3M plans to establish its first design centre in India, fourth globally

US engineering and technology giant 3M has announced the setting up of a design centre in India, its fourth such centre in the world after Tokyo, Milan and its design headquarters in Minnesota.

The new design centre will be located inside 3M’s research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru, and will work on designing unique products for India as well as aiding the company’s global design teams.

“Momentum for design and design thinking in India is developing with increased attention and interest,” said Eric Quint, Vice President and Chief Design Officer at 3M. “The new 3M Design India studio will spark cross-functional collaboration in order to imagine how our technology platforms can generate continued value for our customers and partners in business”, he further added.

3M is hoping that the close proximity of the new centre to its innovation lab will allow design thinking to be applied at an earlier stage in the development of new technologies in order to build products. The centre will also allow it to work more closely with business, academia and customers on what products should look like.

“We have been innovating in India, for India for 30 years now, and it is an imperative for us to constantly develop and grow. Design and creativity play an integral part in staying ahead of the curve,” said Debarati Sen, Managing Director of 3M India.

The opening of the design centre will be followed by the 3M Design India Summit, where the company hopes to bring together thought leaders from different domains and industry backgrounds with the common theme of improving design and design thinking.