In its second year now, the India Design Council awarded the good design symbol to several companies during its final evaluation round held in Pune, driving home the point that designing is as crucial an aspect of a product as its functionality

Just as there are benchmarks for quality, as for instance the ISI certification for industrial products laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the designing of a product will gradually reach that level. This was the perspective put forth at the opening of the India Design Mark Exhibition in Pune on February 8. With automobile designing clearly hogging the limelight, some of the other products included household and industrial items with innovations to suit the buyers' preferences. In its second edition, the India Design Mark symbol has so far been awarded to 72 products and its recipients include companies like Tata Chemicals Ltd, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (P) Ltd, India Yamaha Motor (P) Ltd, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Wipro Ltd (Furniture Division) and Crompton Greaves, among others.

Speaking about the significance of the 'iDesign' mark, Pradyumna Vyas, Director, National Institute of Design, said, "Over a period of time, both manufacturers and consumers will begin to focus on creating designs that are not only aesthetic but also include environmental considerations. The concept is that a good design enriches its inherent value as also makes it very user-friendly and sustainable." The mark is granted by the India Design Council in cooperation with Good Design Award of Japan.

"All types of mass-produced products are eligible for the iDesign mark. This can include consumer electronics, computer and communication products, machine tools, construction machinery, lighting systems, household appliances, capital goods, medical equipment, toys, vehicles, agricultural machinery, etc," informed Hrridayash Deshpande, Director, Centre for Automotive Research and Studies. The India Design Council (IDC) is an autonomous body of the Government of India established under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Based on the National Design Policy drafted in 2007 to enhance competitiveness in Indian industry and clearly identify the role that design plays in it, the objective of the IDC is make design a strategic tool for Indian business entities and contribute to the national economy and ultimately place India among the top design destinations of the world. It is presided over by Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. "We are still in a stage of infancy but are looking forward to take this show abroad in time to come so that Indian design gets noticed in other parts of the world," Vyas said.

To set up the IDC, the government had granted a one-time corpus of Rs 4.5 crore with the rider that it would become self-sufficient over a period of time. "We have already reached that stage and are generating revenue through seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and so on.

Now, industries that have already participated over the last two shows have begun to realise that using the India Design Mark is a value-addition to the product in terms of marketing and promotions. Very soon the products may start carrying the iDesign logo to convey to the buyers that the design has passed through several tests and has been acknowledged as among the best," Deshpande said.