Author: Team

India’s Premier Animation Event, Animela, Highlights IIAD’s Award-Winning Films

As India’s animation scene comes into its own, a new generation is pushing the boundaries of storytelling. This past week, the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) became among the voices shaping that future at Animela, India’s first international festival dedicated to Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics and XR. Hosted at IDC, IIT Bombay (March 7–9), the festival brought together a global network of artists, animators and industry veterans to explore the shifting possibilities of animation as a medium.

For IIAD, the festival is an opportunity to showcase the evolving vocabulary of its students, whose films have been officially selected for screening. These films, developed under the mentorship of Shaaz Ahmed (Associate Professor, IIAD), were among the works selected for the festival.

The Day My Dad Arrives – Sreeram Jayaram

Rooted in Sreeram’s personal experiences, this award-winning film unfolds an emotional journey, chronicling the longing of a young boy eagerly awaiting his Gulf migrant worker father’s return. The film was initially a major design project (MDP) titled “Personal Narratives”which gradually evolved from audio stories into a visually compelling 2D animated magnum opus. In the past it has been awarded the Animation Xpress ANN Award 2023 for Best Student Film category.

Patangarh Ka Hero | Animation Film on Gond Art | Documentary Film | IIAD

Nanki Ghuman’s film is a cinematic mixed-media experiment that reimagines Gond art for contemporary viewers. Using Adobe After Effects to animate hand-drawn illustrations alongside real-world footage and pixelation effects, the film reinvigorates the art form. The interplay of painted animations, pixelated characters and 2D transitions creates a dynamic visual language that respects Gond art’s heritage while pushing its aesthetic forward. The film won special mention at Chitrashaala: A Short Film Festival on Rural India and was recognised as Best Student Short Film and Best Director at Mokkho International Film 2024.

Aami Tumi Rum – Anindita Banerjee

Anindita Banerjee’s film critiques societal hypocrisy, highlighting the gap between professed and actual support for women. Following Rumi’s journey of self-discovery, it weaves Bengali cultural richness—music, dance, and traditions—into its narrative. Inspired by personal experiences and traditional art forms like Kalighat paintings, Jamini Roy’s works and Patachitra, Anindita’s illustrations feature large Bengali eyes, symbolising deep emotion. Structured in three parts, the film uses colour to reflect shifting settings and moods.

A True Story – Anish Sekhri

Officially selected for the 11th Goa Short Film Festival, Sekhri’s film reimagines Indian folktales for children (7–10). Initially drawn to mainstream animation, he shifted focus to the Panchatantra, exploring ambition and self-acceptance. Using simple characters like the sun and clouds, the film imparts life lessons through a mixed-media approach, bridging generations and keeping these timeless stories relevant.

I Hope This Conversation Doesn’t Take Place in 2045 – Srishti Arora

Arora’s film empowers women by amplifying silenced experiences and sparking dialogue on unspoken truths. Rooted in everyday stories, it serves as both a platform for expression and a design intervention—encouraging self-discovery and problem-solving. The title playfully critiques harsh realities while celebrating resilience and collective strength.

Anyday, Everyday, One Fine Day! – Raashi Borade

Raashi Borade’s film is about a little girl struggling to conveniently get through her everyday life and the episodes that she faces being socially anxious which are based on sets of metaphors. It is about growing up and the joys of friendships and how people around you can strengthen and help us with our personal development. Each episode resonates with commonly faced problems by a child and his or her response to socially anxious feelings. The film was officially screened at IAWRT’s annual 17th Asian Women’s Film Festival 2021.

Shaaz Ahmed (Associate Professor, IIAD) whose practice Mud n Water Studio produces animation, ad films, short films, urban art and documentaries, also contributed to the festival’s intellectual discourse. He led a session titled Animation Pe Charcha, exploring animation as a mode of inquiry, cultural documentation and political discourse. Additionally, he joins the panel Mapping Your Creative Path, alongside industry experts Nina Sabnani and Rajesh Tarukhia, in a discussion moderated by Lotte Marie Allen.

A Festive Day Turns Risky as Sakhi’s Stalker Crashes Holi Celebration in Wagle Ki Duniya on Sony SAB

Mumbai, March 13, 2025: Sony SAB’s Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey continues to deliver thrilling twists as Sai Darshan Society gears up for a grand Holi celebration. The society comes together to help Dakshesh (Deepak Pareek) in his ill-fated magic trick, thanks to the intervention of the original magician who wrote the spell book. With a tribute to the fading world of magicians, normalcy returns to Sai Darshan, or so it seems.

This week, the Wagles find themselves caught in a web of trust and deception as Sakhi’s (Chinmayi Salvi) stalker, Sushant (Shikar Patel) , makes a surprising return. Claiming to have changed his ways, he visits the Wagle home and earns their trust after bringing back Radhika (Bharati Achrekar) , who had briefly gone missing. Rajesh (Sumeet Raghvan) , unaware of his true identity, welcomes Sushant with open arms, praising his good deed. However, Sakhi is left stunned by the turn of events but chooses to stay silent, allowing him a second chance. Meanwhile, Vivan (Namit Shah) remains suspicious, keeping a watchful eye on Sushant’s every move. As the festive zeal intensifies, the lines between redemption and hidden motives blur. They culminate in a shocking moment when Sushant infiltrates the Sai Darshan Holi celebration in disguise.

