Nissan brings its global “Roots of Design” initiative to India

Chennai: With an objective to encourage children to explore career opportunities in arts, design and creativity, Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President for Global Design at Nissan Motor Co., launched the “Roots of Design” program in India at Chennai Public School, Anna Nagar Campus in Chennai. After successfully engaging with aspiring students across schools in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and Beijing, the initiative is being introduced for the first time in India.

Spearheaded by Nissan Design along with Alfonso Albaisa, the program is aimed at inspiring the next generation of creators and developing a different perspective towards design and creativity to solve new problems in the automotive industry. The session by Alfonso was attended by students from Class 11th and 12th at Chennai Public School, their parents and staff members. Albaisa shared the story of his career with the students, providing them with a first-person example of the exciting opportunities that a career in design can offer. He also gave an overview of the history of automotive design, Nissan’s design philosophy, and the future auto industry trends like artificial intelligence and automation.

The world around is changing fast and so is the auto industry. Cities we live in are becoming smarter and more connected. This in turn is affecting how consumers engage with objects around them and how they view mobility solutions to address their needs. Designers will therefore play a key role in what the future looks like, not just in the auto industry, but across technology, infrastructure, electronics, consumer durables and more. Through “Roots of Design”, Nissan aims to open doors to the world of design and the numerous opportunities it offers for aspiring students across the globe.

A report by British Council in partnership with Design Council of India pegged the potential market for design in India to touch INR 188.32 billion (GBP 1.43 billion) by 2020. Only about a fifth of this market is currently being tapped. The fact that from a handful in 2010, the number of design institutions has grown to over 70 by 2016 is a testimony to the growing need of talent in this industry.