loT systems. He loves complex systems level problems and finding elegant solutions using interdisciplinary engineering and management skills. Nilesh is a electronics systems engineer evolved as manager. He specializes in embedded design, HDL coding for FPGA and optical networks, his managerial skills include- team management, supplier sourcing, negotiation and product lifecycle management. Nilesh enjoys driving, reading books and playing chess

Kedar Naik

Product Designer Founder, The Turtle Story, Mumbai.

Kedar is a design thinker with a heart of an artist and the head of a strategist. With over two decades of diverse corporate experience, he has established himself as a renowned multi-disciplinary business consultant, specializing in design and branding. A Design alumnus from NID and JJ School of Arts, Kedar brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his work. His work is driven by research, insights, and real-world experiences, ensuring that his designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also effective in solving complex problems. Kedar's leadership positions at Pepperfry, VIP Industries Ltd., and Hometown have given him a keen understand- ing of business operations and growth. This, combined with his artistic background, allows him to integrate creative thinking with innovative business strategies. As the founder and director of the multi-disciplinary design studio 'The Turtle Story,' Kedar specializes in branding, packaging and space design. He also serves as the Head of Branding at Powerweave Studio. His true personality is reflected in his work, which can be viewed on his website at www.theturtlestory.com

Vijay Khuspe

Entrepreneur - SnartLeaven Technologies Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

Accomplished Business Leader with a proven track record in leading Product, Embedded, and Software Engineering organizations. Over 23 years of experience in driving successful end-to-end product development, from Industrial Design, Hardware, Firmware and Software, using agile methodologies. Demonstrated expertise in Automotive, Payment Gateway, Defense, loT, and Semiconductor industries. Spearheaded and led multiple cross-functional teams, successfully delivering 50+ technology products from concept to production, resulting in cumulative revenue of over USD 500 million. Pioneered the establishment of 4+ Offshore Development Centers, recruiting and mentoring 300+ engineering professionals to achieve exceptional delivery excellence for global clients. Successfully represented the company in legal matters, including a significant case in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), resulting in a favorable outcome for the organization. Filed 4 patents so far and innovated 10+ new processes / methods in various domains

Abhijit Bhoge

Director, Advance Design and Product Development at Studio34

Automotive Design, CAD & CAS Translations, Product Design, Prototyping (1:1), Graphic Design, Clay Modelling, Industrial Design, Design Thinking, Accessories Design, and User Research

Wide Range of ProjectsThe client projects vary in their scope of work. The work ranges from designing and developing ACCESSORIES for the market. CUSTOM PARTS for special models, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR parts for production, DESIGN PROTOTYPES for evaluation, ONE OFF PARTS for presentations, SCALED MODELS for reviews, DESIGNER PRODUCTS for sale, PRODUCT PACKAGING for that 1st impression, USER INTERFACES and much more. Each project comes with its own set of unique challenges and targets. Meeting these objectives always gives us a sense of satisfaction like nothing else. Wide range of projects that keep us sailin