Scheduled for launch on 25 December 2025, Wena AI is designed to train students end to end without human teachers, managing learning, evaluation, career guidance, and emotional support.
Category: Education
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Design education moves from classrooms to national stage as young creators take spotlight at INSD
Founder Sunjey Aggarwal and Group CEO Pranav Raaj Aggarwall presided over the INSD Design Conclave and Annual Talent Showcase in New Delhi
Design education moved decisively beyond classroom boundaries on December 21 as young creators from across India took centre stage at the INSD Design Conclave and Annual Talent Showcase in New Delhi. Organised by the International School of Design, the event brought together emerging student talent, industry professionals, and academic leadership to examine how creativity, technology, and self-reliance are shaping the future of Indian design.
The day opened with the INSD Design Conclave, titled “The Think Tank”, which focused on the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary design practice. The session featured perspectives from Chander Shekhar, whose career spans design education, global brands, and international development work, along with fashion designer Gautam Gupta, luxury specialist Harsh Mann, and architect Ashish. Discussions explored how AI is influencing design processes, material choices, sustainability thinking, and professional workflows across disciplines.The conclave was moderated by Pranav Raaj Aggarwall, Group CEO of INSD, who steered the conversation towards the responsibilities of design institutions in preparing students for a rapidly evolving creative economy. The emphasis remained on balancing technological adoption with originality, ethics, and cultural relevance.
Following the conclave, the INSD Annual Talent Showcase 2025 unfolded as a large-scale exhibition and fashion presentation featuring student work from across the country. Seventy-five budding designers participated, representing fourteen INSD centres drawn from a network of more than seventy-five campuses spread across over twenty states. The showcase reflected a wide range of themes, materials, and design philosophies, with collections spanning fashion, interior design, and jewellery.Fashion collections presented during the gala reflected strong engagement with contemporary concerns such as sustainability, circular design, and technology-led aesthetics. Themes ranged from Neo-Retro interpretations and techno-feminine concepts to upcycled fabric narratives and circular couture. Each participating centre presented curated collections with defined themes, garment counts, and student teams, highlighting collaborative design processes and conceptual clarity.
Interior design students presented scaled models and installations addressing modern living, sustainability, structure, and cultural heritage. Concepts such as tensegrity structures, nature-inspired spaces, lighting design, and traditional art influences demonstrated how interior design education is expanding beyond aesthetics to include engineering logic, environmental sensitivity, and experiential design.The jewellery design segment added another dimension to the showcase, focusing on circular design principles and material reuse. Student-led collections explored how jewellery can align with sustainability without compromising craftsmanship or visual appeal.
Leadership presence remained central throughout the event. Founder Sunjey Aggarwal presided over the proceedings alongside Group CEO Pranav Raaj Aggarwall, reinforcing the institution’s emphasis on exposure-driven learning and national platforms for student work. Under Aggarwal’s leadership, INSD has grown into a large design education network with a focus on industry integration and professional readiness.The event also reflected INSD’s broader positioning within India’s design education landscape. With a student community exceeding twenty-five thousand and programmes spanning fashion, interior design, animation, graphic design, UI and UX, jewellery, and textile design, the institution has steadily built a multi-disciplinary ecosystem aimed at nurturing creative professionals.
By bringing student work, industry dialogue, and leadership vision together in a single national forum, the Design Conclave and Talent Showcase underscored a shift in how design education is being experienced. Learning outcomes were not confined to evaluation but presented as public, critique-ready work engaging with real-world conversations around technology, sustainability, and cultural identity.As the event concluded, the spotlight remained firmly on the students. Their collections, models, and concepts reflected not only technical skill but also a growing confidence in addressing complex design challenges. For INSD, the New Delhi showcase served as a reminder that design education today is as much about visibility, discourse, and adaptability as it is about craft.
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A long-term European education group sets its sights on India’s early learning segment with HMI Learning
Founder and CEO Sonia Chugh said the partnership with Germany’s Klett Group will focus on quality, curriculum depth, and measured expansion across Indian cities
A long-term European education group has set its sights on India’s early learning segment through a strategic partnership with HMI Learning Private Limited, the company behind the preschool and daycare brand Happy Minds International. The collaboration brings Germany’s Klett Group into the Indian education market for the first time, with a focused entry into early childhood care and education.