Can Sakhi trust Sushant, or is she making a dangerous mistake? Is Vivan’s intuition correct? What will happen when the Wagles discover the truth?

Sumeet Raghvan, who essays the role of Rajesh Wagle, said, “Rajesh is someone who always wants to believe the best in people. He trusts easily, sometimes even when he shouldn’t. This track is interesting because it puts that very trust to the test. Holi is a time of celebration, but for the Wagles, it takes a suspenseful turn. Rajesh welcomes someone into his home with open arms, unaware of the hidden danger to his own daughter. The way the story unfolds and the tension rises will keep the audience hooked. What starts as a joyous festival soon takes an unexpected twist, making this Holi one filled with shock and revelation.”

ESCP Business School Explores Collaborative Opportunities with Indian Scientific Institutions

As the European Union strengthens its ties with India, ESCP Business School, is poised to expand its partnerships in India. This strategic initiative aligns with the recent visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to India on February 27-28, 2025, which highlighted opportunities for enhanced cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, and security.

ESCP Business School, with its rich history dating back to 1819 in Paris, is well-positioned to leverage this momentum. The school operates six urban campuses across Europe (Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid, Turin, and Warsaw) and a branch campus in Dubai, offering a unique multi-campus experience to its community of over 11,000 students from 136 different nationalities. Through its extensive network of over 150 academic alliances in 50 countries, ESCP is committed to fostering global collaboration and innovation.

In India, ESCP has established robust relationships with top institutions, including exchange and dual degree programs with eight prestigious Indian establishments: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Udaipur, MDI Gurgaon, and SPJIMR. The number of Indian students at ESCP Business School has been steadily increasing, with 608 students enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year, marking a 16% rise over three years. India now represents the third country of origin of students at ESCP Business School, after France and Italy.

Building on this foundation, ESCP Business School is particularly interested in exploring opportunities in emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is a key area of focus for both India and France. The recent AI Action Summit in Paris, co-chaired by President Macron and Prime Minister Modi, underscored the shared commitment to harnessing AI for mutual benefit. This priority supports ESCP’s strategic initiatives in AI, including its partnership with OpenAI, signed in October 2024, to introduce ChatGPT Edu, an innovative platform designed to enhance learning experiences and drive AI-driven research.

“ESCP Business School is committed to exploring new partnerships in India, particularly with top scientific universities, to foster cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration,” said Professor Léon Laulusa, Executive Director and Dean of ESCP Business School. Professor Laulusa will be visiting India during the last week of March 2025. “I look forward to my visit to India to explore new knowledge avenues. The shared focus on AI with India and France presents a unique opportunity to leverage advanced technologies for mutual benefit and global impact,” he added.

SSC NASSCOM Joins Forces with School of Design Thinking for a Groundbreaking 50-Hour Design Spark Challenge

March 14, 2025,India: School of Design Thinking (SoDT), India’s leading organisation for promoting Design Thinking as a mindset for problem-solving and innovation, in partnership with Sector Skills Council (SSC) NASSCOM, proudly inaugurated the “Design Spark Challenge”, a 50-hour non-stop innovation challenge dedicated to the transformative power of Design Thinking.

A one-of-its-kind innovation challenge hosted in India, Design Spark Challenge 2025 will be driven by Design Thinking principles and leveraging AI tools. The competition commenced today (7th March 2025) at Intellect Design Arena’s global headquarters in Chennai, marking a significant milestone in fostering a culture of innovation among students.

The challenge brought together 75 students pursuing diverse education streams from 15 renowned colleges, all vying to push the boundaries of creativity and problem-solving using Design Thinking principles. Each group comprising five students was paired with a faculty mentor from the respective colleges to provide guidance and support throughout the competition. This initiative not only emphasised collaboration and innovation but also aimed to prepare the next generation of problem solvers for real-world challenges in healthcare, education, rural empowerment, agriculture, and the gig economy, among other sectors.

The inauguration ceremony featured Udaya Sankar, National Lead – Academia & Government Relations at NASSCOM, as the Chief Guest, Vanitha Venugopal, Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT) Hub, as the Guest of Honour, along with Dr. Anbu Rathinavel, Co-Founder & Head of School of Design Thinking and Chief Design Officer of Intellect Design Arena; and Krishna Rajaraman, Chief Technology Officer of Intellect.

Design Spark Challenge encouraged participants to engage deeply with the problem, fostering a sustainable, holistic approach to design rather than mere problem-solving. It emphasised the importance of understanding the end user, which leads to falling in love with the problem instead of jumping to the solution. The structure was designed to enhance collaboration and a rich learning environment to nurture their thinking for addictive product and service design.

The competition had a timeline that started on Friday and ended on Sunday. As the students embarked on this intensive innovation journey, they had access to mentorship from industry leaders & experts from SoDT and the chance to present their groundbreaking solutions for the problem statements to a panel of esteemed judges at the end of the competition.

