Sudhir has founded some of the most significant Design initiatives in India.
These are his current engagements:
He founded IndiDesign, a vibrant and very successful Brand Design company; he founded DesignIndia Magazine (earlier known as POOL Magazine,) it is a monthly magazine that focuses on inspiring journeys of IndianDdesigners. The magazine has had over 126 issues and six hard bound books. He founded “India’s Best Design Awards,” which gives unique recognition to the best of Indian design studios and projects. He hosts an yearly event “The Designindia Show,” the event brings together who’s who of the design community together to discuss issues beyond design.
Earlier initiatives:
Sudhir started his professional life by founding “Elephant Design;” with a few other batchmates from NID while still being on Campus in 1989. In his 20 years with Elephant, he built it as the most recognised Design Studio in India. He remains an equal stakeholder in the company though he is not engaged anymore.
Sudhir founded one of the first online social communities in 2002, it was an online design group called “DesignIndia.” DesignIndia actively discussed practice, education, and design issues with some prominent design educators, practitioners, business journalists, and editors. This closed community of 3000 designers, now, is a vibrant community of over 75,000 designers across various social media platforms.
Sudhir founded “Pune Design Festival” (PDF) in 2007, along with another well known designer Manoj Kothari. The event continues to be the backbone of another design community today.
He is mentor and advisor to numerous startups in various domains.
As a member of the India Design Council, Sudhir was a leading member of the taskforce to formulate “iMark” based on the good design mark of Japan. Sudhir led another major initiative “Chartered Designers of India’ which will become a differentiating reputed institution in future.
He is an alumnus of the World Economic Forum and was a member of the World Design Council along with some very well known design thinkers
He is Vice president on the board of WIDC, China; serves as Governing Council member on many design schools. He has been at various positions at CII and MCCIA (commerce chambers)
He has been a juror at many global design and creativity awards in Cannes, Istanbul, New York, Tokyo, Hangzhou, Eindhoven, Singapore, Colombo, HongKong, Hanoi, Seoul, Munich, and Hamburg.
Sudhir has been a part of some very special design and culture related initiatives at Rockefeller Center in Italy.
Currently, he is also a designated “Professor of Practice” at Ajeenkya DY Patil University.