City PunePune by night

India Studio

India Studio: L’École de design Nantes Atlantique in Pune

 The India Studio is, after China, the second permanent branch of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique to have opened its doors abroad, in 2010 in Bangalore. The Studio moved to Delhi, the country's capital, in 2014, before moving to Pune in 2018. 

India Studio: creation in full swing

India, a country of many superlatives and countless facets, offe rs a unique life experience. In the midst of this frenzy, Pune boasts the highest concentration of students in the entire Indian subcontinent, which gives it a unique dynamism. Industrial and technological creative professions are very well represented here and the whole region has become a reference point for Indian design.

Students at work India

The site: The MIT Institute of design, a campus for studying and practicing design

Located 148 km southeast of Mumbai (Bombay), near the western coast of India, Pune, with its 5 million inhabitants, is the cultural capital of the state of Maharashtra. With its wealth of product designers (especially in transport design), interior designers, architects, scenographers and fashion designers, the city offers great prospects for collaborations, internships and partnerships for the students of the India Studio's International Design Strategy master's program.

Since 2018, students benefit from the facilities of the MIT Institute of Design and have a dedicated studio. The MIT Institute of Design has more than 1200 design students in various Bachelors and Masters programs, with specialties ranging from UX Design, Product Design, Transportation Design, Fashion Design, Film & Video Design... The MIT Institute of Design's international network and industry network are also the best in the Indian subcontinent. The MIT Institute of Design itself is part of a larger campus, which includes numerous higher education institutes, a school, a hospital, and a large sports complex that all students can enjoy.

BuildingM.I.T. Campus Institute of Design in Pune

The International Design Strategy / India Studio Master's Degree  

A unique two-year master's program specialized in International Design Strategy

This program leads to a 5-year design degree, approved by the Minister of Higher Education and Research, and confers the grade of Master, just like all of the school's Master's programs. The curriculum is structured over four semesters with a view to integrating students into the local context. The courses, taught in English, follow the same course structure as the other Master's programs, with the exception of the first semester, which consists of an integration seminar followed by a four to six month internship in India.

A program focused on social innovation, frugality and Design Thinking

The India Studio's International Design Strategy program offers students a unique opportunity to specialize in social innovation and design thinking. In India, students experience design practice as a lever for positive social impact on everyday life and in the professional world, with a systemic approach. Students will be expected to understand the Indian and international context, and thus conceive coherent design projects, adapted to users from different cultures.

5 good reasons to study design at the India Studio

Our International Design Strategy master's program in Pune is a long immersion program for students who have completed three years of studies in space design, product design, graphic design or digital design at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique or elsewhere.

Here are 5 good reasons to pursue your design studies at the India Studio:

  • India, a giant in the making

In recent decades, medical progress and the decline of famines have allowed India to experience unprecedented demographic growth on a global scale. A member of BRICS (along with Brazil and China, two other countries in which L'École de design Nantes Atlantique has international studios), India is relying on strong economic growth and a huge domestic market to become one of the key players in the global economy. While there are still many challenges to be met, the high demand for design professionals offers extensive opportunities for young designers, both during and after their studies.

  • Pune, the “Oxford of the East”

Pune, located less than 150 kilometers from Bombay - India's most populous city - is a true education hub. Every year, it welcomes about 24,000 foreign students, which is more than the total number of foreign students in the rest of the country. This large student population contributes to the dynamism of the city, which has earned it the nickname of "Oxford of the East".

  • A privileged environment

The city of Pune is often ranked in the national pole position in terms of quality of life and quality of its infrastructure. It is, for example, India's most forested megacity. The city also offers an intense, inspiring and multifaceted cultural experience with iconic places like the Shaniwar Wada Fort and the Temple of Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati. Finally, Pune has a special charm, certainly related to the quaint old houses and historic quarters.

  • A professional training course

The curriculum of the International Design Strategy India Studio master's program is based on close collaboration with the professional world. This is characterized by collaborative projects, internships, but also the involvement of professional designers and lecturers from the most prestigious Indian or international companies and design studios.

  • Exploring the relationship between design and culture

During their studies in Pune, the students of the International Design Strategy master's program are confronted with the problems of India's cultural and artisanal heritage. Here, traditions are very strong and must coexist with fast-paced modernization, urbanization and globalization. The challenge for the designer is to explore materials, natural resources and ancient craft techniques to turn them into levers of innovation. Combined with new technologies, these levers allow the designer to imagine appropriate and innovative solutions to respond to the country's current and future problems (housing, mobility, education, health, etc.).

Local life PuneDaily life is very affordable in India
Models students IndiaA model workshop at MIT Pune
Work and culture IndiaIndia offers the opportunity for a true cross-cultural experience

Learn more about India Studio

Address:

MIT Institute of Design 

"Rajbaug", Loni-Kalbhor, Pune-412201

 

The India Studio environment and facilities

The site of the MIT Institute of Design, India Studio's partner since 2018, is located on the outskirts of the city of Pune and is easily accessible by taxi, which are easy to find and very affordable. Some students, however, prefer to live on campus, in order to save time and not have to rely on transportation to get to class.

Within the MIT Institute of Design, the Studio's students have access to a large library, numerous workspaces, conference rooms, workshops for experimenting with various materials and techniques, computer labs, a printing area, as well as a store where they can buy materials for fine arts, painting, calligraphy, etc. All of these facilities are available to students in the International Design Strategy master's program and to Indian students at the MIT Institute of Design. In addition, L'École de design Nantes Atlantique has its own dedicated studio

The presence of Indian and international professors and lecturers gives the place an ever-renewed interest, and it is not uncommon to see visitors from all over the world.

The teaching staff

The India Studio's teaching team is composed of Indian and international professionals with rich and varied backgrounds.

On a regular basis, during the course of their studies, students also benefit from the expertise of a number of visiting lecturers, who also happen to work in local studios, firms and institutions.

Studio partners

Our local and international partners in India assist us with applied projects and the provision of lecturers and jury members. Thanks to their involvement, students benefit from numerous contacts for their internships and can carry out field projects, which give them the opportunity to work in teams on concrete subjects

By sending professionals to supervise their work and discuss their end-of-studies project with them, the companies play a mentoring role with the students. Specialists are also assigned to address various design-related issues.

Industrial partners

Groupe Atlantic, Prithivi Tea Growers, Decathlon, EFD Induction, Embrace, Kenwood, Lumiplan, Samsung.

 

Design agency partners

Quicksand, Turian Labs, Ant Studio, Anthill Creations, Lemon Design, Vitamin-D Studio, Farside Collective, Wolffkraft Design Studio, SAR Studio, Gudgudee, Sangaru Design Studio, TIFA Working Studios, Cotton Rack, Raw Mango, Nor Black Nor White, Yellow Slice, Digital Impact Square (DISQ).

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Updated on 25.01.23