Abhishek C. Ganeshgudi
Principal, Head of Department

Abhishek C. Ganeshgudi is a Principal, Head – Visual & Communication Design at School of Design, PPSU. He has done his Post Graduation from National Institute of Design& Masters of Fine Arts from University of Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. His significant accomplishment includes experience as a Director, Head – Visual Communication Design and Faculty of Fine Arts. He has started his journey as a Design Educator through DTDP, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

He has well experienced in the field of Design atUndergraduate & Postgraduate level. Several engagements while working in projects carried out by institutes at various academic levels like the project Ekalpa_Digitizing Indian Crafts at National Institute of Design, Bangalore. He has successfully curated various Photography Exhibitions as well. He has been awarded a TFA _Toto Tasveer Photography Award 2016_ By Toto funds the Art’s and Tasveer for "Narratives of Yakshagaana" and International Photography Award _ India Africa Shared future 2011-12 won for the project "Joint Family in India".

His Joint Family Project has featured in Take on Art Magazine and series of projects like Narrativesof Yakshagaana got publishedin Art Affair News Letter.

His interest lies in the field of Research based, which allows him to stretch his focus on the subject, especially in the field of Education Sector. According to his ideology, he states the mediums for communication changed at glacial speed. It is easy to get caught up in the insanity of the moment-to-moment changes in technology, figuring that it has something to do with the art and visual Languages. There are much better things which could be adopted and simultaneously, we can implement in the field of design. Designers have developed a deeper understanding of trend and social activism on how Society should look like tomorrow. Significantly, in an urge of creating professional creative thinkers in this society.

He believes the potential in learning and teaching can be claimed through the commitment towards our field/work and at the same time it is very important that how good we connect. There needs to be a mingling of technology and human discourse, along with values and experiences. Goal is Emphasizing the importance of the Design Education.

Mr. Bhavin M. Patel
Assistant Professor
Email: Bhavin.patel@ppsu.ac.in

Mr. Bhavin Patel is an Assistant Professor- Fashion & Textile Design, at the School of Design in P. P. Savani University. His journey as a Design Educator includes 14 years of experience in the field of Fashion & Textile Design.

He has accomplished best Creative Designer Award, 2003 & 2004 Annual Fashion Show, Vadodara. It Includes Best Designer Award Annual Fashion Show, Vadodara.

His Fashion illustrations bagged 3 Consecutive Award & Got Published In‘Gurlz Magazine’, He has Curated Entire Fashion Show As Mentor And Designer @ INIFD ( International Institute Of Fashion Design, Bhuj ), LAKME FASHION WEEK & LONDON FASHION WEEK. From 2007 to 2016.

Conducted many exhibitions which accomplish series of Textile and Design work.

Ms. Riddhi Shah
Assistant Professor
Email: riddhi.shah@ppsu.ac.in

Ms. Riddhi Shahis Assistant Professor - Product Design at the School of Design in P. P. Savani University. She pursued her graduation from Indian Institute of craft and design, Jaipur. She is specialized in Fired Material Application: Ceramics, Glass, and Metal.

Her accomplishments of working in different segment like Tribal Zone,which is jewellerybase company situated in Mumbai.Designeda panel which was inspired on ancient boats for T2 terminal international Mumbai airport.Project with Jyamiti Exports pvt. Ltd. Jaipur base company deals in stone products. She has also worked at different craft sector level with artisans at Skiandra/ Makrana/ Dang/ Jaipur/ Kutch/ Tamil nadu/ Badmer/ sultana. She own a brand name called RIYAMI Lifestyle deals in non-leather hand bags.

Prof. Austin Davis

He has pursued his Post Graduation in Toy and Game Design from National Institute of Design. Professor Austin Davis is a Visiting Faculty at School of Design in P. P. Savani University.

His accomplishments are working in diverse corporate segments like Gameshastra Pvt Ltd - Hyderabad, Pink Katalyst Pvt Ltd – Mumbai, Lotusutra - Ahmedabad, NDBI. He also has a more than 12 years of experience in the professional and as well as academic.

