JKLU boasts a distinguished faculty body comprising experienced academics and industry professionals.
Institute of Design
He is the founding Director of the Institute of Design at JKLU. He is also the President of ADI (Association of Designers of India) for the term 2022-24.
He was the Dean of IILM School of Design in Gurgaon from 2007 to 2010 and has also been a member of the Academic Board for several design institutes, including SPA, New Delhi and Nirma University. He is a regular jury member at NID, NIFT and other places. Bala has been a Design Consultant to Oxfam, where he helped Indian artisans develop products for the European market. He was instrumental in setting up the Prototype Initiative for Design Excellence (PRIDE), the design division at NSIC for the Government of India Initiative. He holds the unique experience of creating one of the first programmes in Design based on digital delivery.
He has designed market-leading products as diverse as tractors and torches for Eveready, Eicher, Usha, Hero Motors, Bajaj, NIF and UNDP. He writes on the subject of Design in leading magazines and newspapers and on his blog.
Read More5-1/2 Year Professional Education Programme, Industrial Design- Product Design
Higher Secondary, Maths, Physics, Chemistry
Have been regularly teaching at NID, Ahmedabad. Subjects include Design Concepts & Concerns, Form Studies, and Design Process for B Des and M Des disciplines.
Have also been an external jury member for graduation projects in Product Design.
Consultant designer to Telekonnectors Ltd, Chennai. Assignments include design and development of new electronic products for the domestic and international markets. Products that were developed and launched include: Headsets (Mono and bi-aural), Tone Testers , Amplifiers, Telephones for export, New speciality mobile phones for the elderly and dyslexic. Role involves form and aesthetic development of the products, colour and graphics, packaging, and prototype development.
Product range includes headsets, telephones, amplifiers and speciality mobile phones.
Advising on programme content, evaluate delivery, suggest staffing requirements and ensure programme quality.
Consultant and Member- Design Advisory Council, advising and evangelizing NIIT's foray into Design education
Currently involved in using Design to make products out of documented innovations.
The institute runs a 4-year programme in Product Design, Communication Design, Interiors & Furniture Design and Textiles & Apparel Design. Some of the achievements include the following:
Design Consultant to Crafts Development Institute, Srinagar appointed by the Govt of India’s Office of the Development Commissioner, for an integrated development project of designing packaging for high-value craft products of Kashmir. Developed a unique repertoire of packaging products that can be locally made by local craftsmen that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.
Have been teaching a variety of subjects at NIFT, Delhi in the Fashion desin and Communication design departments. Has also been a regular jury member for students' project assessments.
Developed and co-created products with artisans for marketing in India and abroad. Products include photo frames, lifestyle products, desk top accessories, etc., Materials include Wood, cane, bamboo, marble and brass.
Design consultant to Cottage Emporium, New Delhi in developing a range of small furniture in wood from Saharanpur. Task included developing easy-to-manufacture range of furniture that are based on the usage patterns of middle-class households.
Design Consultant to NHHDC (Nagaland Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation, Dimapur): The task involved training and developing wood artisans from Dimapur and to strategize design initiatives and design products in wood that have the unique Naga character. The task also included developing a brand, organising an exhibition and test- marketing and developing the markets for these products.
Design Consultant to Anagram Systems, New Delhi. The project was to design an open-office system in steel which involved rationalising the components and production details, designing for better convenience and ergonomics and introduction of new materials for the system.
Briggs Stratton for design of an engine cover for a 100cc Bike. This project involved designing the cover that would suit the manufacturing processes of the industry in Milwaukee, USA., This was the first assignment that was done entirely through long distance exchange of drawings and emails.
Design Consultant for USHA fans. Designed the aesthetics (form, shape, colors and finishes) for a new range of Ceiling Fans. The product has been appreciated for its retro styling and has been successfully launched in the market. Designed a Pedestal and Wall-mounted Air-Circulators for use in public spaces like airports for USHA for manufacturing in their Hyderabad facility in India. The product has been designed for universal appeal, strong outlook, rugged handling, and withstanding public abuse.
Developed lifestyle products in wood by working with award-winning artisans from different parts of the country, The design intervention exercise helped artisans get huge orders from Oxfam Fairtrade shops in UK.
Co-ordinated setting up of PRIDE (Prototype Initiative for Design Excellence), a centre for promoting design amongst small manufacturers and small industries. conceptualising the charecter of the centre, including its name and identity, locating resource persons, putting together an action plan, organising seminars and kick-starting its activities were my main responsibilities.
Designed a flashlight for rural markets which was sold all over India for more than 20 years.
Developed sheet-metal styling and graphics for a tractor that was implemented successfully.
Near Mahindra SEZ,
Mahapura Ajmer Road, Jaipur
– 302 026, Rajasthan, India.
