Invited Speakers

Professor Balaram is one of the distinguished designers of India with an international reputation. Design educator, writer and presently Dean of DJ Academy of design in Coimbatore, Balaram is one of the founder faculties of the national institute of Design, India’s first and most known institute. Educated at Royal college of arts, London and NID, Balaram held positions on the board of directors of NID, National institute of fashion technology etc. In 2003 he founded the Craft development Institute in Kashmir for Government of India. His designs won international awards from bodies such as ICSID. He has 4patents to his credit. He was awarded the honorary fellowship by the society of industrial designers of India for his contribution to improve the quality of life.

In 1999 he organized India’s first national workshop on Design for the Disabled. He contributed chapters to ‘Universal design Handbook’ and ??‘Teaching universal design’.

He received the Indian Helen Keller award for his work for people with disabilities [2001] and the international Ron Mace award for Universal Design [2004], the only Indian to win this prestigious award. He is on the advisory board of editors of 'Design Issues' . He published 3 books including the acclaimed 'Thinking Design'.