Mobilising the Future: INITIA Design Studio is India’s Best In-House Design Studio 2023

INITIA Designs is a Mobility Design Studio based in Pune. It is a fully owned entity of the UNO MINDA LTD, A 60-year-old Tier-1 supplier of auto components to global automakers. In addition to collaborating with internal group companies for Creative Design & Innovation support, it also works with external clients providing services in Industrial Design, Digital Modelling, and UI/UX Design.

Project 1 – Project TD223

Showcased at the Auto Components Expo 2023, the objective of TD223 was to demonstrate INITIA Designs’ creative capabilities in conceptualizing, developing, and realizing an all-new electric scooter design. The scope of this project covered the complete development, all the way from initial sketches to a fully functional prototype. The design aimed at a cohesive integration and demonstration of various 2-wheeler components developed independently by the Uno Minda Group companies.

Project 2 – Project TD323

For the past 50 years, the look and feel of 3-wheelers have remained nearly the same. To modernize the 3-wheelers holistically, INITIA wanted to solve functional as well as aspirational problems. They came up with a distinctive design that integrated cost and energy-efficient EV technologies from Uno Minda. They created a fully functional prototype to effectively demonstrate design and technology solutions for a last-mile delivery vehicle. TD323 was showcased in the Auto Expo Components 2023.

Project 3 – Brand Language Development

INITIA undertook a brand Language Development exercise for Commercial Vehicles focused on deriving a purposeful theme, by considering functionality and aesthetics.

The theme had to be visually strong as well as flexible enough to fit across different vehicle segments. As a result of extensive research and benchmarking, a distinctive character was developed for a hypothetical brand, ranging from heavy long-haul truck to small commercial vehicle. The Snap-on panels allow for customisations without disturbing expensive paintwork, while modularity and communisation opportunities address cost sensitivity.

Project 4 – Shared Mobility 2030

As MaaS (Mobility as a Service) systems rapidly gain popularity in India, an exercise was carried out to determine what a shared mobility interior specifically designed for India would look like. The result is a modular, customisable interior that enables diverse social interactions and different levels of privacy, thanks to its rotating seats and fold-away steering rack that creates an interface for passengers. Additionally, zone-controlled ambient lighting personalises and serves as an identification for passenger’s reserved space.

Project 5 – Initia Nitida

The Initia Nitida concept was developed to demonstrate the skills of the INITIA Design Studio showcasing the stages of vehicle development, from sketch to a full 3D model.

While it is an exercise in style, the ergonomics as well as the base technical package have been closely matched to those of a current production sports car, to integrate a serious level of functionality and feasibility. The design concept was simple: ‘A modern supercar that dives forward/jumps ahead, thanks to a dramatic volume distribution.’

Credit: INITIA Design Studio