ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETES IN DEVELOPMENT # 1: PRATHAM: THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS LEARNING

Ms. Farida Lambay, Founder of Pratham

Mr. Madhav Chavan, Founder of Pratham

Introduction

In a dusty classroom on the outskirts of Mumbai, a child stares at a sentence on the blackboard. The words blur together, letters without meaning. Then a volunteer kneels beside him, guiding finger to syllable, sound to sense. Slowly, the sentence unlocks. That moment — a child discovering the power of reading — is the heartbeat of Pratham Education Foundation.

Founded in 1994 with the simple but radical mission “every child in school and learning well,” Pratham began as a community initiative supported by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and UNICEF. It was never about building grand institutions; it was about building bridges — between citizens and classrooms, between policy and practice, between children and the future.

ORIGIN STORY

• Birth of the idea (1993–1995): Conceived in UNICEF’s Mumbai office, Pratham was envisioned as a tripartite partnership between government, corporate leaders, and citizens. The Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, Sharad Kale, convened a meeting with education officials, UNICEF representatives, and philanthropists. The outcome was the creation of the Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative Trust, officially registered in January 1995.

• Founders: Madhav Chavan (adult literacy pioneer) and Farida Lambay (faculty at Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work) became co‑founders. Industrialist S.P. Godrej was appointed Chairperson, and ICICI’s N. Vaghul later championed Pratham’s scale in the corporate world.

• Early DNA: Pratham’s first programs were community‑based preschools (balwadis) in Mumbai slums, run in temples, offices, and homes. Its frugal, volunteer‑driven model emphasized scale and replicability.

IMPACT

Scale

• Geographic Reach: Pratham operates in 23 states and union territories across India, with international chapters in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, and Australia.

• Schools in India: Pratham works directly with tens of thousands of schools through remedial learning programs, community balwadis, and government partnerships. Exact state‑wise breakdowns vary annually, but ASER surveys cover nearly every rural district in India.

• Students:

• Primary & Secondary: In 2024–25, Pratham directly engaged 710,000 children through its programs, while government partnerships extended reach to 7.4 million children.

• Gender Split: Girls form a significant proportion of beneficiaries. In the Second Chance program, 28,821 girls and women were enrolled between 2023–25, with pass rates rising to 75%. Boys dominate in remedial literacy camps, but gender parity is steadily improving.

• COVID‑19 Innovation: “Karona: Thodi Masti, Thodi Padhai” (2020) used WhatsApp, Zoom, and phone calls to keep children engaged during lockdowns.

• COVID‑19 Innovation: “Karona: Thodi Masti, Thodi Padhai” (2020) used WhatsApp, Zoom, and phone calls to keep children engaged during lockdowns.

• Global Reach: From a single Mumbai slum initiative, Pratham now influences education policy and practice in 30+ countries worldwide.

• Global Reach: From a single Mumbai slum initiative, Pratham now influences education policy and practice in 30+ countries worldwide.

• International Schools: Through chapters abroad, Pratham connects diaspora communities to support education in India rather than running schools overseas. Its TaRL Africa initiative (with J‑PAL) has reached hundreds of schools in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, covering tens of thousands of children.

• Children Covered (Gender‑wise abroad): In TaRL Africa pilots, girls represent nearly half of participants, reflecting the program’s emphasis on equitable access.

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL)

• Origin: Developed from the 1996 Balsakhi program in Mumbai slums.

• Method: Groups children by learning ability rather than age or grade, focusing on foundational literacy and numeracy.

• Adoption: Implemented by governments across multiple Indian states and replicated internationally (e.g., TaRL Africa with J‑PAL).

• Impact: Millions of children have moved from non‑readers to fluent readers through this model.

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)

• Launch: Began in 2005.

• Scale: Mobilizes 25,000+ volunteers annually to measure literacy and numeracy in nearly every rural district of India.

• Impact: Shifted national discourse from enrollment to learning outcomes. ASER data is now cited by policymakers, researchers, and international agencies as a benchmark for citizen‑led accountability.

International Awards & Recognition

• Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2011, USA)

  • Recognition: For Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) innovation.

