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

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.

Design as strategic national capability: new NID and collaborative AI, industry and craft initiatives to mainstream innovation. Design is promoted as a strategic national capability with a new National Institute of Design in eastern India to expand design education and link traditional crafts, MSMEs and industry. A five-point agenda sets out to position NIDs as regional knowledge hubs; deepen industry-academic and MSME linkages via design clinics and live cluster projects; create Service and Brand India design labs for citizen-facing services; establish joint AI and frontier-technology design labs with technical institutes; and develop the eastern NID as a model campus driven by public-private partnerships and artisan support.