IIT Guwahati Honors Founding Design Head Sudhakar Nadkarni

Guwahati: IIT Guwahati honored Professor Sudhakar Nadkarni, the pioneer who built its Department of Design. He died in Mumbai at 88. Nadkarni ran the department from 1997 to 2003.

He left his mark on the school. Nadkarni designed the IIT Guwahati logo, convocation robes, and degree medals. He also guided the look of campus festivals Techniche and Alcheringa. The institute credited him with shaping its core identity and culture. The school stated, "design should go beyond aesthetics and objects to shape institutional identity, values and experiences."

Nadkarni started the department in 1997 after leaving IIT Bombay. His B.Des. course was the first undergraduate design program across all IITs. He studied Commercial Art in Bombay and Product Design in Ulm, Germany, before working at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad.

Over five decades, he started three major programs. These include the M.Des. program at IIT Bombay, the B.Des. at IIT Guwahati, and a design management course at Welingkar Institute of Management in Mumbai. He worked in visual communication, product design, and crafts while mentoring generations of professionals. His book, By Design, covers his career and experiences.