  • Impact Validated: Demonstrated scalable classroom reform improving literacy and numeracy.

• BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2013, Spain)

  • Recognition: For the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER).

  • Impact Validated: Highlighted Pratham’s role in shifting policy focus from enrollment to learning outcomes.

• Lui Che Woo Prize – Welfare Betterment Category (2018, Hong Kong)

  • Recognition: For Pratham’s contribution to eliminating illiteracy.

  • Impact Validated: Acknowledged Pratham’s reach across India and replication of its models internationally.

Girls in Pratham’s Programs

Second Chance Initiative

• Purpose: Helps girls and women who dropped out of school to re‑enter the system and complete Grade 10.

• Enrollment (2023–2025):

  • Year 1 (2023–24): 11,399 girls and women enrolled; 4,788 passed Grade 10 exams (68% pass rate).

  • Year 2 (2024–25): 17,422 enrolled; pass percentage improved to 75%.

  • Cumulative (2023–25): 28,821 girls and women supported.

Outcomes

• Grade 10 Certification: Thousands of girls now hold certificates enabling higher education, vocational training, and jobs.

• Further Studies: 75% of alumni expressed intent to pursue higher education; 670 enrolled in Grade 11 in 2024–25.

• Vocational Pathways: Alumni trained in tailoring, healthcare, hospitality, and automotive maintenance.

• Digital Literacy: Everyday skills packages include digital and financial literacy.

Wider Reach

• Beyond Second Chance, Pratham’s direct engagement programs reached 710,000 children in 2024–25, with government partnerships extending to 7.4 million children across 17 states.

• Girls form a significant proportion of these beneficiaries, especially in literacy camps and community learning initiatives.

Citizen Role in Pratham

• Who qualifies:

  • Students — college or university students can volunteer in remedial teaching, literacy camps, or ASER surveys.

  • Professionals — teachers, corporate employees, or social workers can mentor, train, or connect Pratham with CSR networks.

  • Community members — parents, retired citizens, or local leaders can host balwadis, mobilize children, or support surveys.

• How to apply:

  • Through the Pratham volunteer registration portal.

  • For ASER surveys, citizens can sign up via Pratham’s ASER Centre website.

  • Corporate professionals can connect through CSR partnerships.

• Duration of engagement:

  • Short‑term: 1–2 weeks for ASER surveys or literacy drives.

  • Medium‑term: 2–3 months for structured teaching fellowships or internships.

  • Long‑term: 6 months or more for sustained involvement in community learning centers or program management.

• Roles available:

• Remedial teachers — help children catch up in reading and arithmetic.

• Survey volunteers — collect data on learning outcomes in villages.

• Mentors — guide children in soft skills, career awareness, or vocational pathways.

• Campaigners— support awareness drives and fundraising.

Civil Society Strengthening Government

• Policy Influence: Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) became the government’s mirror. By revealing that millions of children in Grade 5 could not read Grade 2 texts, ASER forced ministries to shift focus from enrollment to learning outcomes. This directly shaped the Right to Education Act (2009) implementation and subsequent literacy missions.

• Government Partnerships:

  • In 17 states, Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) model was adopted by state education departments.

  • Programs like Read India were scaled through government schools, reaching 7.4 million children in 2024–25.

  • During COVID‑19, Pratham worked with state governments to deliver digital content via WhatsApp and radio, ensuring continuity of learning.

• Capacity Building: Pratham trained government teachers in remedial pedagogy, helping them identify learning gaps and group children by ability. This strengthened the public system’s ability to deliver foundational literacy.

• Citizen‑Government Bridge: By mobilizing 25,000+ volunteers annually for ASER surveys, Pratham created a feedback loop where citizens themselves held the government accountable for literacy outcomes.

• Gender Focus: Through the Second Chance program, Pratham supported 28,821 girls and women (2023–25) to complete Grade 10, complementing government schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.

