Industrial Design Centre

Industrial Design Centre
Name	Industrial Design Centre
Established	1969
Type	Design school
Parent	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Location	Powai, Mumbai
Country	India
Director	B. K. Dutta
Campus	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay campus

Industrial Design Centre is a premier design institute located within Powai, Mumbai and affiliated to Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Founded in 1969, it has contributed to product design, interaction design, and strategic design through pedagogy, research, and industry engagement. The Centre has influenced design education across India and collaborated with national and international institutions.

History

The Centre was established in 1969 with support from the Government of India, the United Nations Development Programme, and the UNESCO programme on technical cooperation. Early collaborations included partnerships with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and experts from Royal College of Art and University of Art and Design Helsinki. Over the decades the Centre interacted with agencies such as the Design Council (United Kingdom), the National Institute of Design, the Tata Group, and the Bombay Dyeing conglomerate. Significant milestones involved curriculum reforms inspired by practices at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten. Leadership transitions included directors with ties to All India Council for Technical Education and advisors from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Campus and Facilities

Located on the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay campus in Powai, the Centre shares proximity with Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, National Centre for Software Technology, and the Research Park, IIT Bombay. Facilities include workshops equipped for rapid prototyping, CAD labs containing systems from Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, and Siemens PLM Software, and material labs with instruments by Mitutoyo and Keyence. Studio spaces host exhibitions alongside collaborators such as Jehangir Art Gallery, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. The campus accessibility involves transit links to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the Mumbai Suburban Railway network.

Academic Programs

The Centre offers postgraduate and doctoral programs modeled on practices from Carnegie Mellon University, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and Aalto University. Degrees include postgraduate diplomas and Master of Design pathways, with coursework integrating modules referencing standards from Bureau of Indian Standards and methodologies taught at International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. Curricula emphasize human-centred design rooted in case studies drawn from collaborations with Apollo Hospitals, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Godrej, and Bosch. Student exchange and joint studios have been conducted with University of Cambridge, Delft University of Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Monash University.

Research and Innovation

Research at the Centre spans product-service systems, sustainable materials, inclusive design, and interaction design, drawing on funding from Department of Science and Technology (India), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Projects have incorporated technologies from Intel, Qualcomm, ARM Limited, and Texas Instruments and methodological influences from IDEO, Frog Design, and Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie. Innovation output includes patents filed with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and prototypes demonstrated at venues like Mumbai Design Week, India Design Summit, and Make in India events. Cross-disciplinary collaborations involve Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, IIT Bombay’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and IIT Bombay’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Industry Collaboration and Consultancy

The Centre provides consultancy and design services to corporations, startups, and public agencies, engaging clients such as Tata Consultancy Services, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Auto, Hindustan Unilever, and Life Insurance Corporation of India. Long-term partnerships include design interventions for National Health Mission (India), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and urban projects with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. International consultancy work has connected the Centre with UNICEF, World Health Organization, and Asian Development Bank. Incubation and entrepreneurship support has involved T-Hub, Zone Startups India, Startup India, and the IIT Bombay Entrepreneurship Park.

Notable Projects and Alumni

Notable projects include low-cost medical devices co-developed with S.P. Medical College, assistive devices for National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, and mobility solutions in partnership with Indian Railways and Mumbai Metro One Private Limited. Alumni have founded or led firms and initiatives such as Designit, SmartDesign, Tata Elxsi, Flipkart product teams, and social ventures collaborating with Arvind Limited and Jindal Steel and Power. Distinguished alumni and faculty have received awards including the National Design Award (India), the RCA Bowden Prize, and fellowships from Rockefeller Foundation and Fulbright Program. Exhibitions and publications featuring alumni work have been held at Vitra Design Museum, Cooper Hewitt, and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Category:Design schools in India