Passionate about retaining the soul of Indian culture in the contemporary - I am a designer, on a quest to use my intuitive and acquired skills, to create, curate and educate. You could say my efforts in extrapolating design in India to the forefront have been at various levels- both commercial and also not-for-profit. Every level has single-mindedly focused on design’s ability to build a global Indian identity. In 1999, I founded Design Temple, - a multi-disciplinary design practice, in response to the post liberalization environment of India and the altered possibilities of the internet age.
The studio speedily garnered a portfolio of award-winning projects in Identity and Publication Design, Motion Graphics, and Spatial Design. The desire was to reach wider audiences than what the boutique studio offered – and we began by launching a range of everyday products, with a refreshing, witty take on contemporary India. Along my journey, it became quickly apparent, that little is known of India’s equation with design, both within and outside the country. My first ever exhibit on Design in India was India Indigenous.
Where I showcased the sheer ingenuity of the Indian approach to design with indigenous examples from the fields of product, graphics and fashion design. This was aptly shown to vast audiences at Loggia dei Mercanti, an ancient marketplace, in the heart of Milan in 2004. I was then commissioned in 2007 by V&A Museum, London to do a show on Urban India. Naturally I chose to put the spotlight on the five «Soft Powers» of contemporary India that were playing a pivotal role in redefining the Indian identity - We showcased, the categories of IT, Food, Film, Fashion and Design to rapt audiences.
After a considerably long break, I took up the invitation to do a show at Millesgarden Museum, Stockholm - Since we were targeting globally informed and aware denizens – I decided to trace and present India’s own history with design. The result was a compact visual conversation between objects from India's past and present. The two shows, became the first of their kind on Indian soil, directly impacting over 2 lac visitors from all walks of life. In October 2019, I founded the Museum of Design Excellence, as a natural progression of my efforts in claiming India’s rightful place amongst nations, with regards to its creative and intellectual capital.