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THE HINDUJA PLAYBOOK: VISIONARY DIVERSIFICATION AND INSTITUTION BUILDING FOR INDIA’S FUTURE

Background

Entrepreneurship is often described as risk‑taking, but for India’s legacy business families it was something deeper — a visionary streak to build institutions before the nation itself was fully industrialized. The Hinduja family exemplifies this spirit. Starting from modest trading ventures in Mumbai and Iran, they expanded into banking, automotive, energy, healthcare, and media — long before globalization became a buzzword. Their entrepreneurial streak was not about chasing trends; it was about anticipating needs, diversifying boldly, and carrying Indian values into global markets. In doing so, they laid invisible foundations for a progressive, industrialized, and globally connected India.

What set the Hindujas apart was their instinct to diversify early and fearlessly. While many Indian business families stayed confined to one sector, they ventured into automotive with Ashok Leyland, banking with IndusInd Bank, energy with Gulf Oil, and healthcare with P.D. Hinduja Hospital**. Each move was not just opportunistic but strategic — they anticipated India’s growing need for mobility, finance, energy security, and healthcare infrastructure. Their entrepreneurial streaks were marked by:

• Global foresight — setting up operations in Iran and later Europe, decades before globalization became mainstream.

• Risk appetite — entering industries that required heavy capital and long gestation periods, yet building them into national assets.

• Family stewardship — keeping leadership within the family while professionalizing management, ensuring continuity and trust.

• Philanthropic grounding — investing in hospitals, education, and social causes, proving that enterprise and social responsibility can coexist.

In hindsight, whether or not they consciously knew it, these ventures were laying the foundation for a progressive, industrialized India — creating jobs, infrastructure, and credibility for Indian business on the global stage.

Origins of the Hinduja Enterprise

• Cross‑border trade beginnings In 1914, Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja established the family’s first trading venture in Mumbai, later expanding into Iran. At a time when most Indian businesses were confined to local markets, this bold move into international trade demonstrated a rare entrepreneurial foresight. By dealing in commodities, textiles, and traditional goods, the Hindujas positioned themselves as early ambassadors of Indian commerce abroad.

• Risk‑taking spirit Choosing Iran as a base was unconventional and risky — politically volatile, culturally different, and geographically distant. Yet, the Hindujas thrived by adapting to local conditions, building trust with partners, and proving that Indian enterprise could succeed in foreign markets. This willingness to embrace uncertainty became a hallmark of their entrepreneurial streak.

• Family stewardship and values From the very beginning, the business was run as a family enterprise. Decisions were collective, responsibilities shared, and values deeply rooted in Indian traditions of trust and integrity. This stewardship ensured continuity across generations, while also embedding cultural grounding into every venture.

• Adaptability and diversification As India’s economy evolved, the Hindujas shifted from pure trading into industrial ventures. They recognized that India’s future lay in manufacturing, infrastructure, and services — and began laying the groundwork for entry into sectors like automotive, banking, and energy. Their adaptability showed that entrepreneurship is not static; it is about anticipating change and moving ahead of the curve.

• Nation‑building instinct Even in their early ventures, the Hindujas were indirectly contributing to India’s industrial progress. By creating jobs, building networks, and establishing credibility abroad, they were laying invisible foundations for a progressive, industrialized India — long before independence or economic liberalization.

The Hinduja Group’s diversification story is not just narrative — it is backed by concrete timelines, valuations, and growth trajectories across sectors. From Ashok Leyland’s turnaround in the late 1980s to IndusInd Bank’s rise as a top private lender, Gulf Oil’s steady expansion in lubricants, and P.D. Hinduja Hospital’s evolution into a 520‑bed tertiary care institution, each venture reflects measurable growth and institutional impact.

Ashok Leyland

• Acquisition: 1987 — Hindujas acquired ~39% stake from Rover Group for under £30 million.

• Turnaround: Infused ₹100+ crore between 1987–1990, modernized Ennore & Hosur plants.

• Growth: Vehicle production rose from 4,000 (1987) to 40,000 (1995), crossing 100,000 by 2007.

• Current Scale (FY26): Consolidated revenue ~₹2,35,800 crore, PAT ₹19,200 crore, EBITDA margin 16.8%.

IndusInd Bank

• Founded: April 1994, inaugurated by Finance Minister Manmohan Singh. Initial capital: USD 35 million.

• IPO: 1997, raised USD 30 million.

• Merger: 2004 — merged with Ashok Leyland Finance.

