Showcasing India’s Energy Future: Ujwal Bharat, Urjit Bharat Awarded India’s Best Design Project 2023

India Energy Week 2023, held at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre in February, was a flagship event for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. At the heart of the event was ‘Ujwal Bharat, Urjit Bharat’ or the India Pavilion. The objective was to market brand India to the world, with a lens focused on energy. Working closely with the oil & gas PSUs and the Ministry, the design studio internalised their messaging and content to craft the core message: “India, together for an energised tomorrow.”

Challenge in Energy Presentation

The challenge was clear yet daunting—create an impressive exhibition within a 15,000+ square foot space to tell India’s progressive and ambitious energy story. This challenge came with three significant hurdles:

• A tight timeline of six weeks for design, development, and execution
• The resurgence of COVID-19
• An inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Crafting an Inspiring Pavilion

The message was reflected in the space design, experience design and every story. Each of the four zones at the Pavilion focused on one aspect of India’s energy glory: growth story, energy for all, green energy, and vison for the future and business opportunities. The experience featured a mix of physical (3D-printed models, art, super graphics), digital (videos, holograms, Kinect-powered experiences), and phygital experiences (interactive table with 3D objects, cycles turning kinetic energy into electricity).

Creating a Safe and Immersive Experience

Given the anticipated footfall and COVID-19 concerns, the team designed hands-free experiences facilitated by Kinect technology. Interactions were minimised, and a dedicated service team regularly sanitised shared surfaces using UV boxes. For Prime Minister Modi’s visit, the experience design team meticulously planned an ideal path and coordinated closely with the ministry to draft the walkthrough script. The Prime Minister spent 5-7 minutes in the pavilion, expressing satisfaction with his visit.

Key Experiences at the Pavilion

1. Anamorphic Display Screen at Entrance: Visitors were greeted by a 30-meter long screen displaying stunning particle animations related to growth and sustainability, along with key achievements in India’s energy sector, setting an impactful tone at the outset.
2. The Tree of Life: Inspired by the banyan tree, a central feature in Indian towns, this 21-foot tree symbolised India’s growth in the energy sector. Surrounded by cycles, it generated electricity as visitors pedalled, becoming the pavilion’s most popular attraction.

• A Look Into The Future: The final zone depicted the future of the energy sector from 2030 to 2070. It featured stories of four diverse characters, each representing a sustainable energy source of the future. Massive doodle-style artwork and bioscope-style videos brought these stories to life, providing a headset-free, immersive experience.

India Energy Week 2023’s pavilion successfully showcased India’s energy aspirations and achievements, attracting visits from important global delegates.

Credit: Magineu Experience Studio