Ms. Priyanka Patel

She has pursued her Master of Design in Apparel Design & Garment Production Technology from National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Priyanka Patel is a Visiting Faculty at School of Design in P.P.Savani University.

Her accomplishments are working in several segments like Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Ltd,Kiara Design Store, Saptrangi Craft Pvt. Ltd; A warehouse of Fablndia, as an academician currently she is Head of the Department at Gyanarthi Media College, Kashipur, Uttarakhand, and Department of Fashion Design.

Ms. Khini Shah

Ms. Khini Shah is Visiting Faculty at School of Design in P. P. Savani University. She pursued her graduation from Indian Institute of craft and design, Jaipur. She is specialized in Fired Material Application: Ceramics, Glass, and Metal.

She is associated with Centre for Mosaic Art and Bombay based company SUROY (Luxury craft Brand) and involved in developing a structure for creative thinking in education at Tillnia.

Mr. Hitendra Shidhapura

Mr. Hitendra S Shidhapura is an I/c Principal, Head – Product Design at Universal School of Design, PPSU. He has pursued his Post Graduation in Masters of Design (Craft and Design) from MRID, Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University of Baroda.

His significant accomplishment includes experience as a Design Educator in the field of Product Design at different renowned Design Institutes of India. He has successfully conducted variousDesign Workshops in different cities of India.

He has furnished his Industrial Experience in Tool Design (CAD), Development and Manufacturing for Automotive, Off Highway Vehicle and Special Vehicle Industries and also associated with L&T, e-engineering Services (L&T E-ES) as a Tool Design Engineer, was responsible for Tooling Design projects.

His interest lies in the field of Toy Design, Craft and culture, Storytelling, ‘Play’element as a Design tool and sustainable Product Design. According to his ideology, he states: Nature is a creator,the design takes birth from “nature” and then it evolves further. “Design a range of developmental Bamboo toys for Preschoolers” is one of the most acclaimed Design Project by him.

He believes in enormous learning and creative potential of today’s youth. A Design Educator can creatively guide this potential to make the dream of ‘Design in India and outsourced to the world”a possible reality.The role of DesignEducationis to nurture and cultivate the young Designers, so their design can really impact the society in positive way.

Prof. Ravi Ratnam
Email: ravi.ratnam@ppsu.ac.in

He pursued his graduation from Indian Institute of craft and design, Jaipur. He is specialized in Hard Material Application: Terracotta, Wood, Stone and Metal.

His accomplishments are working in diverse corporate segments like custom lighting in Klove studio, New Delhi. Metal Furniture in Indian Artware, Jodhpur (Raj). Social Entrepreneur Bangla Natak Dot Kom, Kolkata. Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design, Lucknow.

He has also worked at different craft sector with artisans at Sikandra/ West Bengal/ Jaipur/ Kutch/ Tamil Nadu/ Badmer/ Sultana/ Uttar Pradesh/ Bihar.

Mr. Suchit Ashtekar
Assistant Professor

Mr. Suchit Ashtekar is an Assistant Professor in the department of Visual communications at Universal School of Design. He has done his Masters in Graphic Design Discipline from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He has practical experience in print media and also delivered web and app solutions in his past. Being an artist cum designer he has a very unique way of solving the problem through design thinking methods.

Mr. Kaitav J. Patel
Visiting Faculty

Mr. Kaitav J. Patel is an Visiting faculty of Visual Communication Department at Universal School of Design, PPSU. He has completed his postgraduation in Animation Film Design at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

He has been working in the animation industry for four years. He was previously employed with BYJU'S, an online education platform, as a Creative Associate where he was responsible for transforming textbook concepts into audio-visual format, making it consumable for students in various grades. On the technical front, he handled the visualization, storyboarding, research, screenplay and post-production co-ordination throughout.