• Major Acquisition: Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (2019) for ₹15,000 crore, expanding microfinance reach.

• Current Scale (FY25): Revenue ₹56,351 crore, Net income ₹2,575 crore, Assets ₹5.54 lakh crore, Employees ~45,000.

Gulf Oil Lubricants India

• Legacy: Gulf Oil brand >120 years globally; Hinduja entry in India in 1980s.

• Growth: Revenue rose from ₹16,522 crore (FY21) to ₹39,913 crore (FY26); Net income grew from ₹2,001 crore (FY21) to ₹3,509 crore (FY26).

• FY26 Performance: Consolidated revenue ₹4,056 crore, EBITDA ₹510 crore, dividend ₹51/share.

• Market Position: Among top 3 lubricant brands in India, with 85,000+ touchpoints and exports to 25+ countries.

P.D. Hinduja Hospital

• Origins: 1951 — outdoor clinic for refugees; 1953 — National Hospital with 30 beds.

• Expansion: 1986 — 300‑bed tertiary care hospital commissioned with Massachusetts General Hospital collaboration.

• Current Scale (2024–25): ~520 beds across Mahim & Khar campuses, 300+ consultants, 3,600 staff, 50+ specialties.

• Research: Recognized by India’s Department of Scientific & Industrial Research; collaborations with Stanford, NIH, King’s College London.

Hinduja Global Solutions

• Founded: 1990s, expanded into ITES and BPO.

• Scale: Employs 42,000+ across 7 countries; revenues >USD 900 million (FY25).

• Impact: Positioned India as a credible outsourcing hub before the IT boom.

How the Hindujas inculcated entrepreneurship in the family

• Family stewardship: From Parmanand Hinduja (founder, 1914) onwards, business was treated as a collective responsibility. Decisions were shared, values reinforced, and younger members were mentored into leadership roles.

• Global exposure: Successive generations were placed in different geographies (Iran, UK, India, Europe) to learn adaptability and cross‑cultural business skills.

• Value transmission: Trust, integrity, and philanthropy were emphasized as non‑negotiables. Entrepreneurship was framed not just as profit‑making but as service to society.

• Professionalization: While leadership stayed within the family, they consistently hired professional managers, teaching younger Hindujas to balance family oversight with modern corporate governance.

Contribution to India’s growth

• Industrial backbone: Through Ashok Leyland, they powered public transport and defense logistics.

• Financial democratization: With IndusInd Bank, they expanded access to modern banking for SMEs and the middle class.

• Energy resilience: Gulf Oil ensured industrial continuity through lubricants and downstream energy.

• Healthcare infrastructure: P.D. Hinduja Hospital set benchmarks for tertiary care and medical research.

• Knowledge economy: Hinduja Global Solutions positioned India globally in outsourcing and ITES.

• Employment: Across ventures, they employ 200,000+ people in 38 countries, directly contributing to India’s credibility as a global business hub.

Vision for business and India

• Business vision: Diversify boldly into sectors that anticipate future needs — mobility, finance, energy, healthcare, knowledge.

• National vision: Entrepreneurship as nation‑building. Their ventures were designed to strengthen India’s industrial, social, and global standing.

• Global vision: Carry Indian values abroad — integrity, trust, and philanthropy — while embedding India into global supply chains and service networks.

Key lessons for entrepreneurs on diversification

• Timing matters: Diversify when your core business is stable enough to support risk. Hindujas moved from trading to automotive only after building credibility abroad.

• Sector choice: Pick industries that are systemic enablers — transport, finance, energy, healthcare — not just trendy niches.

• Partnerships: Collaborate with global players (e.g., Iveco with Ashok Leyland) to bring expertise and credibility.

• Cultural fit: Respect the ethos of acquired companies; stewardship is as important as capital.

• Long‑term investment: Infuse capital, modernize, and innovate — don’t chase short‑term gains.

• Philanthropy as strategy: Blend profit with purpose; healthcare and education investments build goodwill and resilience.

Universal Hinduja Lessons for Modern Entrepreneurs

• Diversify only when your core business is stable.

• Choose systemic sectors that enable growth for others.

