Deepak John Mathew has played a pivotal role in establishing the design department at IIT Hyderabad. He has designed and developed the dual postgraduate programme in Photography Design and has initiated an International Postgraduate Certificate Programme in Photography at the institute in collaboration with University for Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. Deepak has curated several exhibitions at National Institute of Design (NID), contributing to various NID publications over time. Having exhibited his work at many international and national exhibitions, he has authored several papers and written a book called “Principles of Design through Photography”. He is a renowned figure as a panel member, visiting faculty, lecturer, external evaluator, mentor and advisor to several universities and institutes all over the world.

Mikko is the Director and Professor of the Institute for Design Innovation at Loughborough University London, UK, and a Visiting Professor at Aalto University, Finland. As a researcher and practitioner passionate about design-driven social and enterprise innovation, the last thirty years has seen extensive work with large and small organisations, start-ups, NGOs, and the public sector in European, Asian, African, and South American countries. As a global design thinker and doer, he engages widely with service design, design for policy, design for business models, ecosystems and entrepreneurship with enterprises, health and education, university-industry collaboration, and humanitarian work.

Tarun is a design educator and Graphic Designer with 30 years of professional & academic experience. He specializes in typography and print production and teaches at the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad.

Prof. Tarun is an Indian design educator, mentor and graphic designer with a passion for letterforms, printed ephemera and letterpress. Former Chairperson Education and Founder head of Admissions Cell at National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, he has been teaching Graphic Design for the last 25 years.

His research areas and personal practice revolves around exploring cross-cultural identities through letterforms and calligraphy. His Gurmukhi Calligraphy (Punjabi Language) has been exhibited in several exhibitions both across India and abroad.

A keynote speaker at various national and international conferences, He is also the founder-
curator of the popular @35daysofgurmukhi on instagram.

A pioneering Indian automotive journalist, Adil Jal Darukhanawala has over 40 years of experience spanning magazines, events, and books. He presently heads Fast Bikes India magazine and is the first Indian ever to be honored at the Guild of Motoring Awards in the UK for his work on the Indian motoring history.

Sirish started testing cars and bikes straight out of engineering college, and over two decades on — despite a short detour to work for Porsche — firmly believes that automotive journalism is the best job in the world. Testing cars led him to rallying, winning his class in the Raid-de-Himalaya and Desert Storm rally raids. Recognising a gap in enthusiastic writing and evaluation of cars and bikes he launched the Indian edition of EVO magazine. He is known for his insightful reviews along with his expertise and love for all things automotive. You’ll often find him behind the wheel or in the saddle experiencing the adrenaline rush of powerful machines and sharing his adventures with fellow car enthusiasts.

With his keen eye for detail and deep understanding of colour science, Harsha Paruchuri leads from the front at Pragati, India’s most premier packaging and printing company. Joining Pragati in 2000, he built up an expertise in digital pre-print and colour management, that enabled Pragati to deliver higher accuracy. As a Director at Pragati, Harsha leverages the latest technologies in packaging and printing to stay at the forefront of innovation, often pioneering their use in India. Combining his design expertise with business acumen, he ensures that Pragati keeps evolving constantly to keep step with the changing times and becomes a global player in packaging and printing.

Dr. Sanjeev Prashar is a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Raipur, with 32 years of experience in teaching postgraduate management courses, corporate training, and consulting. He holds an MBA and Ph.D. in Management from the University of Kurukshetra, India, and has published 90 research papers in reputable international journals such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Journal of Consumer Marketing, and Journal of Business Research. Dr Sanjeev has authored 70 case studies, including some available at Harvard Business Publishing, Ivey Publishing, and Emerald Group Publishing. His current research focuses on shopping behaviour, including impulse buying, online buying, and celebrity endorsement.

Pradyumna Vyas is a leading figure in India’s design ecosystem with over 35 years of experience in design education, policy, and promotion. He currently serves as Senior Advisor for Design Promotion and Innovation at Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and is President of the World Design Organization (WDO).

Former Director of the National Institute of Design (2009–2019), Prof. Vyas played a key role in elevating its global standing and advancing design for social impact and sustainability. He has also contributed significantly to national and global design policy, including his role in shaping India’s National Design Policy and WDO’s Global Design Policy Framework.

Recognised with multiple international honours, Prof. Vyas continues to champion design as a driver for innovation, development, and a better world.

Dr. Ashok Mondal is an alumnus of Visva-Bharati and NID Ahmedabad, and a former faculty member at NID. His work focuses on sustainability, material processes, and bridging traditional crafts with contemporary design.

He has contributed to initiatives such as SIDAC Odisha, the MSME Design Clinic Scheme, and NID Andhra Pradesh, and currently leads a key design project for the footwear and leather sector under DPIIT.

Driven by a ‘nation-first’ philosophy, he is committed to advancing Indian design globally while fostering social impact and sustainable development.

Ezgi Ezdar Onur is an innovation consultant, designer, and academic operating at the intersection of design strategy and systems thinking. She serves as the Vice President of the Industrial Designers’ Society of Türkiye and teaches Business Design, Innovation Management, and UX Design at Izmir University of Economics.

Ezgi Ezdar Onur is an innovation consultant, designer, and academic operating at the intersection of design, strategy, and systems thinking. She serves as the Vice President of the Industrial Designers’ Society of Türkiye and works as a part-time instructor at Izmir University of Economics, where she teaches Business Design, Innovation Management, and UX Design. With extensive experience in system building, Ezgi applies holistic methodologies to professional consultancy and academic frameworks, bridging the gap between strategic design theory and impactful real-world practice.

Dr. Gopal Meena, an NID graduate, is an accomplished designer, strategist, and educator with a broad background spanning both academia and industry, at national and international levels.
Currently, Dr. Gopal Meena serves as the Vice President of Strategy Initiatives at Chitkara Design School, Chitkara University. In this role, he guides the Design School strategic planning, improves academic programs, fosters cooperation with industry, oversees global collaborations, and streamlines internal processes.

Dr. Gopal Meena has introduced a number of steps to enhance the quality and relevance of design education. His efforts include establishing state of the art academic infrastructure, forming partnerships with national and international institutions, starting new courses and electives, and organizing design festivals, workshops, events, and competitions. He remains open to learning new design practices alongside students and uses creative teaching approaches to encourage student growth and imagination. Through different methods in design education, he inspires students to reach their academic and personal objectives.

Having more than three decades of experience in branding and design, Sudhir Sharma is a reputed brand consultant who has played a pivotal role in shaping household name brands. He is a member of the first India Design Council, constituted by the government of India, and is member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Global Council for Design. Sudhir is a founder and President of the “DesignIndia”, the first online community of professional designers in India. He has served the jury panel of the inaugural Cannes Lions for Design in 2008, and Adfest in Pattya, Thailand. As an educator, he lectures and conducts workshops on innovation and creativity, specialising in brand clarity.