Opportunity For Designers Is Abundant, It’s Not Limited To Speed: Ajay Jain, Tata Motors

The increase in the global population is directly affecting the earth's pollution levels as well. It has been ages since we, as a global family, have been discussing how sustainability is the need of the hour and the window to save our planet is closing every passing day. 

Unfortunately, what we are doing at the moment is not enough. Going back in time when the world was simpler might look like an escape but it's certainly not possible. Adapting to the means which cause the least damage to our planet is our safest bet and hence electric vehicles. 

Speaking at BW Businessworld's Future of Design Summit, Ajay Jain, Head of Global Design Strategy, Tata Motors says, "The moment we switch to electric cars, we reduce pollution. We reduce the number of moving parts by 10 times. Hence, automatically the solution becomes sustainable. But we are not just looking at solutions, but also at opportunities." 

Describing Avinya, an electric vehicle model by Tata Motors, Jain explains that when we created Avinya, we looked at it as a new organism. The company claims that sustainability is at the core of the design. The materials used in the design of the car have been sourced locally.

"We try to use recycled material in such a manner that it feels as if it's brand new. There is no compromise on that level. It is a layer of regenerative designs," he added. 

Jain further said that merely using recycled materials is not enough, there should be traceability. "Design is an opportunity when a solution has already been found. In cars, the opportunity for designers is abundant. Innovation is not limited to speed, it is about relaxation, well-being, home-like feeling, lightening up the space, etc," he said. 

For Jain, designing cars is about moving physically and emotionally, it’s about creating moving drama. He believes that design purity and absolute perfection is the ultimate expression of sustainability. It is an appreciation of quality, precision and craftsmanship. Avinya was created keeping these opportunities in mind, he said. 

Autonomous drive vehicles are not sci-fi, they are already a reality. With the help of AI, accidents can be minimised and the driver need not constantly look at the road. In future, Jain believes that a car would become more like an interactive space. With increasing innovations in the automobile industry, it looks like electric vehicles are here to stay. They are not only our need of the hour but our future as well.