XLRI Delhi-NCR today launched a new school of automobile design and management. The new school, named INDEA – Indian School for Design of Automobiles, seeks to create designers and design managers in the field of automobiles. The school will be operational by the end of 2025 and has been established in collaboration with an XLRI alumnus and automotive industry professional Avik Chattopadhyay.
The Masters in Automobile Design and Management will be a one-year postgraduate programme with an intake of 20-25 students every year from all graduate schools through a screening process.
“Currently, the course will be eligible for engineering graduates only but we will consider taking students in the automobile design and management courses from humanities as well in the future,” Dr Fr KS Casimir, Director, XLRI Delhi-NCR Campus told indianexpress.com.
The need to launch the new school in XLRI was driven by the ‘strong post-pandemic revival, evolving consumer tastes and need for sustainable mobility solutions’, XLRI alumnus and automotive industry professional Avik Chattopadhyay said.
INDEA will be offering several courses including a Master’s in Automobile Design and Management, refresher courses for practising designers, inductions opportunities for professionals. A programme in Automobile Restoration is also in the pipeline, the institute said.
The XLRI alumnus further said that with this new programme, students will have a school in India for automobile design and management where they will be nurtured with the best in the industry. “Indian students do not have avenues after they complete their graduation to pursue their dream in designing, and head abroad. With XLRI’s INDEA, students can go further with their learnings and be placed in the design studios across the country and abroad, etc,” he further added.
A critical component of the new school will be the capability to not only “Make in India” but also “Design in India” through highly skilled design talent, he added. The institute claims it to be a ‘first-of-its-kind dedicated finishing school’ for automobile design in India.
The faculty, syllabus and curriculum have not been finalised yet. Designers across the country and abroad will come to the school as visiting faculty typically for 7-10 days every year and business leaders will be involved on a regular basis, the institute said.
The curriculum will be a mix of master classes, workshops, project reviews, industry interactions, global networking and overseas project opportunities.
Courtesy : The Indian Express