He is interested in exploring storytelling as a form not only in cinema but also other mediums. His focus is towards regional stories and their evolution. He hopes to encourage his students to explore their own roots whilst being mindful of all the modern tools in this area and make it a good learning process for everyone.

Gopalkrishna
Assistant Professor

Creative and analytical; He is a designer who imagines and an engineer who executes. His work deepens connections between people and the world around them through innovative ideas, unique approach to solving problems, manufacturing methods and interactive experiences. He enjoys team projects and believes that diversity in thinking is essential for great products.

Gopalkrishna gained his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2009 from Goa College of Engineering, Goa and Masters in Design in 2012 from Domus Academy, Milan.

From 2012 to 2021 he has worked in the design industrywith reputed firms like Jindal Stainless Ltd, Infiniti Modules Pvt Ltd and Pai Kane Group. He headed the Innovation Department at Pai Kane Group and Engineering Department at KinecoLtd before joining Universal School of Design as Assistant Professor.

Mrs. Payal Sheladia
Assistant Professor

Mrs. PayalSheladia is an Assistant Professor in School of Architecture & Design of P. P. Savani University. She has pursued her B.Design from S.I.D (School Of Interior Design), Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat.

She did her Interior Design training under Ar. Sanjay Sheladia; during her training she got exposure in Residential Interior Design as well as Commercial Interior Design work in various cities. Under this well-known Architect’s hand, she got wide perspective about very important factors of Design i.e. ability to conceptualize interior detailing including Lighting, Color, Materials-Finish selections, Space planning & Architectural elements. She also got chance to assist him in the field of Interior Design after completing her degree. She got wide understanding in “Dealing with contractors & dealers”, “All kind of materials” & of “Site handling” there. She is also practicing her personal projects as lead designer under the firm named ‘Studio Palisa’ in Surat as well as Ankleshwar. She has expertise to create a wide variety of interior environments from traditional to contemporary & is committed to coordinating the design efforts with organized & well managed projects that consistently exceed client’s expectation.

Ar. Girish Panchal
Assistant Professor
Email: girish.panchal@ppsu.ac.in

Mr. Girish Panchal is the Head of the Department of the School of Architecture. He is Bachelor of Architecture with Honours from Sir J.J. School of Architecture Mumbai and Diploma in Project Management & Project Planning.

He was a visiting faculty at International Institute of Fashion & Interior Design (Mumbai), and Thakoor Polytechnic Mumbai. He is an energetic architect professor who has an interactive approach to teach the art of architecture subject.

He is adept at developing comprehensive lessons and communicating directly with students to improve their grades and creating unique projects which allows students to develop their competencies.

In his entire carrier he has been associated with well-known firms like Premnath& Associates, ABM Architects and RatanJ.Batliboi Architects, Mumbai on projects like Hotel Windsor Manor, Hotel Ambassador, Hotel Bawa International, Hotel Horizon, Corporate office for Grindlays Bank, Patspin India Ltd and GTN Textile Ltd.

He has been involved with Al Murooj Complex, Jumaira Lake Towers, Jumaira Beach Residence, and New Gold Souk near BurjKhalifa Dubai as a Project Coordinating Architect.

He has designed many international exhibition stalls, car showrooms for Toyota, Renault, Volkswagen, Lexus, Television Studio, National Bank of Oman, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries and Army Museum in Muscat, Oman.

Renu K.
Assistant Professor

Renu K. is an Assistant Professor- Fashion & Textile Design, at the School of Design in P. P. Savani University. She has been in the Fashion & Design Industry for 10 years.

She is a NIFT alumna with both Industrial & Educational Experience and has worked in different segments of the Fashion Industry in almost all metro cities from Designing to multiple in-house roles such as Product to Production Merchandising in Fashion & Lifestyle Products firms.

She has worked for both International Brands such as Prada ,Quiksilver , Tory Burch , Anthropologie , Cole Haan , Barneys , Sezane,Lenovo etc.to Domestic ones like AND , Kash , WYCI etc.

