In an exclusive conversation with NamasteCar, automotive designer, strategist, and educator Avik Chattopadhyay reflects on a journey that spans iconic projects like the Maruti Suzuki Zen Carbon & Steel, global brand roles with Volkswagen and Stellantis, and now, the founding of INDEA — India’s first super-specialisation school for automobile design. From blending art and engineering to redefining India’s design education landscape, he shares how purpose, perception, and performance continue to drive his philosophy — and why the next big automotive revolution will be designed, not just made, in India.
Early Inspirations & Career Path
What first drew you towards automobiles, was it the engineering, the design, or the storytelling around them?
From the very beginning, what drew me towards automobiles was the power of design. Design integrates everything, the engineering that makes the machine work, the aesthetics that create identity, and the story that connects emotionally with people. Cars are not simply assembled products; they are designed experiences.
Your time at Maruti Suzuki saw you work on the very special Zen Carbon & Steel editions, which are now cult classics. What was the design and brand thinking behind those cars, and how do you feel about their legacy today?
The Zen Carbon and Steel editions at Maruti Suzuki are close to my heart because they showed how design, both exterior and interior, can transform perception without changing the fundamental platform. Those cars became cult classics because they offered distinctiveness and emotional resonance, proving that design differentiation can create legacy.
Having moved from product-centric roles to brand strategy across industries, how did your perspective on “what makes a car desirable” evolve?
As I moved from product-centric roles to brand and business strategy, my perspective on desirability broadened. I realised that desirability comes from balancing purpose, perception, and performance. Beyond how a car drives, it is about the story its design tells and the identity it creates.
Brand & Design Philosophy
You’ve often spoken about aligning purpose, perception, and performance. Could you share an example from your career where this “PPP balance” made a breakthrough difference in an automotive brand’s journey?
A strong example of the purpose–perception–performance balance is the SUV phenomenon in India. The purpose was not rugged off-roading but comfort, visibility, and security. Design allowed the same engineering platform to offer a hatchback on one hand and a mini-SUV on the other, meeting different consumer desires. That is the transformative power of design.
In a world where automotive design is increasingly dictated by aerodynamics, safety, and regulations, how do you preserve creative freedom without compromising practical constraints?
Constraints like aerodynamics and safety are not roadblocks to creativity; they are opportunities to innovate. For instance, the challenge of high SUV bonnets is not solved by limiting design but by integrating technologies such as sensors and cameras to make vehicles safer while retaining their appeal.
With the rise of electric and autonomous mobility, how do you see automotive design language changing over the next decade — both globally and in India?
Looking ahead, the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles will shift design language dramatically. Interiors will become even more important, as the car evolves into both a living space and an interface. Exteriors and interiors will need to tell one continuous story, reflecting not only technology but also cultural identity.
INDEA & Education Vision
INDEA is India’s first dedicated super-specialisation school for automobile design. What gap in the education ecosystem convinced you that this was the right time and place to launch it?
India’s automobile industry is globally respected for manufacturing and engineering, but design has remained the last frontier. INDEA was born out of the need to complete that journey and move from “Make in India” to “Create in India.” The school is designed to provide a steady pipeline of world-class design talent.
You’ve chosen to base INDEA in Jhajjar, Haryana, away from the usual metro education hubs. Was that a conscious decision linked to your vision for the school’s culture and industry connect?
The location in Jhajjar, Haryana, close to the NCR automotive cluster, ensures that students are deeply integrated into the industry. Also, being a part of the sprawling XLRI campus in Jhajjar gives students and faculty the required eco-system to flourish in.
How will INDEA’s curriculum balance the intuitive creativity of young designers with the industrial and business realities of automotive manufacturing?
We will offer a master’s course in advanced design and design management which will be unique definitely in Asia if not the world. The curriculum combines XLRI’s strength in management—covering consumer research, anthropology, and team dynamics—with studio training, clay modelling, and prototyping. This balance ensures that intuitive creativity is shaped by industrial and business realities.
Can you share more about how INDEA will bring real industry projects and working prototypes into the classroom experience?
