XLRI To Set Up India’s First Dedicated School Of Automobile Design And Management

The institution, called INDEA, to be operational by the end of 2025 is being established in collaboration with XLRI alumnus and experienced automotive industry professional Avik Chattopadhyay.

Dr Fr K.S. Casimir, Director, XLRI Delhi-NCR Campus (Right) with Avik Chattopadhyay (Left) during the launch of INDEA.

Source : XLRI

New Delhi: In light of a robust post-pandemic resurgence, shifting consumer preferences, and the growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions, India's automotive sector is primed for its next developmental phase. A pivotal aspect will be the capacity not just to "Make in India" but also to "Design in India" by nurturing highly skilled design professionals. Recognising this need, XLRI the oldest B-school in India founded in 1949 has announced the setting up of the ‘Indian School for Design of Automobiles’ (INDEA) – a first-of-its-kind dedicated finishing school for automobile design in India in association with XLRI alumnus and automobile industry expert Avik Chattopadhyay. 

The three pillars of INDEA will be – [1] Balance of intuition and industrial knowledge, [2] Rich industry interface and [3] Exposure to global thought and application. INDEA aims to get some of the world’s leading and most respected designers to come to the school as visiting faculty.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr Fr K.S. Casimir, Director, XLRI Delhi-NCR Campus said, “XLRI strongly believes in ‘For the Greater Good’ and we work for the greater common good in shaping the management education sector and the community at large. We felt the acute need to support India’s ambitions to be a design hub and resonate with Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s emphasis on the need for a paradigm shift and the vision of aiming for the day when people across the world want to buy a car 'designed' in India. Our effort with ‘Indian School for Design of Automobiles’ is to bridge the gap for skilled designers who also understand the nuances of management and customer preferences creating well-rounded professionals for the Indian Automotive industry."

"Despite the presence of design schools in India, the country has yet to produce designers of international acclaim. The lack of industry interface, overemphasis on traditional pedagogy, quality of faculty, and insufficient investment in the latest hardware and software are the reasons for this gap. We will leverage our expertise in industry collaboration and curriculum development to create a program that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application," added Dr Fr K.S. Casimir.

"The Indian automobile industry is one of the strongest pillars of the Indian economy. It is poised for its next phase of growth post pandemic with factors like clean energy, evolving consumer behaviour and greater focus on circular-sustainability. All this will need a fresh look at design as a fundamental ingredient in business strategy. That throws up the critical need for a new-age design school that can nurture and develop world-class automobile designers and design managers. My experience in the automotive industry and interactions with my peers over the last few years have led me to come up with the thought for INDEA as I owe this to the industry that has nurtured me. I am delighted that my alma mater has the same vision. As a team, XLRI and I look forward to building INDEA to serve the needs of the market and the nation," said Avik Chattopadhyay.

INDEA will be offering various programmes, from a Master’s in Automobile Design & Management to refreshers for practising designers and inductions for CXOs. Seminars, master-classes and workshops will also be planned as part of the annual calendar. A programme in Automobile Restoration is also proposed. 

The Masters in Automobile Design & Management will be a 1-year post-graduate programme with intake of 20-25 students every year from all graduate schools through a screening process. Details of the curriculum are being finalised. The school will be operational by the end of 2025.

Avik Chattopadhyay comes with extensive experience in the automotive sector with stints across prominent companies such as Maruti Suzuki, Volkswagen India, PSA Peugeot Citroen, ExxonMobil and Apollo Tyres. Academically, Avik is an alumnus of IMD Lausanne and XLRI Jamshedpur, having graduated in Economics from Hans Raj College, Delhi University. He advises an automotive forum and an automobile art institution and regularly writes for ET Auto, Autocar India and MxM India.

INDEA will also be guided by a mentor board which has professionals such as Gautam Sen – celebrated automotive journalist and author, XLRI alumnus of 1984, Justice Indira Banerjee – ex-judge of the Supreme Court of India, expert on corporate and constitutional law, and I.V. Rao – distinguished fellow at TERI and ex-Director Engineering at Maruti Suzuki India Limited.