Jaipur Design Week 2026 Concludes at JKLU with a Celebration of Innovation, Heritage, and Emerging Design Talent

Jaipur: JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU) has successfully concluded Jaipur Design Week 2026, held from April 4 to April 11 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, under the theme Make it Max. The campus was transformed into a living laboratory where students, educators, and practitioners engaged in immersive design-led dialogue, experimentation, and collaboration.
The opening day featured a keynote and workshop by multi-award-winning animation film director, Suresh Eriyat, followed by creative sessions with artist Abhijit Paul and Microsoft Senior UX Designer Bindiya Mutum, along with a stand-up comedy performance on DESIGN titled Bheda Fry by designer Chandrashekhar Bheda.
Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Vijaysekhar Chellaboina, Vice Chancellor of JKLU, said, “Jaipur Design Week 2026 has once again demonstrated how design education can go beyond classrooms to become a lived, collaborative experience that shapes responsible and future-ready creators.”
The ThoughtSpot series brought together leaders including Tanu Sinha of PepsiCo India, designers Paul Sandip, Suhasini Paul, and Gajesh Mitkari, and featured the launch of a book on Jawaja, by Ashoke Chatterjee, highlighting conversations on design, culture, storytelling, and social impact.
Open Studios hosted immersive electives led by legendary puppeteer Padma Shri Dadi Pudumjee and other top experts including, Margie Sastry, Radhika Gupta, Kavya Agarwal and Jishnu Roy. Ayush Kasliwal, Sudebi Thakurata and Sumit Baruah conducted 3-hour workshops on different aspects of design.
In keeping with the tradition of celebrating emerging talent and innovation in Indian design, JDW 2026 honoured Mubassirah Khalid Khatri, the first female Ajrakh artisan who was also featured in Forbes India’s 30 under 30 list, with the Emerging Designer of the Year Award.
This edition of Jaipur Design Week at JKLU reaffirmed its position as a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary learning, critical inquiry, and creative collaboration. By bringing together leading voices from animation, UX design, industrial practice, branding, puppetry, and craft, JDW 2026 fostered an environment where ideas were not only shared but actively tested and reimagined through dialogue and making.
“This edition of JDW reflected the strength of interdisciplinary thinking, where craft, technology, and storytelling came together to redefine how we understand design in a contemporary context,” said A. Balasubramaniam, Director, Institute of Design, JKLU.
The week’s immersive format encouraged meaningful engagement between students, educators, and practitioners. As the event drew to a close, it left behind a strengthened community of emerging designers and thought leaders, a renewed commitment to socially responsive design practice, and a shared vision for shaping more inclusive, innovative, and culturally grounded futures through design.