Design Partnership
CII Global Design Summit 2025
LMNX was a Design Partner for the 25th edition of the CII Global Design Summit & Exposition 2025.
CII and LMNX co-published the Theme Paper, 'Design for a Sustainable Future.'
As the world confronts intertwined crises of climate change, inequality, and rapid technological disruption, design stands at a defining crossroads. The 25th CII Global Design Summit & Exposition celebrates twenty-five years of Indian design leadership—marking a journey where creativity has evolved from form-making to future-shaping.
The 2025 theme, “People, Planet, Purpose, Profitability,” extends the idea of design beyond aesthetics or innovation. It recognises design as a force that can reimagine systems—bridging human aspirations with planetary boundaries and aligning economic progress with ethical intent. From inclusive mobility and regenerative materials to digital ethics and circular business models, design today offers a lens through which industries can both compete and contribute.
India’s growing design ecosystem—spanning crafts to AI, policy to production—illustrates how sustainability and innovation can thrive together. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), through its Design Initiative, has continually championed this integration of creativity, technology, and responsibility. The Design Summit thus becomes more than a forum; it is a collective commitment to design that uplifts lives, restores ecosystems, and generates shared value.
This paper builds on that vision. It offers frameworks, case studies, and actionable insights to guide designers, businesses, and policymakers in aligning the 4Ps into practice. It invites readers to see design not only as a professional discipline but as a transformative mindset—one capable of shaping a regenerative economy and a more equitable world.
The future of design is not just to sustain, but to reimagine how we live, make, and grow—by design.
View / Download Theme Paper: Design for a Sustainable Future
Designing the 'National Design Policy Communiqué 2025'
The National Design Policy Communique 2025 envisions design as a transformative national capability that strengthens innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive growth. It positions design not merely as a creative pursuit but as a strategic discipline integral to India’s industrial advancement, digital transformation, and social development. The policy establishes a forward-looking framework that embeds design across all sectors that design contributes towards national progress and global leadership.
The 2025 Policy communique advances the vision of Design in India for the World, emphasizing design’s role in shaping sustainable, ethical, and human-centered solutions. It promotes collaboration between government, industry, academia, and communities to ensure that design drives tangible impact; improving productivity, enabling technological adoption, and enhancing the quality of life.
National Design Policy Communiqué 2025 being launched by (L-R) Dr Ashish Dhawan (Executive Director Technology, R&D, Innovation and Design, CII), Dr Udayant Malhoutra (Chairman, CII National Committee on Design and CEO & MD, Dynamatic Technologies Ltd), Mr Raj Menda (Chairman, RMZ), Mr Pieter Elbers (CEO, Indigo), Prof Pradyumna Vyas (President, WDO and Senior Advisor, CII), and Mr S Raghupathy (Principal Advisor, CII).
Designing the Report, 'AI in Design: Building a Future-Ready Creative Economy'
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining how design is conceived, created, and consumed. From generative tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, and ChatGPT to intelligent systems that personalize user experiences, AI has shifted from being a peripheral digital aid to becoming a central collaborator in the creative process.
In this transformative phase, design no longer operates as a linear human-led activity but as a dynamic dialogue between designers and machines. The integration of AI is not only improving design efficiency but also expanding creative horizons, enabling designers to simulate environments, predict user emotions, and iterate at unprecedented speed. However, this advancement also raises essential questions about authorship, ethics, and cultural representation — areas where human sensibility must remain paramount.
This report captures collective insights from design professionals and complements them with global data and CII’s ongoing research. It examines how AI is transforming design ecosystems in India and worldwide, identifies key opportunities and challenges, and proposes strategic directions for building a responsible, inclusive, and future-ready AI–design interface.
'AI in Design' Report being launched by (L-R) Dr Ashish Dhawan (Executive Director Technology, R&D, Innovation and Design, CII), Dr Udayant Malhoutra (Chairman, CII National Committee on Design and CEO & MD, Dynamatic Technologies Ltd), Mr Raj Menda (Chairman, RMZ), Mr Pieter Elbers (CEO, Indigo), Prof Pradyumna Vyas (President, WDO and Senior Advisor, CII), and Mr S Raghupathy (Principal Advisor, CII).
Panel Discussion: 'Design for a Better Planet: Shaping a Sustainable Future'
Panelists (L-R): Ms Neha Chandra (Sr General Manager, Head of Interior and Interaction Design, Maruti Suzuki Design), Mr Saurabh Singh (Partner, Desmania Innovation Labs), Ms Megha Navalgund (Senior Engineering Manager, Advanced Design Tools, GE Aerospace, India), Ms Archana Surana (Founder & Director, ARCH College of Design & Business), Ms Niraja Adloori (Asst Professor & HOD - School of Design, Presidency University), Mr Dharmesh Mehta (Founder & CEO, LMNX Ventures).