• Blend profit with purpose — philanthropy strengthens resilience.

• Anticipate global trends before they become mainstream.

• Build ventures that outlast generations, not just valuations.

Conclusion: The Hinduja Playbook for Modern Entrepreneurship

The Hinduja family’s journey shows that entrepreneurship is not merely about risk‑taking or chasing trends — it is about visionary diversification, institution‑building, and nation‑building. From Ashok Leyland powering India’s mobility, IndusInd Bank democratizing finance, Gulf Oil strengthening energy resilience, P.D. Hinduja Hospital blending profit with purpose, to Hinduja Global Solutions positioning India in the knowledge economy — each venture was a pillar of India’s industrial and social progress.

Their vision was clear:

• For business: anticipate needs, diversify boldly, and professionalize stewardship.

• For India: build institutions that create jobs, credibility, and infrastructure.

• For the world: carry Indian values abroad while embedding India into global supply chains.

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UNSUNG BUILDERS OF SOCIETY: WHY CITIZENS MUST RECOGNIZE AND STRENGTHEN GRASSROOTS ORGANISATIONS

Foreword: The Quiet Architects of Change — Why Grassroots Organisations Hold the Keys to Our Future

In the spaces between policy announcements and headline projects, in lanes that official maps barely mark, a different kind of work is being done. It is quiet, patient, and stubbornly practical: a teacher who turns a one‑room class into a place where children learn to read; a small clinic that stitches together primary care where the nearest hospital is hours away; a neighbourhood group that plants trees and teaches neighbours how to tend them; a trust that helps a family rebuild after a flood. These are not spectacles. They do not seek applause. Yet they are the scaffolding on which everyday life depends.

This new series begins with a simple insistence: to understand a city, a district, or a village, look first at the organisations that keep it breathing. Not the large, well‑branded institutions that dominate annual reports, but the dozens — sometimes hundreds — of small and medium‑sized trusts, collectives, and volunteer groups that quietly solve problems, stitch communities together, and translate policy into practice. Their work is not incidental. It is foundational.

Why focus on them now? Because the challenges we face are granular and relational. Climate stress, learning loss, informal housing, public health gaps — these are problems that require local knowledge, trust, and sustained human presence. Large systems can design solutions; small organisations deliver them in ways that respect local rhythms, languages, and dignity. They are laboratories of civic imagination: low‑cost pilots, culturally fluent interventions, and human networks that persist long after project funding ends.

This is not a plea for charity. It is a call to citizenship. The question we will keep returning to is not “How much money do they need?” but “How can citizens, professionals, and institutions strengthen their hands?” Time, skills, access, advocacy, and doors opened to networks often matter more than cash. A lawyer who helps a trust with compliance, a teacher who volunteers an hour a week, a journalist who tells a local success story, a municipal official who adopts a tested pilot — these acts multiply impact.

As you read this series, look for patterns rather than personalities. Notice how solutions are adapted to place; how volunteers become local leaders; how small wins — a repaired water pump, a reading club, a community health day — accumulate into resilience. Our aim is to make visible the invisible: the practices, the tradecraft, the moral logic that sustains civic work at scale.

Civic Organisations as Partners in Governance

Governments set the rules and build the large frameworks; civil society fills the spaces where those frameworks meet human lives. In practice this partnership looks like a thousand small arrangements: an NGO piloting a low‑cost sanitation model that a municipality later adopts; a neighbourhood group coordinating volunteers during a heatwave while official relief is mobilised; a trust running remedial classes for children who have fallen behind, feeding data back into education departments so policy can be adjusted.

What makes these partnerships effective is not formality alone but complementarity. Local organisations bring proximity and trust; they know which families will show up for a health camp and which will not. They can iterate quickly, learning from failure without the inertia that slows larger systems. Governments bring scale, legitimacy, and resources. When the two align — through clear roles, shared data, and mutual respect — governance becomes more than a set of rules: it becomes a lived practice that reaches the last mile.

There are frictions, of course. Turf anxieties, slow approvals, and mismatched expectations can stall collaboration. The remedy is practical: small joint pilots with clear outcomes, simple agreements that define responsibilities, and transparent monitoring that honours both community voice and institutional accountability. Citizens play a crucial role here — not as passive beneficiaries but as connectors, volunteers, and watchdogs who insist that partnerships remain accountable and humane.