Partnerships with leading technology providers such as Kolb Engineering, Hexagon, Wacom, and Formlabs combined with rich industry interface in the form of visiting faculty and executive programmes will enable students to work on real projects and build working prototypes. This hands-on approach ensures that every graduate is industry-ready from day one.
Global Perspective & Industry Insights
Having worked with global giants like Volkswagen, Stellantis, and ExxonMobil, what do you think Indian automotive brands can learn from international markets — and what can the world learn from India?
From my global experiences, I believe Indian brands can learn from international markets the value of process-driven design integration. Also the manic focus on the brand purpose and promise. Conversely, the world can learn from India’s ability to deliver high-value design within constraints, and from the maturity of our two-wheeler design segment.
From your global brand strategy experience at Saffron, what are the most common mistakes automotive brands make when trying to create a “premium” perception?
A common mistake in building a premium perception is to equate it only with surface-level aesthetics. True premium lies in aligning interiors, brand story, and overall user experience over time. Most importantly, you cannot declare yourself a premium brand. The customer has to accept you as one based on the ownership experience in terms of quality, consistency and sustainability.
You’ve been a vocal commentator on policy and mobility. In your view, what is the single most impactful policy change India could make to accelerate sustainable mobility adoption?
If I had to choose one impactful policy change for sustainable mobility, it would be to promote the integration of design and technology for safety and sustainability in public transport. Incentivising the adoption of pedestrian safety systems, alongside sustainable energy, would make a meaningful difference to both public and private transport. Mobility has to be a medium for the greater good of communities, society and the economy.
Personal Creativity & Passions
You’re an avid sketch artist. How does sketching influence your work in brand strategy and design thinking?
Sketching has always been central to how I think. It sharpens the ability to visualise concepts holistically, ensuring that every line or curve is part of a complete story. And I sketch anything and everything, as part of my daily conceptualisation, though am not trained in the skill at all.
Football and music are also close to your heart. Do you see parallels between team sports, music, and the process of designing a great car?
Football and music, too, provide strong parallels to car design. Just as a team or orchestra needs harmony, every aspect of a car—from interiors to exteriors to engineering—must work together seamlessly. One dissonant element can disrupt the entire experience. Also, there is no one best style or genre. It is the variety of styles of play and instruments and cultures and genres that make the world a far better place. Fusion and positive influences have nurtured civilizations and cultures.
Your book “52@52” explores diverse topics from design to public policy. If you had to write a chapter today specifically on the future of Indian automotive design, what would its title be?
If I were to write a new chapter on the future of Indian automotive design, I would title it: “From Make in India to Create in India: Design as the Final Frontier.”
Looking Ahead
What do you see as the next “Zen Carbon & Steel moment” for the Indian auto industry — a product so unique that it becomes an instant collector’s piece?
The next “Zen Carbon and Steel moment” will likely come from an entry level electric vehicle that combines affordability with aspirational design and a wholesome experience, making design the true differentiator in the mass market.
If you could mentor just one student at INDEA who would go on to create India’s first globally iconic car design, what would be the single most important lesson you’d want them to carry?
If I were to mentor just one student at INDEA, I would tell him or her that design is not only about aesthetics but about function, emotion, and memorability. What the world will remember is not how a car was made, but how it made people feel. And to do that you need to first be a good human being.only then can you become a good designer.
Finally, if you could design a car that blends every lesson you’ve learned in your career so far, what would it look like — and who would it be for?
If I could design one vehicle to bring together everything I have learned till now, it would be a modular solution that incorporates a personal vehicle in a mode of public transport – human-centric, technology-integrated, H2-solar.
If you had to curate your personal ‘garage of today’ — five cars currently on sale anywhere in the world that excite you the most — which ones would make the cut, and why?
In my garage of “today”, I would have a collection of 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers. The latter are a much more sustainable mode of transport. If I can afford, I would have a Zeekr Mix, an Audi Concept C, a Citroen Ami, an Ather Ritza and a Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RR.
