26 November, 2019
Throughout our journey in the automobile space, we have catered to the unique palette of the consumer especially in terms of design. In recent years, we have adopted a new automotive design philosophy that has begun to attract a younger audience.
In departing from the old and placing emphasis on our new design language, we appointed Pratap Bose as the Vice President Global Design. Pratap together with our design team sought to conceptualize and create cars that matched the sleek and smart features that the gadgets of today dictate. We could only entrust this mammoth task to a man with an impressive portfolio and exposure to the industry. A graduate from Royal College of Arts London, Pratap Bose had a brief stint with a number of automobile companies and contributed to their important projects.
With the knowledge he has garnered over the years, Pratap heads our global design team. Recently, he decided to conduct a Masterclass that brought like-minded people under the same roof. An exchange of ideas took place that was rendered fruitful to those who partook in this class. This masterclass took place at our Pune design studio and witnessed the footfall of about 13 journalists. They were addressed by none other than Pratap Bose who took them through our journey over the last two decades.
The participants were then lead into the design studio where they received hands-on experience in designing, conceptualizing or even creating clay models of their cars. Under Pratap’s tutelage, they were divided into teams of three and were allotted a vehicle design. Accompanied by a senior member from our design team who was present solely in an advisory capacity, they exchanged ideas, discussed, and sketched their own designs in keeping with details like the size, exterior design, highlights, marketability, etc. It was here that the participants were astonished to learn that the entire process between sketching and finalizing the details of the design takes an average of 48 months or two years.
Then, the moment of truth! Pratap chose the winning design that would be later etched in clay. They made use of clay on a base and began moulding the car by hand. The clay had to be of a certain temperature so that it was malleable enough to take the desired shape or form. As the clay cooled down, the participants saw their design in the flesh.
The final step involved the digital scanning of each portion of the model. It is during this process that the intricate parts of the design received fine tuning and detailing.
With such a successful masterclass, we hope that the participants gained clarity and cherished the experience of working alongside Pratap Bose. At the same time, we are glad to have had Pratap organize such a fruitful event especially at a time when the design of a car takes centre stage.