If this series has a modest ambition, it is this: to show how ordinary people and modest organisations convert civic intent into civic reality. To map the ways they complement government work, to surface the small practices that scale, and to suggest how readers can contribute without money — by offering time, expertise, networks, and public attention. In doing so we hope to shift the frame from charity to citizenship, from isolated acts of kindness to sustained civic collaboration.

Roadmap

Over the coming weeks I will travel sector by sector — education, health, housing, afforestation, and local governance — and lift the curtain on small and medium‑sized organisations doing the hard, quiet work in each place. I will name the sectors now so you know the journey ahead; the specific organisations and their stories will be revealed week by week, followed by a short synthesis that draws practical lessons. Expect field‑level detail, volunteer opportunities, and one simple action you can take after each piece.

Call for nominations

Nominate a local civic organisation Do you know a small trust, collective, or volunteer group doing steady, practical work in education, health, housing, afforestation, or local governance? Tell me about them. I am looking for organisations that operate at city/district level; show measurable local impact; and welcome non‑financial support (volunteers, skills, networks). Send a short note (name, city, 2–3 line description, contact or reference) in the comment box. I will follow up for verification and, if selected, profile them in the series.

Subscribe or follow to receive each instalment; bring your time, skills, and networks — not just money — and help turn attention into durable civic support.

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CIVIC FURNITURE IN INDIA: THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN (NID) EXPERIMENT

 

Origins of a Vision

The National Institute of Design (NID) was born in 1961 out of a unique confluence of visionaries, policymakers, and cultural thinkers who believed design could shape a modern India. Its roots trace back to the India Report (1958) by Charles and Ray Eames, commissioned by the Government of India. The report argued that design was not just about aesthetics but about solving problems, bridging tradition with modernity, and creating dignity in everyday life.

The idea was championed by Pupul Jayakar, cultural advisor to Prime Minister Nehru, and the Sarabhai family of Ahmedabad, especially Gautam and Gira Sarabhai, who saw design as essential to India’s industrial and social growth. Together, they envisioned an institute that would train students to think critically, experiment boldly, and design for the realities of Indian society.

Why Ahmedabad, Why Riverside?

Ahmedabad was chosen deliberately. It was a city with a rich textile heritage, a hub of crafts, and a growing industrial base — the perfect ecosystem for design education. The Sarabhai family’s presence and support made it a natural home.

The riverside campus at Paldi was not incidental. It symbolized openness, flow, and connection. By situating NID beside the Sabarmati River, the founders wanted students to be inspired by the rhythm of life around them — the craftspeople, the industries, the cultural traditions — and to design solutions rooted in India’s lived realities.

The Founding Philosophy

NID’s pedagogy was shaped by early leaders like Dashrath Patel and H. Kumar Vyas, who emphasized learning by doing. Influenced by Bauhaus and international design movements, NID created a curriculum that blended experimentation with social responsibility. Students were trained to design for India’s realities — monsoon rains, crowded streets, diverse cultures — not just for abstract aesthetics.

From the beginning, NID was envisioned as a national experiment in creativity: a crucible where students would pioneer new forms, materials, and ideas, while staying deeply rooted in India’s identity.

Civic Furniture Experiments

Among its many contributions, NID has produced civic furniture prototypes for Indian cities. These designs reflect two guiding principles:

Affordability: Using locally available materials to ensure cost‑effective production and municipal adoption.

Cultural resonance: Designing for Indian habits and climates — shaded seating for hot summers, bins adapted to mixed waste realities, bus shelters resilient to monsoon downpours.

Examples include:

• Bus shelters that dignify waiting and withstand heavy rains.
• Benches that balance durability with comfort on crowded sidewalks.
• Bins that encourage segregation but remain practical in cities with inconsistent waste systems.

Each prototype is a dialogue between design and reality, acknowledging constraints while striving for dignity.

