Date:01/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/01/stories/2006040121650400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

National Institute of Design opens research centre

Staff Reporter

The Rs. 4.8-crore facility has been established in Bangalore

The centre will deal with product innovation and design business incubation
Automobile and transportation design will receive special attention
The centre will conduct programmes for professionals in the field
The first phase of campus construction was supported by the Union Government
The centre will deal with product innovation and design-business incubation

It will hold programmes for professionals

Bangalore: The National Institute of Design has established a Rs. 4.8-crore research and development centre in Bangalore.

The centre, which will be a platform for design research exploring user-centric aspects, ergonomics and graphics, was inaugurated on Friday by Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.

According to Executive Director of the National Institute of Design (NID) Darlie O. Koshy, the first phase of the campus construction was supported by the Union departments of Industrial Policy and Promotion, and Communication and Technology. The R&D unit, which will adopt the "design for majority" approach, will deal with product design and innovation, and design-business incubation.

It will focus on understanding research and its relationship with education, and carry out research, consultancy and modular programmes for practising professionals on issues of interface design for software development, designing of automatic systems, Web design and IT (information technology) enabled services. The R&D centre will facilitate fusion of high-tech design. Areas for applied research have been identified through research units. Concentrating on manufacturing product innovation, the NID will explore the domestic market and be involved in creation of more human-machine interfaces.

Students will be drawn into direct industrial projects, and talks are on with Yahoo, Titan, Tata Elexi and units in the Peenya Industrial Estate. The industry programme block will offer research-focussed short-term programmes. Workshops will be conducted by national and international experts.

The NID will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute, Bangalore, for design intervention in manufacturing technology and related areas. Automobile and transport design will receive special attention at the R&D unit.