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Sudhakar Nadkarni and the making of Indian design

Over seven decades, the designer, teacher and institution-builder transformed the way design was taught and practised in India

Ever a strict disciplinarian, there was also something of the maverick about him.

4 min read Oct 27, 2026 06:26 PM IST First published on: Oct 27, 2026 at 06:26 PM IST

By Anil Zankar

I heard of Professor Sudhakar Nadkarni in 2017, when he received a lifetime award from IISc. What little information came my way triggered my curiosity about him, leading me to his book The Design Journey . This professional autobiography of a designer made me marvel at his achievements, the longevity of his career and the sheer energy with which he worked. Also striking was his tendency to always acknowledge his colleagues’ contributions. Most of his endeavours were collective efforts, with credits shared fairly. Subsequently, I decided to film him and obtained some marvellous footage from his long interviews.…