**Executive Summary**
This document outlines the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal's vision for design to play a pivotal role in India's development over the next decade. Key initiatives include the establishment of a new National Institute of Design in Eastern India and a five-point roadmap to foster design innovation, AI labs, and industry collaboration, aiming to integrate India's cultural diversity into globally competitive products by 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Design as a Strategic National Capability:**
* Design should be viewed as a strategic national capability, not just cosmetic enhancement.
* It is crucial for connecting technology with people and translating ideas into impactful systems, products, and experiences.
* Integrating design as a core national capability is essential for realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
* **Leveraging India's Diversity:**
* India's cultural diversity is its greatest strength and design capital.
* Integrating this diversity into contemporary design can create unique global products difficult to replicate.
* **National Institute of Design (NID) Enhancements:**
* The NID has evolved into a national network and an Institution of National Importance.
* It now focuses on solving technical and social challenges, beyond aesthetic design.
* A new NID is being established in Eastern India to address the shortage of trained designers and democratize access to design education.
* The eastern region NID will connect traditional craft clusters, MSMEs, and emerging industries with design education, supporting artisans and MSMEs.
* **Design Education Principles:**
* Design education should incorporate Indian culture and civilizational knowledge.
* Design plays a critical role in achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and building a strong, globally recognized Brand India.
* **Addressing Technological Advancements:**
* Thoughtful design is necessary to mitigate potential inequalities and usability issues arising from technologies like AI and robotics.
* A collective effort is needed to prepare the Indian mindset for adopting new technologies for national benefit.
* **Five-Point Roadmap for Design Innovation:**
1. **NID as Knowledge Hubs:** Position NIDs as knowledge hubs for Indian design, promoting innovative design across regions.
2. **Industry-Academia Linkages:** Deepen linkages with industry (especially MSMEs) and academia through design clinics and live cluster projects. Make design accessible to citizens, artisans, and weavers.
3. **Service and Brand India Design Labs:** Create labs to improve citizen experience in governance, tourism, and healthcare.
4. **AI and Frontier Technology Labs:** Establish joint AI and frontier technology design labs with technical institutes to expand student-industry linkages.
5. **Eastern NID as a Model Campus:** Develop the new eastern NID as a model promoting public-private partnerships and supporting organizations working with artisans and handloom sectors.
**Impact Analysis**
* **The Nation and Citizens**
* **Impact:** Citizens will benefit from enhanced experiences in governance, tourism, and healthcare through design innovations. The nation's economic growth will be boosted through stronger design capabilities and globally competitive products. Youth will have better career opportunities and a more skilled workforce.
* **Action Required:** Citizens will indirectly benefit from improved services and products. The general populace should be aware of the initiative to foster a design-conscious mindset.
* **Indian Industries, especially MSMEs and Artisans**
* **Impact:** MSMEs will be supported in diversifying their products and moving up the value chain. Artisans and handicraft/handloom weavers will have better access to design education and support systems, improving their livelihoods and market reach.
* **Action Required:** Actively engage with design clinics, live cluster projects, and NID initiatives. Embrace cutting-edge design education to enhance product offerings and market competitiveness.
* **Higher Education Institutions and Students (especially STEM and Design graduates)**
* **Impact:** Students will have improved access to world-class design education and opportunities for collaboration with industry. STEM graduates will find new avenues to apply their skills through design, contributing to nation-building.
* **Action Required:** Students should leverage the expanded NID network and AI/frontier technology labs. Academic institutions should foster deeper linkages with industry.
* **Government and Policymakers**
* **Impact:** The government will be able to strengthen its position as a driver of design innovation and national development. Policy frameworks will be developed to support design education and industry collaboration.
* **Action Required:** Implement the proposed five-point roadmap. Foster public-private partnerships and support relevant organizations. Continuously monitor and adapt policies to support the evolving design landscape.
Key Entities Referenced
National Institute of Design: Institutions focused on design education, with a network across India and a new campus being established in eastern India.
Shri Piyush Goyal: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, who is making statements and proposals regarding design's role in India's development.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry: The ministry represented by Shri Piyush Goyal, indicating the government body overseeing the discussed policies.
Viksit Bharat by 2047: A national vision for India to become a developed nation by 2047, with design integration as a key component.