Announced in December 2025, the partnership includes a phased investment from Klett Kita and Schule GmbH, part of the Stuttgart-headquartered Klett Group. The funding will be disbursed over the next two to three years and is expected to support HMI Learning’s expansion plans, curriculum development, and quality enhancement initiatives. The transaction is projected to place HMI Learning on a growth path towards a valuation of approximately INR 250 crores, or about USD 30 million.HMI Learning was founded in 2012 with a single centre in Mumbai. Over the past decade, the company has built a presence across seven centres in Mumbai and Thane, catering to children from four months to ten years of age. Its operations span preschool education, daycare services, and structured early learning programs designed to meet the needs of working families and young learners. The organisation has served more than six thousand children to date and works with over thirty corporate partners to deliver early childhood care solutions.
The investment marks a significant moment for HMI Learning, positioning it to scale its operations while maintaining its focus on quality-led growth. According to the company, the partnership will help strengthen curriculum frameworks, bring international benchmarks into classrooms, and expand access to early learning services across Mumbai and other urban centres over time.Sonia Chugh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HMI Learning Private Limited, described the collaboration as a milestone for the organisation. She said the partnership aligns closely with the company’s long-standing commitment to quality learning and child-centric education. Chugh noted that Klett Group’s extensive legacy in education and its values around long-term development made it a natural partner for HMI Learning as it enters its next phase of growth.
From Klett Group’s perspective, the partnership reflects a strategic approach to entering the Indian market. Christian Doettinger, Member of the Board at Klett Group, said India represents one of the most dynamic education markets globally, particularly in the early childhood segment. He added that the collaboration with HMI Learning allows Klett Group to combine its international experience with strong local expertise, with a shared focus on maintaining high standards in educational products and services.Founded in 1897, the Klett Group is a family-owned education company with operations spanning more than 80 companies across 18 countries. Its portfolio covers educational content and services across early childhood education, schools, vocational training, and higher education. The group operates a network of childcare centres, schools, and vocational institutions across Europe, and is known for its long-term, quality-driven approach to education.
For HMI Learning, the partnership comes at a time when demand for organised early childhood care and education in India is steadily increasing. Urbanisation, rising workforce participation among parents, and growing awareness of the importance of early learning have contributed to the expansion of structured preschool and daycare models. The company believes that the additional capital and global expertise will enable it to respond to these shifts while maintaining consistency in learning outcomes and care standards.The collaboration also signals a broader trend of global education institutions exploring opportunities in India’s early learning space. Rather than entering through higher education or test preparation segments, Klett Group’s decision to begin with early childhood education reflects confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the sector and its potential for sustainable growth.
As HMI Learning looks ahead, the company has indicated that its focus will remain on strengthening its foundation rather than rapid, unchecked expansion. The partnership with Klett Group is intended to support responsible scaling, curriculum depth, and operational robustness, with the shared goal of creating high-quality early learning environments for children.By combining local insight with international best practices, both organisations aim to contribute to the evolving early education landscape in India. The partnership positions HMI Learning to play a more prominent role in shaping standards in early childhood care and education, while marking the beginning of Klett Group’s long-term engagement with the Indian market.
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Research Quantity Has Improved, But Quality Still Lags, NAAC Chairman Observes at Ashoka University’s ResComm 2025
Prof. (Dr) Anil Sahasrabudhe spoke on research impact, patents, and technology readiness during the New Delhi conclave
The inaugural day featured participation from senior figures across government, academia, and research institutions. Among them was Prof. (Dr) Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), who also serves as Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum and the National Board of Accreditation. Other speakers included Dr Rajnikant Srivastava, Chair (Disease Elimination), Indian Council of Medical Research, and Prof. (Dr) K. Vijay Raghavan, Chair of the Science Advisory Council at Ashoka University.
Ashoka University hosted the three-day ResComm 2025 Conclave at its campus in New Delhi, bringing together researchers, academics, policymakers, and communication specialists to examine how research is communicated across disciplines. The conclave focused on strengthening interdisciplinary research communication spanning the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, with particular attention to integrity, public engagement, and impact.Opening the conclave, Professor Gautam Menon, Dean of Research at Ashoka University, highlighted the growing need for researchers to communicate their work beyond academic circles. The programme included sessions on research communication and public engagement, including a plenary discussion chaired by Dr Rajnikant Srivastava that explored the challenges of conveying health and biomedical research to wider audiences.
During a session focused on healthcare communication, Dr Anurag Agrawal, Dean of BioSciences and Health Research at the Trivedi School of Biosciences and Head of the Koita Center for Digital Health at Ashoka University, spoke about the expectations placed on researchers today. He noted that the public increasingly looks not just for information but for solutions, and that effective communication plays a critical role in bridging this gap in healthcare research.Delivering the Distinguished Lecture, Prof. (Dr) Anil Sahasrabudhe reflected on India’s rapid rise in research output over the past decade. He pointed out that India now ranks third globally in terms of the number of research publications, having moved up from seventh or eighth position. However, he cautioned that while the growth in quantity is significant, improving research quality and impact remains an ongoing challenge.