Udaya Sankar, National Lead-NASSCOM, said, “In an era of rapid technological evolution, equipping students with critical thinking, collaboration, and a mindset of continuous learning are key to solving real-world challenges. Design Spark Challenge 2025 redefines how educational institutions approach innovation and problem-solving, empowering students to create meaningful solutions. At SSC NASSCOM, we are committed to fostering industry-relevant skills and ethical values to drive sustainable innovation and build a resilient future workforce. This is the future of learning – immersive, hands-on, and impact-driven.”

During her address, Vanitha Venugopal, CEO-iTNT Hub, said, “Innovation is the key to shaping the future, and platforms like Design Spark Challenge play a crucial role in empowering young minds to think beyond conventional boundaries. This one-of-its-kind inter-college competition fosters holistic yet creative problem-solving while aligning with Tamil Nadu’s vision of becoming a hub for deep tech-driven advancements. At iTNT Hub, we are committed to nurturing an ecosystem where technology and innovation fuel progress, ensuring that Tamil Nadu remains at the forefront of cutting-edge solutions with real-world impact.”

“Design Thinking is not just a methodology; it’s a mindset that empowers individuals to challenge norms and innovate beyond boundaries,” said Dr. Anbu Rathinavel, Head-School of Design Thinking. “The idea to host the Design Spark Challenge was fostered from our previous experience with a similar innovation challenge for Intellect associates worldwide in 2023. We thought now is the right time to extend this opportunity to college students. This 50-hour-long competition embodies this spirit, stimulating a collaborative environment where young minds can explore new ideas and solutions. We are proud to partner with SSC NASSCOM to seed this initiative and make this a country-wide movement in the future.”

Krishna Rajaraman, CTO-Intellect, highlighted the importance and impact of integrating AI into the Design Thinking process. “Leveraging AI tools and advanced technologies in this challenge allows participants to explore cutting-edge innovations, enhancing their creative output and providing real-time data analytics that inform and optimise their design processes. Prior to the commencement of the 50-hour challenge, we conducted an orientation session for all participants on how Design Thinking principles combined with these technologies can effectively tackle real-world challenges and drive impactful solutions,” he stated.

Rising Glaucoma Cases Causing Irreversible Blindness in India: Experts Push for Timely Eye Exams

Bengaluru, 13 March 2025: Glaucoma continues to be a growing public health challenge globally, and particularly in India with over 12 million people affected in the country. The chronic eye disease progressively damages the optic nerve, often without noticeable symptoms, resulting in vision loss and can eventually cause blindness if left untreated.

As per studies, Asia is expected to witness the growing burden of glaucoma with 27.8 million additional glaucoma cases by 2040, with India and China to witness a steep rise in the prevalence. Alarmingly, several studies state around 90% of glaucoma cases in India remain undetected and untreated, leading to irreversible blindness each year due to lack of awareness.

The asymptomatic nature of glaucoma is a major challenge for timely diagnosis. Patients often perceive their vision as normal, even as optic nerve damage progresses. The lack of perceived symptoms leads to delay in seeking medical attention at the right time. Glaucoma prevalence is higher among adults aged 40 and above, affecting 2.7% to 4.3% of the elderly population, as reports suggest. The glaucoma-related blindness in India is concerning, affecting approximately 1.2 million people, and accounting for 5.5% of all blindness cases nationwide.

Dr. Asha M S, Senior consultant and Glaucoma specialist at Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital emphasizes that patients are often unaware they have the disease until substantial damage has occurred, stating, “Patients often have no idea that they have glaucoma, until significant damage has been caused. Sometimes patients also question the necessity of tests even when their vision feels fine. Most of these cases are detected through routine eye check-ups. That is the insidious nature of glaucoma —it is a silent thief of sight. This silent progression needs immediate medical intervention. Hence, it makes awareness and early detection essential. Routine check-ups are vital for early detection and preventing irreversible sight loss.”

This underscores the importance of early detection and regular checkups through the urgent need for increased awareness and proactive screening initiatives. While intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor, early detection of increased pressure allows timely medical intervention, preventing or slowing down the progression.

By the time one faces visual impairments, such as peripheral vision loss, the damage is often irreversible. This is particularly concerning as many people begin to experience age-related changes in their vision in their 40s – a crucial window for glaucoma screening.

“We need to have awareness campaigns and spread the message regarding the importance of regular eye checkups, especially for people aging over 40s. Older adults living alone often face challenges in accessing healthcare due to social isolation, hindering timely glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. Hence, it is important to take proactive measures to prevent the progression and mitigate the damaging consequences of glaucoma,” Dr. Asha M S adds further highlighting the challenges faced by the elderly population in accessing healthcare services.

“There is an urgent need for widespread awareness campaigns, educating the public about the importance of regular comprehensive eye examinations, including intraocular pressure measurement, visual field testing, and optic nerve imaging. These are crucial for people aging over 40, and ones with a family history of glaucoma, diabetes, or high myopia. Medical advancements, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analysis, enable the detection of pre-perimetric glaucoma, identifying nerve damage before visual field loss occurs,” states Dr. Asha M S .