The Larger Philosophy

NID’s civic furniture work embodies a deeper philosophy: design as behavioural architecture. A well‑placed bench encourages patience. A shaded shelter dignifies waiting. A sturdy bollard protects pedestrian space. In India, where civic sense often collapses under infrastructural gaps, these cues are transformative.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has produced some of India’s most influential designers, photographers, and innovators across fashion, product design, communication, and industrial design. Alumni include leaders like Dayanita Singh in photography, Sudhir Sharma in industrial design, Ayush Kasliwal in furniture design, and Sandeep Sangaru in sustainable bamboo innovation.

Notable NID Alumni Across Fields

Design & Industrial Innovation

• Sudhir Sharma – Founder of Design Directions, pioneer in Indian industrial design, worked on medical devices and consumer products.

• Pradyumna Vyas – Former Director of NID, major influence in design education and national policy.

• Ayush Kasliwal – Founder of AKFD Studio, known for furniture and craft‑based product design.

• Sandeep Sangaru – Award‑winning designer specializing in bamboo products, advocate of sustainable design.

• Michael Foley – Founder of Foley Designs, worked extensively on Philips products and medical devices.

Photography & Visual Arts

• Dayanita Singh – Globally renowned photographer, author of 14 books including Privacy, Dream Villa, and Blue Book.

• Ishu Patel – Indian‑Canadian animation filmmaker, educator, and producer; recipient of the Award of Excellence in Animation (2009).

Communication & Product Design

• M.P. Ranjan – Influential design thinker and educator, known for his work in furniture design and design pedagogy.

• Ritesh Gupta – Former VP of Design at Zomato, leader in India’s startup design ecosystem.

• Deep Nishar – Early product leader at LinkedIn, influential in global product strategy.

• Anuj Srivastava – Co‑founder of Livspace, driving product‑led growth in interior design.

Fashion & Lifestyle Influence

While NID is not primarily a fashion school (like NIFT), many alumni have influenced fashion‑adjacent industries through product design, lifestyle branding, and communication design. Their work often bridges craft traditions with modern consumer culture, shaping India’s design identity globally.

Alumni Case Studies

    

Dayanita Singh – Global Photographer

Dayanita Singh - Global Photographer

• Studied visual communication at NID.

• Known internationally for her photo books (Privacy, Dream Villa, Blue Book).

• Her work reframes Indian everyday life into art, making her one of the most respected voices in contemporary photography.

     Ayush Kasliwal – Furniture & Craft Innovator

• Founder of AKFD Studio in Jaipur.

• Designs furniture that blends modern aesthetics with Indian craft traditions.

• His work has been showcased globally, positioning Indian design as both affordable and culturally resonant.

     Sandeep Sangaru – Sustainable Design Leader

• Specializes in bamboo furniture and products.

• Winner of the Red Dot Design Award.

• Advocates for sustainability and rural craft empowerment, proving design can be both ecological and socially impactful.

     Sudhir Sharma – Industrial Design Pioneer

• Founder of Design Directions.

• Worked on medical devices, consumer products, and design strategy.

• A thought leader in India’s industrial design ecosystem.

    M.P. Ranjan – Design Thinker & Educator

• Renowned for his work in furniture design and design pedagogy.

• His writings and teaching shaped generations of designers at NID.

• Advocated for design as a tool for social change, not just commerce.

    Michael Foley – Product Design Leader

• Founder of Foley Designs.

• Known for his work with Philips and medical devices.

• Represents the global reach of NID’s industrial design alumni.

Why These Stories Matter

These alumni embody NID’s founding philosophy: design as problem‑solving, cultural resonance, and nation‑building. From photography to furniture, from sustainability to industrial innovation, they show how NID’s riverside experiment in Ahmedabad has grown into a global design movement.

Closing Thought

The National Institute of Design is more than a school — it is a national experiment in creativity and civic imagination. Its riverside campus in Ahmedabad stands as a symbol of India’s journey to blend tradition with modernity, affordability with dignity, and design with nation‑building.

NID’s civic furniture prototypes remind us that design is not decoration — it is civic architecture. The challenge now is scale: will municipalities adopt these designs widely, or will they remain prototypes in studios? The answer will shape how Indian cities look, feel, and behave in the decades ahead.

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