Convening design leaders, industry experts and policymakers from across India, the 25th CII Global Design Summit took place from 26–27 November 2025 in Bengaluru (India). Hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), this landmark edition celebrated 25 years of design leadership under the theme of Design for the 4Ps: People – Planet – Purpose – Profitability.
The summit opened with an insightful panel featuring WDO President and CII Senior Advisor Prof. Pradyumna Vyas, Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo and Raj Menda, Chairman of RM. Emphasizing India’s potential to lead in frugal innovation, Prof. Vyas highlighted design’s unique position at the intersection of society, culture, technology and industry, describing it as a bridge between academia, industry and governance.
He encouraged designers to create “design by the people of India, of the people of India, for the world,” affirming that the future belongs to designers who are prepared to engage with a more connected world. This was followed by a leadership conversation on Designing India’s Future led by Udayant Malhoutra, CEO & Managing Director of Dynamatic Technologies Limited.
The event also featured a design talk from Oliver Lin, Vice President of Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) and WDO Board Member and Treasurer, who shared how Taiwan has harnessed design as a strategic tool for city transformation, economic growth and cultural identity. Using the City Design Power Index, Lin illustrated the impact of design on urban environments, highlighting projects like the 2025 Taiwan Design Expo in Changhua. Lin emphasized TDRI’s mission to “change Taiwan by design, one city every year,” with Changhua being the seventh city.
The session concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TDRI and CII, marking another step forward in international collaboration on design-led urban innovation.
The first day concluded with the Design Excellence Award Felicitation, presented by Prof. Vyas, Udayant Malhoutra and Prof. Hari Nair, Founding Grand Jury Member, CII Design Excellence Awards 2025 and CEO & Chief Design Officer of Design For Winning.
On the second day, the Summit explored design’s critical role in fostering livable, resilient urban environments. A gamified panel moderated by Sonia Manchanda, WDO Board Member and Founding Partner of Spread, highlighted how humanity-centred approaches, responsible design, and strong partnerships can address challenges of rapid urbanization, climate change and inclusivity.
Panelists included Oliver Lin, Shashwath Bolar, Head of Design at Greaves Electric Mobility; Gayathri Kupendra Reddy, Founder of NOW Ventures Studio and KReate Foundation; Samir Chabukswar, Founder and CEO of Yuj Designs and Snehal Pawar, Head of Design at Asia Alstom.
The panel examined the city as a living system, emphasizing the restoration of “lovability” through mobility, workability, livability, adaptability, and sustainability. Audience contributions were also captured to inform the next phase of the World Design Protopolis Bengaluru programme, reflecting collaborative visions for future-ready cities.
