With a fresh batch of students graduating from the National Institute of Design (NID), there has never been a better time to be a designer. NID teaches students to dream - to dream of a world with better products, and indeed, to dream of a better world. But even more, NID equips students to realize this better world with the tools to turn dreams into beautiful products, human-centered services, and great public spaces.

India is crying out for design to have a greater impact - on the products we use, the companies we work for, the buildings we occupy, the spaces where we interact in public and the lives we lead. I congratulate all our newly-minted designers. I look forward to you, making our future as a country truly a designed one.

The National Institute of Design (NID) is definitely a unique multidisciplinary design school, known admirably for its experimental and an open-learning approach worldwide. Students come here from all across the world, to learn to unlearn their preconceived notions of design as a mere decorative tool, while discovering a much serious subject of problem-solving, from creating opportunities to making policies for the betterment of the nation.

I am indeed happy to see the work of this year’s graduating students; their projects bear testimony to how well they have assimilated the design learning imparted to them at this reputed institute.

Today, NID has proven that, at this juncture of new India, where design can play a crucial role, one can see the rise of a more design-enabled nation. Our young designers have a larger and more responsible role to play.

I am sure that these students will cherish their relationship with NID. The institute will always give primacy to its aim of promoting good design. Design training, research, and the application will always be the key constituents of NID to move ahead with. I wish them all success in creating a more meaningful, constructive and human-centric design journey.

We are living in a dynamic world. The pace of change has never been faster than it is today. And the design is the synonym of change. Design is the starting point for innovation. It helps envision future and make those visions reality. It is the crucial factor of cultural and economic exchange. Design will be the driving force of the creative and experienced economies of the future.

Design institutes across the world are struggling to keep pace with these fast-changing demands and expectations of the economies and the society in general. NID’s unique educational framework helps the institute keep in constant touch with the realities outside, and accordingly revise and update its curriculum. The experienced mentorships, constant support from the staff members coupled with exposure to the best practices of the world help students at the Institute explore, experiment and find new directions. It’s process-driven pedagogical approach founded on conceptual quality, originality, empathy for people and sensitivity to context prepares its students to be the catalysts of these changes.

The diverse range of degree projects this year, from designing products to spaces, interactions, services and experiences, and dealing with tangible as well as intangible expectations, ably demonstrate the capabilities of our graduating students to meet with these rapidly changing demands and expectations. So, my humble message to all the graduating students, while celebrating the euphoria of design, is ‘be the change maker to help improve the quality of life of the people, their surroundings and the society in general’. Wish you all the best.