The third edition of Ahmedabad Design Week (ADW)– a melting pot of ideas and insights – organised by Karnavati University, based in Uvarsad, Gandhinagar, is all set to kickstart from February 26 at the varsity’s sprawling campus. The Ahmedabad Design Week will be held on 26th, 27th and 28th February, 2022. Karnavati University is a state private university dedicated to excellence in teaching and is focused on interdisciplinary learning. This year’s theme for ADW 3.0 is Design and Innovation in Defense and Aerospace – a topic of strategic importance.
The event will be inaugurated by the Honourable General MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army; along with Shri Hari Babu Srivastava, Outstanding Scientist and Director General – Technology Management (TM), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), on February 26.
Explaining the rationale behind this year’s theme, Shri Ritesh Hada, President, Karnavati University, said, “ADW 3.0’s themed on Design and Innovation in Defence and Aerospace, is very much in line with Government of India’s mission of achieving Atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing in India.”
“ADW will create a platform for starting a dialogue on the role of design in defence and aerospace, use of emerging technologies and bring together design practitioners, defence sector veterans and innovators to deliberate upon this. This will also be an opportunity to encourage innovators to explore defence sector,” Mr Hada further explained.
ADW is a confluence of design thinkers, thought leaders and practitioners from across the globe and the sole theme of the event is to facilitate discussion, deliberation and identification of scope and the application of design in various domains, fields, and industries.
One of the key highlights of ADW 3.0 will be the final tranche of India’s biggest Defence Startup and Innovation Challenge – the DRDO Defence Innovation Challenge which will be hosted by DRDO in association with Karnavati University. The challenge is aimed at supporting Startups, Micro Small and Medium Entreprises (MSMEs) and innovators to come up with unique solutions and breakthrough technology interventions in National Defence and Aerospace sector. The challenge will encourage participants to create prototypes and enable them to commercialise products and solutions they have developed. The winning teams will be rewarded with prize money and angel funding worth upto Rs 50 crore.
Sharing his thoughts about the event, General MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army, said, “Designing takes the experience of the past, breaks the mould of the present, and looks to create things anew for the future. Wishing ADW 3.0 all the success in taking forward design and development in defence and aerospace sectors.”
Some of the other eminent speakers who would be part of the event include Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon, Former Director General, Defence Intelligence Agency; Dr Sudhir Mishra, Former Director General, CEO and MD, BrahMos Aerospace; Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO; Major General M Indrabalan, Additional Director General NCC, Bihar and Jharkhand NCC and Prahlad Kakkar, Founder, Genesis Film Production, among others.