Cane Bikes, Anyone?

THEY are the designers of a consumerist future. Several of whom have redesigned the technology of today. Some of their creations: a tractor that facilitates operation while minimising hazards; a cane bicycle that replaces most metal parts with ethnic materials; a water cooler which can be folded up to blend with office furniture when not in use, a visual communication aid for spastics. These, along with 52 other projects, highlighted the story of latter-day Indian wizardy in the recently-concluded annual exhibition of the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Mumbai.

In the 28th year of the institution, the exhibits of 27 graduating students took on some of the problems that face consumers and marketers. The Indian tractor, for instance, hasn't been redesigned since the '60s. The proposed design tackles the constraints in areas of safety, styling and convenience, and would cost Rs 2,000 less to manufacture. An outstanding wheelchair design proposes, among other alterations, changing the regular sling seat and providing an extendable wheelbase. The programme for spastics can enable them to visit friends, play games and read newspapers through touch-screen computers at home.

Comments Prof Ravi Hazra of the IDC: "Unlike the dreamer designers of the West, the Indian industrial designer has to prove that his design can work as the field is in its developing stage." Indian industry remains indifferent to design as a serious and constant input. Of the 56 projects displayed this year, just 10 were industry-sponsored Japanese auto company Hino got some five designs done, Mahindra & Mahindra spon- sored a design for the front part of its Armada; Escorts, the tractor; and Telco, one for its prestigious new small car project. Visual communication design appears to have even less acceptance with just a single project sponsored by the Worldwide Fund for Nature.

With the latest international designs being virtually unaffordable, Indian companies seem to prefer recycling old models and designs. The trend is most evident in cars, many of which have designs that are often not suitable for Indian conditions. The Maruti 800, for instance, though a bestseller, may actually be unsuitable for Indian conditions due to factors like limited operator space and small wheels, says IDC.

It's high time then that Indian professionals get to prove their worth, say designers. Indian designers have matured considerably, feels a confident Hazra, and can meet not just Indian needs but even compete internationally. After successfully breaking the one man-one watch jinx, Titan watches, designed by a host of young professionals, has generated a healthy export demand from the most finicky markets worldwide. An IDC alumnus was one of the designers who worked on the Futura range of pressure cookers from Hawkins which have found their way to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Under 100 HP tractors from Escorts and Mahindra & Mahindra have made successful inroads in markets like North Canada.

Hazra sees design as a powerful tool for developing products to meet needs peculiar to India. Like the low-cost mobile shelter which could ease the lives of construction workers numbering close to seven million today, the LPG stove for the blind population of which India has millions or the slick cycle-rickshaw for vegetable vendors. Enormous in varieties of technique and materials and extremely rich aesthetically and functionally, the Indian craft-based industry also has great international potential. For instance, the cane bicycle and the temporary shelter. The bicycle has already received an export enquiry for 500 units and could sell as a novelty item for up to $500.

But even if it's frustratingly slow, things may look up soon. The response this year got a little warmer after the exhibition. Philips offered to buy a Powerhouse model IDC students have developed. Individual enquiries have come for a multi-crop thresher, the shelter and environment films.

And, as the market slowly awakens to the possibilities these students present, the design fraternity-after its long spell in relative obscurity-waits with fingers crossed to find its rightful place under the Indian sun.