New Delhi, September 18, 2023

CNH Industrial India, a global leader in agriculture and construction equipment, announced the winners of its Industrial Design Program in partnership with UPES, a multidisciplinary university in Dehradun. The winning team of Abhijith MS, Arvind M and Vrushadwaj Gunjari, along with their mentor Lavendra Shukla, triumphed with their ’Coco Harvest’ concept.

The Industrial Design Program was a joint effort, and based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CNH and UPES. The program aims to foster innovation and creativity amongst young talented students to develop solutions for farm machinery. The partnership encompassed a wide spectrum of cooperative efforts including research, joint projects, academic exchanges, workshops, seminars, and intern co-supervision.

Ashish Sharma, Leader India Technology Center, CNH, said, “We are pleased to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the winners in our Industrial Design Program, a result of our successful partnership with UPES. This program has been an inspiring journey, igniting the students’ innovation and creativity. We remain committed to such initiatives that empower and nurture the next generation of designers.”

The 10-week program saw 20 students in five groups grapple with real-world projects and gain hands-on experience. It required them to develop a new vehicle and provided them with a deeper understanding of farm machinery design and development. The students learned research, conceptualization, design, sourcing, prototyping, and production skills. Additionally, CNH’s experienced team visited UPES, providing advice and addressing students’ design concerns. The individual projects were further evaluated by both UPES and CNH in terms of creativity, innovation, and overall best design solution.

David Wilkie, Head of Industrial Design for CNH said, “It has been a fantastic experience for me and my team to see the research and design creativity of the students. They have been thorough in looking for opportunities to improve fruit harvesting. It’s the work of an industrial designer to focus on a problem and design a solution that makes the job easier, faster and safer. Working with the students from UPES has been inspiring for us, while also helping the students develop their creative processes. The design teams have come up with ideas for harvesting coconuts, pineapples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and even mangoes.”

Phani Tetali, Dean, School of Design (SOD), UPES, said, “We are glad to partner with CNH to support the development of young talent in India. This partnership will not only provide an opportunity for the students to showcase their talent, but also to receive expert guidance from the experienced professionals at CNH. With this initiative, we hope to equip the next generation of designers with the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the industry and create an impact”.

CNH Industrial India serves the country through its Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and CASE Construction Equipment brands, delivering on the promise to provide world-class products of engineering excellence, with ‘Made in India’ manufacturing operations for over 25 years.