Prof. Sahasrabudhe also drew attention to India’s expanding patent ecosystem, noting that much of the country’s research output remains at early stages of technology readiness. He emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration between universities and industry to translate academic research into usable technologies with real-world applications.Professor Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University, reiterated the institution’s commitment to advancing rigorous research and improving how it is communicated. Drawing from his experiences with grassroots communication, he said Ashoka’s ambition extends beyond being a research-intensive university to actively contributing to global knowledge through collaboration and partnerships.
Prof. (Dr) K. Vijay Raghavan echoed this view, calling for greater investment in curiosity-driven research that challenges thinking and remains accessible to society at large. He stressed the importance of ensuring that the outcomes of research reach beyond academic audiences.The conclave also featured sessions on the role of artificial intelligence and innovation in translating research for policy and public audiences, along with interactive workshops on grant writing, research integrity, and the use of visuals in research communication.
ResComm 2025 also marked the launch of Productive Failure, authored by Prof. (Dr) Manu Kapur of ETH Zurich and published by Wiley International. The book, which examines learning through struggle and reflection, aligned closely with the conclave’s emphasis on experimentation and effective communication. The proceedings were coordinated by Dr Shantanu Ganguly, Director of Library at Ashoka University.The conclave concluded with discussions reinforcing the importance of ethical, interdisciplinary, and impactful research communication, positioning ResComm 2025 as a forum for advancing dialogue on how research engages with society.
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AI’s Role in Shaping Future MBA Programs Takes Centre Stage at a Delhi Education Summit Featuring Noida International University
Dr. S. K. Verma of Noida International University joined academic leaders at the 7th Future of Management Education Summit 2025 to discuss AI integration, ethics, and curriculum reform
Noida International University marked its academic presence at the 7th Future of Management Education Summit 2025, held in New Delhi, with discussions centred on how artificial intelligence is influencing the direction of management education in India. The summit was organised by BW Businessworld and BW Education at the Eros Hotel and brought together academicians, policymakers, and institutional leaders to examine emerging shifts in higher education.
The event served as a platform to reflect on how business schools are responding to changes driven by artificial intelligence, evolving industry needs, and global academic practices. Conversations during the summit focused on future-ready MBA programmes, the integration of AI and education technology, ESG frameworks, global collaborations, and models for lifelong learning. These themes closely mirror Noida International University’s stated focus on building management education that remains responsive to industry and technological change.
Dr. S. K. Verma, Director of the School of Business and Commerce at Noida International University, participated in the discussions and shared his perspective during a panel session titled How AI Is Affecting Today’s Education System and the Challenges of AI. He noted that artificial intelligence is now shaping several core aspects of management education, including curriculum design, teaching methods, assessment structures, and institutional governance.
Dr. Verma also highlighted the importance of responsible adoption. He emphasised that while AI brings efficiency and scale, institutions must give equal attention to ethical implementation, faculty upskilling, and strengthening students’ critical thinking and decision-making abilities. According to him, technology should complement learning rather than replace foundational academic values. He added that Noida International University continues to work towards MBA programmes that integrate artificial intelligence with industry relevance, global exposure, ESG perspectives, and long-term learning outcomes.
The panel discussion featured academic leaders from several institutions, including Dr. Mayank Daundiyal, Dean, School of Business, Jindal Global University, Hisar; Dr. Jayananda, Pro Vice Chancellor, Shobhit University, Meerut; and Prof. Dr. Rajesh S, Vice Chancellor, MIT–ADT University, Pune. The dialogue examined both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI in education, such as data ethics, academic integrity, faculty readiness, and maintaining human values alongside technological advancement.
Noida International University was also represented by a delegation led by Dr. Richa Srivastava, Head – Outreach and Industry Integration. The delegation actively engaged with other participants during the summit, contributing to academic exchange and exploring possibilities for industry-academia collaboration and global partnerships.
Through its participation at the summit, Noida International University reiterated its focus on AI-integrated management education and industry-aligned curricula. The institution continues to emphasise preparing future leaders who are equipped not only with technological skills but also with ethical awareness and social responsibility.At Prittle PrattleNews, featuring you virtuously, we celebrate the commitment and innovation. Led by Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is dedicated to sharing impactful stories that inspire change and create awareness. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories that matter.