She launched her own first Brand & offline store in 2018. The brand focuses on handcrafted customized jewellery.

She expertises Conceptualization , in Creative Thinking & Strategizing, Brand Management ,Design Process, Merchandising, Accessories Designing , thanks to her industrial as well as educational exposure.

Ar. Chaitali Shroff
Professor

Prof. Chaitali Shroff graduated from Sir J J College of Architecture Graduation. She is an Academician, Architect & Urban Planner. She has headed different architectural institutes of Surat from its foundation to popularity in past many years. She further pursued her post graduation in Urban planning from SVNIT, Surat, where she earned her gold medal for excellence. She is successfully practising as Design Associate with M/s Modules Consultant.

Prof. Swati Deo
Associate Professor

Ar. Swati Deo is a graduate from Amravati University in the year 1994 and Master from MIT Pune in the year 2020. She has been very active in the academics with an experience of 23 years. She is in academics since 1998. She has not only worked in the capacity of an academician but also as head of the department of Interior Design for many years at Institute of Design and Technology (IDT) and Universal School of Design (UID) at Surat and as In-charge Principal at Vidyamandir College of Architecture, Surat. She has completed many Residential and Office projects as a Principal architect. She is Green Building Assocham Gem CP. She has applied for PHD under Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. She has joined P. P. Savani University as Associate Professor with a mission to propagate. Architecture and Design as main courses and to produce quality graduates from both the departments.

Prof. Roshni Bais
Assistant Professor

Prof. Roshni Bais, has recently joined PPSU as an Assistant Professor. She has an experience of 2 years in the field of Architecture, Structural Auditing and Heritage conservation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Anant institute of Architecture, Ahmedabad and Master’s degree in Architecture from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. She has also worked as Project Associate at CSIR - Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee. She has a wide experience in the field of Architectural research. Apart from this, she also loves to explore places and local cuisines.

Prof. Yogesh Kumar
Assistant Professor

Prof. Yogesh Kumar is a Young Architect and Urban planner. He joined P P Savani University as a faculty member in July 2023. He embarked on his academic career at P P Savani University in the same month. He completed his Post Graduate degree in Urban Planning from Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Rajasthan in 2023. His thesis topic was “Transformation of Residential neighbourhood in Bapu Nagar, Jaipur”. Additionally, he worked as a Senior Architect at Good Living India, Delhi from 2019 to 2021, and as an Architect at eSpaces Architect, New Delhi from 2018 to 2019. Other than office work he has been involved in various personal residential projects. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh in the year 2018. Apart from his professional experience, he also demonstrates enthusiasm for music and sports activities. He was also the runner-up in a music competition at Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur in 2023.

Prof. Urvi Rathod
Assistant Professor (Visiting)

Prof. Urvi Rathod is a Visiting faculty at School of Architecture & Planning in P.P. Savani University. She has pursued her Bachelor in Civil Engineering from Shree Swami Atmanand Saraswati Institute of Technolog., Surat, Gujarat. She has done Masters in Town and Country Planning from Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Tech., Surat, currently she is pursing PhD in Urban Planning from Uka Tarsadia University. She has more than 6.5 years of teaching experience as a assistant professor in Uka Tarsadia University, Maliba Campus, Bardoli.

Prof. Esha Mittal
Assistant Professor (Visiting)

Prof. Esha, the accomplished architect with two decades of experience, began her architectural journey in 2003. After honing her skills, she earned a master’s degree in Milan from 2012 to 2014. Her professional career launched in 2008, and by 2015, she fearlessly ventured into entrepreneurship, founding Design Hive. In 2016, Esha embraced academia as a visiting professor, recognizing the synergy between teaching and practice. This blend of theoretical and practical knowledge kept her consistently updated and grounded, fostering a holistic approach to architecture. Esha’s unwavering commitment to merging creativity with pragmatism defines her architectural philosophy, cementing her as a well-rounded professional in the field.

