While the design investment may be miniscule as compared to the money at stake for product development, but the role of design is significant in the success at the supply chain and consumer level. That’s the reason why Anuj Prasad, Founder & Mentor, Desmania Design Pvt Ltd, considers product designers to be the pillars for manufacturing in India. He feels that MSMEs along with the start-ups hold a lot of promise for global design, but need grooming and policy support. In conversation with IPF, he explains the importance of designers and their role as manufacturing sector gears up to face disruptive changes in 2018-2020 time period. 

 

How important is the role of product designers in shaping the future of manufacturing in India?

To make manufacturing successful, it has to be endorsed by design. This creates traction for sustenance of manufacturing. If one observes the history of industrialisation, design always follows manufacturing and it remains there (rather flourishes) even if manufacturing goes away. So, design always remains the enabler in the scalability of design. It is like oxygen for manufacturing.

 

Product designers will be the pillars for manufacturing in India. They will create scalability of manufacturing by creating designs that will be globally acceptable. They will raise the bar of execution and quality. A genuine designer demands innovation in manufacturing and execution. This keeps manufacturing on its toes and forces them to introduce new processes and machinery. Good design increases demand and in turn the top line and the bottom line. A good bottom line ignites growth.

 

In terms of product designing, what are key challenges before manufacturers in India?

The biggest challenge for them is that many manufacturers do not have belief in design. They do not give enough importance to design. They treat it as an expense and not as an investment. Also, because design is still a fledgling profession in India, many a times there are gaps between the manufacturer’s expectations and designer’s deliverables. This gap needs to be bridged by empathising with each other’s requirements. This has to be done consciously.

 

Manufacturer’s should realise that product designers have a core expertise in creating unique value proposition through a blend of aesthetics and user facing features, whereas the designer’s should realise that manufacturers expect the last mile of support in realising the concept into a marketable solution. Both need to make an endeavour to bridge this gap to create harmonious relationship.

 

While the design investment may be miniscule as compared to the money at stake for product development and launch, but the role of design is significant in the success at the supply chain and consumer level. As the industry matures, these gaps will be narrowed down.

 

What are the strengths of India which can attract global companies to set up product designing centers in the country? 

The big question asked many times over is if India is a design country or not. Well, anyone with some insight into the history and culture of India can in no way deny the fact that design is rooted in India. The thought process and the skillset are in abundance. It just requires to be channelled into a more mindful and meaningful pursuit through a right platform.

 

There is already a large ecosystem of design emerging in the country. This would mean that there will be abundance of trained talent in India. MNCs will find it very attractive to have their global design centres in India. There are already many global corporations who are harnessing this talent in India. Corporations like Whirlpool, LG, Suzuki and Renault have already established such centres. They are bound to have a rapid growth in the years to come. No MNC can ignore the Indian market and as they enter into this complex market they also realise that Indian consumer has unique cultural requirements which can be only met by design. As they discover the prowess of Indian designers, they realise that their talent could also be used to make global products.

 

My feeling is that design will mature the way IT happened in 90s and 2K. It will be evident sooner than later.

 

Which are the industries/sectors, where India has the potential to emerge as a product designing hub by 2020? 

It will start with the low hanging fruits. Primarily it will be in the areas where we are confident of the technology. It will start with the consumer durables and the medical products, where the requirements are cultural, affordability and accessibility. Also, technologies in these area are proven and there is ample opportunity of innovate and do frugal innovation. Moreover, the market penetration of such products is still at a very initial stage of the climb, so good business opportunities may be encashed.

 

The start-up culture is also bringing in big opportunities in the area of making humane gadgets and the young entrepreneurs are keen on using the local talent. This will lead to sophistication in design and quality of output will substantially improve.

 

The energy sector, where renewable and green energy are meeting the needs of the vast population, will throw open many gates. One of them being the EV (electric vehicle) segment. China is already leading the EV market through its policy initiatives, whereas India is soon going to follow. This is another hi-growth area for design. 

 

How important is adoption of new technologies for India to emerge as global hub for product designing?

The 4th industrial revolution will anchor around the new technologies. The factory of the future will be more customer-oriented and may dwell on individual needs rather than the mass need. The 3D printing technology will be pivotal in achieving this market traction. India is adopting 3D printing (or additive technologies) at a fast pace. This is reducing the cost of development while shrinking the time to market.

 

In the last decade, I have seen 3D printing bureaus mushrooming and awareness is on the rise. The GenY and millennials are already aware of this technology and new maker labs/Tinkering labs are opening up for the innovators. The government has also recognised the fact that 3D printers will aid in boosting the innovation culture in India. ATL (Atal Tinkering Labs), if implemented effectively, will create a large ecosystem of innovators. This will eventually manifest in more design, more manufacturing and more leveraging from the global corporations.

 

What is the relevance of SMEs & start-ups in making India a global designing hub?

SMEs already constitute 94% of the Indian industry. They are becoming ambitious and they can smell wider opportunities emerging their way. Unfortunately, in spite of a well intended push from the government, MSMEs are still cash strapped. They are unable to invest in design, and even if they do they are unable to sustain the investment. Government should make an endeavour to reach out to the bottom of the pyramid of MSMEs through tax sops and low interest investment funds. If handled right, they will become the prime movers for design in India. 

 

Whereas, most of the start-up are well funded and the young entrepreneurs have belief in design. They are going to be the future flag bearers of product that will be designed in India, made in India and for the Indian audience. 

 

MSMEs along with the start-ups hold a lot of promise for global design, but need grooming and policy support. 

 

What is the future of product designing in India?

I am quite optimistic about manufacturing and designing in India. Technologies are now accessible and skilled/talented human resource is on the rise. Interest rates are southwards, so there is no reason why manufacturing should not go northwards. Thinking big and becoming more ambitious are the traits that entrepreneurs should adopt.

 

There is a big opportunity sitting out there but it may not wait for long. Agility in action and conviction in one’s own self will lead to rapid growth. In the 2018-2020 window, we should see some disruptive changes in manufacturing. In a service centred economy like India, design will boom, sooner than later, leveraging new manufacturing wave.

 

About Anuj Prasad

Anuj Prasad is a professional industrial designer with over 27 years of industry and entrepreneurial experience. With a background in engineering, Anuj completed his masters in product design from NID in 1993, and thereafter co-founded Desmania. Anuj has been a founding member of CII’s National Committee of Design and has been a jury member for the ‘India Design Mark’, since its inception. In 2015, Desmania was voted as the best Industrial Design Studio in India.