The Indian Institute of Art & Design (IIAD) marked its evolution into University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT) recently with an evening of music, craft and conversation at Bikaner House, New Delhi which featured live performances steeped in soulful sufi music by Madan Gopal Singh and ensemble Chaar Yaar.
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L to R – Leena Singh, Cofounder of Ashima-Leena, Shovana Narayan Padma Bhushan Recipient & Kathak exponent, Jitin Chadha, Pro Chancellor UDIT and Samar Jodhi at UDIT’s celebratory evening
The celebratory evening was graced with the presence of eminent dignitaries from the creative, academic, arts and cultural community like Dr. Jitin Chadha (Pro Chancellor, UDIT), Rhea Jay Singh, Leena Singh (Co-Founder, Ashima-Leena), Sunil Sethi (Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India), Amitabh Kant (Former CEO, NITI Ayog and Ex-G20 Sherpa, Government of India), Rita Chadha, Ajit Singh Chadha (Chancellor, UDIT), Shovana Narayan (Padma Bhushan Recipient & renowned Kathak exponent), Sharon Lowen (Eminent American-born Indian Classical Dancer and Cultural Ambassador; Exponent of Odissi, Manipuri & Chhau) and Jatin Das (Padma Bhushan recipient and celebrated painter, muralist and artist). Also present at the event were Ashwajit Singh (Founder & Managing Director of IPE Global) and Nalini Singh (Senior journalist & media entrepreneur and Founder of Synergy Media Entertainment) among others.
Bringing together distinctive practitioners from across design, education and the arts, The Transition positioned itself as a moment of continuity, carrying forward a decade of practice while opening into new academic possibilities and creating space for dialogue. The evening opened with a visual retrospective of the institution’s decade-long celebration, a culinary programme inspired by Shahjahanabad and live musical performances, creating a setting for dialogue and exchange. A live performance by Madan Gopal Singh & Chaar Yaar anchored the occasion with a second musical showcase featuring Gazi Khan Barna and Sawai Khan on khartal, Thanu Khan Manganiyar on bhapang, morchang and vocals, with Rhea Jay Singh, blending traditional forms with contemporary interpretation.
Marking the occasion, Dr. Jitin Chadha, Pro-Chancellor, UDIT, described the university as an evolution made possible by the collective efforts of the IIAD family, past and present. Reflecting on the decade-long journey from IIAD to UDIT, he noted, “This celebratory evening marks a pivotal moment in our journey from the Indian Institute of Art & Design (IIAD) to the UDIT, honoring a decade of design-led learning while embracing an integrated future that aligns with emerging technologies and collaborative practice.”
Building on the 10-year legacy of IIAD, design-led learning and sustained industry engagement has shaped UDIT’s academic foundation. UDIT now sustains an integrated academic framework that aligns design, and emerging technologies, underpinned by project-led coursework, studio-based practice and collaborative endeavours.
The University is anchored in an interdisciplinary approach across its three schools offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a diverse range of disciplines. The School of Design comprises the departments of Fashion, Visual Communication and Product & Interior Design. The School of Management includes the departments of Fashion Management and Technology Management. A unified approach to learning, where multiple ways of thinking converge to shape thoughtful, well-rounded creators.
About UDIT
The University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT) marks a new direction for higher education in India. Established through an Act of the Haryana State Legislature, UDIT is conceived as a university for creators, built to respond to a world where design, technology and business increasingly operate together.
UDIT marks the evolution of a decade of design excellence at the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), founded in 2015. IIAD has proved over the past decade that studio-based, hands-on education produces industry-ready graduates. UDIT extends this philosophy across three integrated schools: Design, Technology and Management. These are not separate schools sharing a campus. They are three dimensions of a single educational philosophy, with deliberately porous boundaries, shared studios and collaborative curricula designed to shape professionals who build an understanding between creative vision, technical execution and business strategy.
UDIT’s Gurugram campus is by design made for collaboration and creation. With co-working hubs, dynamic exhibition spaces, an open-air amphitheatre, an expansive library, industry-grade labs and full-scale sports courts, the environment itself contributes to students’ learning.
The studio is the core of a UDIT education. What truly sets UDIT apart is its inclination towards studio-based hands-on learning, with the curriculum being constantly tailored in sync with evolving industry trends.
The School of Design brings together Visual Communication, Fashion, Product & Interior Design, with B.Des. and M.Des. degrees grounded in rigorous creative thinking and applied practice. The School of Management focuses on industries where creativity and commerce intersect, spanning fashion, luxury and technology, with BBA and MBA programmes designed to cultivate business leaders who can navigate both strategic and operational realities. Complementing this, the School of Technology offers B.Tech and M.Tech programmes that approach computer science, AI & Design and emerging technologies through a design-led lens, producing technologists who understand users, systems and product thinking in equal measure.
A strong network of over 500 industry partnerships, developed through IIAD, continues to anchor UDIT’s engagement with practice. Collaborations with leading international universities, including Kingston University, Nottingham Trent University, University for the Creative Arts and Arts University Bournemouth, bring global perspectives into the academic experience. Bringing global standards to an education that is distinctly, purposefully India.
UDIT represents a fundamental reimagination of higher education for the creative economy. Built on IIAD’s decade of design excellence, UDIT is India’s first university to fully integrate design, technology and management education around a creator-centred pedagogy.