Prof. Aakruti Johri
Assistant Professor (Visiting)

Ar. Aakruti Johari is the creative force behind D'arc Studio, an interior and architectural design firm. With a practical design approach and a focus on space management, Aakruti has successfully completed landmark projects across various categories and cultures. Her extensive portfolio includes urban residential spaces, countryside homes, corporate offices, and hospitality projects, earning her recognition and awards for her exceptional work.

What sets Aakruti apart is her unique background, diverging from her family's long-established jewelry business. At the age of 12, she embarked on a self-initiated project to design her own room, igniting her realization that architecture was her true passion and calling.

Aakruti graduated with First Class Distinction from Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Technology in 2015. She honed her skills and gained valuable experience working with renowned firms such as Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Private Limited, where she excelled as a design manager, overseeing the creation of captivating bars and restaurants across India. Furthermore, she made significant contributions as a project architect at Ratan J Batlio, where she played a key role in designing urban-scale developments and tourism destinations. Her diverse experiences have enriched her expertise and nurtured her passion for creating innovative spaces.

With over 10 years of diverse experience in the field, Aakruti's unwavering drive to create unique spaces and her passion for innovative design led her to establish D'arc Studio. She aims to make a lasting impact on the industry by bringing her creative vision to life and delivering exceptional design solutions.

Dr. Pradyuman Vyas
Advisor

(Senior Advisor, Design & Innovation; Director, Confederation of Indian Industry & World Design Organisation; Director (Former), National Institute of Design)

Prof Vyas holds a Masters in Industrial Design from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and an 'Honorary Master of Arts' degree from the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, UK (2010). With over 36 years of professional and teaching experience in various design fields, he spent 30 years at NID, initially as a faculty member and later as the Director (2009-2019). He played a key role in the establishment of the India Design Council and served as its first Member Secretary until his retirement. Under his leadership, NID achieved the status of Institute of National Importance and expanded to include four new campuses across India. Prof Vyas has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 'Good Design Fellow' honor from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (2019) and a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' from Times Education Icons (2017). He was also appointed as a 'Distinguished Professor' at the Shanghai Global Design Summit in 2019.

Anshuman Pramanick

Anshuman Pramanick is a Textile Designer, Educator, and Entrepreneur with seven years of experience across the UK, European, and Japanese markets, and in academia. He has worked with leading brands like H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo, helping integrate sustainable textiles into their core offerings. Passionate about mentoring aspiring designers, Anshuman conducts workshops on design, creativity, and handloom weaving at corporate and cluster levels. As a guest lecturer at renowned Indian universities, he inspires students to think innovatively. He is also the co-founder of Galat Sangat, a startup promoting mindful craftsmanship through traditional weaving techniques.

Vikram Patel

Vikram Patel is an accomplished animation filmmaker and dedicated faculty member in Visual Communication. With expertise in crafting compelling visual narratives, He brings a blend of industry experience and academic knowledge to the classroom. His passion for animation and design fuels his mission to inspire the next generation of creative professionals, helping students develop both the technical and storytelling skills essential for success in today’s visual media landscape.

Id. Meherzeen Cooper
Assistant Professor (visiting)
B.Id, M.Id

Experience – 11 years

Ar. Kripa John
Assistant Professor (visiting)
B.Arch, M.Sc.(Arch. Sustainability)

Experience – 4 years

Er. Kinjal Mistry
Assistant Professor (visiting)
B.E (Civil), M.E (Water Resource)

Experience – 5.5 years

Ar. Jwalant Shah
Assistant Professor (visiting)
B.Arch, M.Plan

Experience – 11 years

Ar. Thakur Barkha Singh
Assistant Professor
B.Arch

Experience – 1 years

Ar. Abhay Upadhyay
Assistant Professor
B.Arch, M.Arch

Experience – 8 years

Ar. Shahabuddin Contractor
Associate Professor and I/C Principal
B.Arch., M.plan.

Experience – 18 years