Atmanirbhar Bharat: A national initiative for self-reliance, where design plays a critical role.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Design to Play Key Role in India’s Decisive
Decade of Development: Union Minister of
Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal
Integrating India’s Cultural Diversity with Contemporary
Design Can Create Unique Global Products: Shri Piyush
Goyal
Shri Piyush Goyal Suggests Five-Point Roadmap to Promote
Design Innovation, AI Labs and Industry Collaboration
Posted On: 09 MAR 2026 7:36PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal today said that India is entering a decisive
decade of development and emphasised that design must be treated not merely as a cosmetic enhancement
but as a strategic national capability that connects technology with people and translates ideas into
impactful systems, products and experiences.
Addressing the Post Budget Webinar 2026 on the New National Institute of Design in New Delhi today,
the Minister said that India’s demographic dividend, with an average age of about 28 and a half years,
along with the technological strength provided by nearly 2.3 million STEM graduates every year, is
emerging as a force multiplier for the Indian economy. He said these strengths will help take India’s
growth story to the remotest parts of the country and expand India’s engagement with the rest of the
world. He added that the vision of building a developed nation, Viksit Bharat by 2047, will be realised
when design is integrated as a core national capability.
Shri Goyal highlighted that India’s greatest strength lies in its diversity. Every few kilometres, he noted,
the country’s culture, food, textiles, languages and dialects change, and this rich heritage represents India’s
greatest design capital. By integrating this diversity into contemporary design, he said, India can create
products and experiences that are unique and difficult for the world to replicate.
Referring to the National Institute of Design, the Minister said that over the last decade it has transformed
from a single premier institution into a national network and an Institution of National Importance. He
said the institute has moved beyond aesthetic design to solving technical and social challenges and has
strengthened its reputation as a leading design school.
Highlighting the provisions in this year’s Budget, Shri Goyal said that the Government has announced the
establishment of a new National Institute of Design in the eastern part of India. He noted that while the
design industry in the country is expanding rapidly, there is still a shortage of trained Indian designers who
can meet the needs of the growing economy and contribute to the global design discourse. The new
institute, he said, reflects the Government’s commitment to bridge this gap and democratise access to
world-class design education.The Minister observed that the eastern region of India is a powerhouse of culture, crafts, textiles and
industry. However, due to the absence of a strong design ecosystem in the past, the region’s full potential
could not be realised. He said the new NID will connect traditional craft clusters, MSMEs and emerging
industries with cutting-edge design education. It will also support artisans in moving up the value chain
and help MSMEs diversify their products.
Shri Goyal emphasised that the vision for design education goes beyond the establishment of a single
campus. He said Indian culture and civilisational knowledge must be placed at the heart of design
education rather than being treated as an optional component. He noted that design plays a critical role in
the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and in building a strong Brand India recognised globally for quality,
innovation, new products and new technologies.
Referring to the changing global technological landscape shaped by artificial intelligence, immersive
media and robotics, the Minister said that technology without thoughtful design could deepen inequality
and reduce usability. He stressed the need for a collective effort to prepare the Indian mindset to adopt
new technologies and use them for the benefit of 1.4 billion citizens while creating a better future for the
country’s youth.
Addressing young designers and students, Shri Goyal said that they are not merely preparing for careers
but are contributing to nation building. He added that the choices designers make in products, services and
digital interfaces will shape how India is experienced by its own people.
The Minister also proposed a five-point agenda to translate the vision for design into action.
First, he suggested positioning the National Institutes of Design as knowledge hubs for Indian design and
using each of these campuses to promote the importance of innovative design among people in different
regions across the country.
Second, he emphasised the need to deepen industry, particularly MSME, and academic linkages. He
suggested the establishment of design clinics and the development of live cluster projects. He added that
design must be made simple and accessible so that the common citizen, handicraft and handloom weavers,
and traditional workers can engage with it and help define the India story.
Third, he proposed the creation of service and Brand India design labs to improve the citizen experience in
governance, tourism and healthcare.
Fourth, he called for the establishment of joint artificial intelligence and frontier technology design labs in
collaboration with technical institutes so that linkages between students and industry can be expanded.
Fifth, he emphasised that the new National Institute of Design in eastern India must be developed as a
model campus that promotes public–private partnerships and also supports not-for-profit organisations
working among artisans and the handicraft and handloom sectors.
Shri Goyal expressed confidence that discussions during the webinar would help produce a clear roadmap
to make design a central pillar of India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. He said the new
National Institute of Design should emerge as a global symbol of innovation rooted in India’s rich
traditions.
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Abhishek Dayal/ Garima Singh/ Ishita Biswas
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