PNN
New Delhi [India], December 22: The Design Village (TDV) hosted the fifth edition of its annual CAN Mixer 2025 at its Noida campus. The event brought together graduating students, design leaders, and creative entrepreneurs for an enriching day of talks, exhibitions, campus interactions and networking.
Speakers deliberate on Impact through Design
CAN Mixer 2025 featured a compelling line-up of speakers and panelists from across sectors, offering insights into the evolving role of design in shaping culture, commerce, and systems. The speakers included Nishit Kamath (Director, WBG Charging Solutions), Rahul Yadav (Co-Founder & Creative Director, Floating Canvas Company), Shyam Sunder (Chief Designer, Tata Elxsi), Swapnil Soni (Co-Founder, Studio Carbon), Uma Narayanan (Program Director - Social Excellence, TCS), Soumil Arora (Sports Commentator, Presenter & Blogger, RedBull), Ajay Jain (Head of India Design Studio, Tata Motors), and Anubhuti Jain (Product Designer, Microsoft Copilot).
Exhibitions highlight Design Futures
The day included a curated student exhibition showcasing work by graduating learners across disciplines, ranging from conceptual investigations to socially engaged, practice-led projects. A parallel exhibition presented more extensive institutional and partner-led design work. Together, they offered a window into TDV's impact-driven design ethos.
CAN as a Platform for Dialogue
"CAN has grown into one of the most meaningful design platforms we host at TDV. It brings together students, educators, alumni, studios, and industry experts in a way that feels genuinely collaborative. What makes CAN special are the thought provoking conversations on the evolving design landscape and the necessity of being a responsible designer in the era." said Mridu Sahai Patnaik, Co-Founder, The Design Village.
Sharing his learnings with the audience, Nishit Kamath (Director, WBG Charging Solutions) mentioned that "Privilege is not about advantage; it is leverage, and design starts with the responsible use of what we already have. Networks are not measured by proximity, but by belief by those who step forward to open doors when we cannot. To ask "what's the worst that could happen?" is not recklessness, but the quiet confidence that fear no longer defines our choices."
"Design at the intersections is a catalyst for change, one that draws strength from multiple lenses, grounded thinking, and a deep commitment to sustainable journeys where society and planet lead business decisions." said Uma Narayanan (Program Director - Social Excellence, TCS)
"Design today is a strategic catalyst, extending far beyond aesthetics or execution. When we look through multiple lenses, spanning technology, culture, business, and human behaviour and remain deeply mindful of our responsibility to society and the planet, design evolves into a powerful driver of sustainable change, shaping not just products and experiences, but the future direction of organisations and industries," said Ajay Jain (Head of India Design Studio, Tata Motors)
"As automation reshapes the production side of design, the role itself is not disappearing, it is evolving. Designers are moving beyond pushing pixels to choreographing experiences, shifting from static screens to meaningful actions, workflows, and outcomes that shape real-world impact." mentioned Anubhuti Jain (Product Designer, Microsoft Copilot) by addressing AI as a bigger elephant in the room.
Closing the Day with Conversation and Collaboration
The event concluded with a networking dinner, allowing industry leaders, educators, alumni and students to engage in informal conversations and explore future collaborations. TDV also offered curated campus tours after every block, giving visitors a closer look at the learning environment and studios.
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