The Higher Education Review

It was a regular August evening this year, when the residents of ‘the pearl city of India', Hyderabad, had to confront with an unexpected and huge traffic jam. In fact, it consequently brought Hyderabad's bustling IT hub, HITEC city to such a chaotic situation that Cyberabad police had to issue traffic advisory. It was all because of the launch of a store of Swedish retail giant- IKEA, which is apparently the result of years of intense research that helped the leading people of the company understand the increasing interest of Indians in the home furnishing and design domain. The research further revealed that the country's 600-million-strong urban population is undoubtedly inclined towards giving innovate modification to their small home spaces.

"The students at PIAT are taught right from the basic and eventually are nurtured to earn the expertise of executing the designs efficiently"

However, along with IKEA, many more companies were introduced in the in the Indian market. Such entrances reassure the pivotal role that the future interior designers are going to play. Taking the onus to produce a talented workforce of interior designers who can lead the ever-growing design industry of tomorrow, Suryadatta Education Foundation's (SEF) Pune Institute of Applied Technology (PIAT) provides excellent facilities for the professional and specialized interior design training. "Owing to the demonstrated excellence over the years, PIAT has been ranked as ‘Best Interior Design Institute in Maharashtra' by worldwide achievers during Asia Educational Summit," proudly says Prof. Ajit D Shinde, Principal, PIAT. Situated in

the heart of the educational capital- Pune, the institute functions as an autonomous body under the esteemed name of Suryadatta Group of Institutes and is duly approved by Govt. Of Maharashtra, recognized by DTE and is affiliated with Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education.

Prof. Shinde shares, "PIAT creates interior designers who transform any space to the best with the fulfillment of all requirements. Our proud Alumni have a record of being well-placed and well-respected for their techniques and work ethics". The institute offers 2-years full-time Diploma in Interior Designing & Decoration course, which comprises of residential as well as commercial space planning and designing in manual and computer-aided mode. "Today the scope for proficient interior designers is limitless. From working with prestigious firms to involving with renowned practitioners and starting own firms, the career prospect is guaranteed bright of the aspiring designers who are skilled enough. Hence, we look after their holistic growth at PIAT," opines Prof. Shinde. The students at PIAT are taught right from the basic and eventually are nurtured to earn the expertise of executing the designs efficiently.

Carving a Constructive Path
Gone are days when designers had only the back of ink and paper to exhibit their ideas in front of the clients. Today, the technological advancement has made it possible for the interior designers to create outstanding and artistic designs through software and experiment with a variety of color combinations. "Our students are taught by an experienced team of faculty members who makes it a point to instill the learners with optimum creativity and artistic knowledge. We believe teachers should be truly passionate about transferring their soul into teaching and always try to extract the best from each student in every assignment academically and practically," pinpoints Prof. Shinde. The students are trained in a manner where they are enabled to come up with realistic designs using technology and are made versed in the latest software in the field of design like AutoCAD in 2D

as well as 3D modes, sketch up 3Ds MAX and so on. Confirming the student's good hold in practical aspects, the institute encourages them to go for a field visit, complete regular assignments, indulge in project works, attend guest lectures, seminars & workshops and participate in exhibitions. "The faculty members promote experiential learning in the classroom through practicing live demonstrations, case studies and many more. Along with the packed academic sessions, round the clock value addition inputs are offered to all PlAT students which assist them in their overall academic and practical growth," claims Prof. Shinde. The students of PIAT are also provided with the opportunity to display their works in the annual exhibition programme ‘AURA', which is organized by Suryadatta Education Foundation and get in touch with well-known personalities from the industry and fellow design peers from other institutes.

The dedicated Placement Cell of the institute facilitates the students in getting placed for jobs and internships. Students are moreover, guided to enroll with the Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID), given which they become eligible to grab jobs in multinational firms. Marching towards the vision of evolving as a world-class Centre of Excellence in innovative learning, combining the best of Indian sensibilities with a Western outlook, every year the Institute for placement activity welcomes premier organizations such as Asian Paints, Aamby Valley, Elephant Design, Metaphors and the list hardly gets an end.

Prof. Ajit D Shinde, Principal
Having over a decade of teaching experience, Prof. Ajit D Shinde is currently holding the position of Principal at PIAT. Presently pursuing Ph.D. at VU University, Pune, he is an M. Sc. in Interior Designing from Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar and M.B.A in Interior Project Management from National Institute of Management. He is also a member of Yuvashakti and Himalayan Adventurers, an associate member of IIID and so on.