Vikas Satwalekar
Vikas Satwalekar (19 June 1944 – 27 June 2020) was an Indian graphic designer, professor, and educational administrator. He served as the Executive Director of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, from 1989 to 2000, and headed the institute's visual communication programme from 1982 to 2000.
Early life and education
Satwalekar was born on 19 June 1944. His grandfather, Shripad Damodar Satwalekar, was a Sanskrit scholar and painter. His father, Madhav Satwalekar, was also a painter and art educator.
Before training in design, Satwalekar studied English literature at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, while attending morning art classes at his father's institute and evening life-drawing classes at the Sir J. J. School of Art. He subsequently completed postgraduate studies in graphic design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, followed by advanced studies in typography and graphic design at the Basel School of Design (Allgemeine Gewerbeschule Basel) in Switzerland.
Career
Satwalekar joined the faculty at NID as one of its early educators. He headed the institute's visual communication programme from 1982 to 2000. In July 1989, he was appointed Executive Director of NID, a position he held until June 2000. During his directorship, NID expanded its publications department and design outreach programs. After his retirement from NID, he worked as an independent design consultant based in Mumbai.
Design work
Satwalekar designed corporate identity programs and exhibitions for public and private sector clients. In 1970–1971, he designed the "drop" logo for the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), representing the Operation Flood dairy development program led by Verghese Kurien, as well as the corporate identity for Mother Dairy.
He also developed channel identities, screen graphics, and signature films for Doordarshan networks—including DD News, DD Metro, and National Sports—as well as Prasar Bharati and Broadcast Worldwide (Channel Tara).
His exhibition design projects included the Khalsa Heritage Museum in Anandpur Sahib, the "Bharat Ek Darshan" exhibition, and the "India Exhibit" at the Commonwealth Institute in London.
Awards and honours
- Grandmaster Commendation (2007) – Presented on the occasion of the Icograda Design Week in India Conference at IIT Bombay, honoring his lifetime contributions to graphic design and design education.
Personal life and death
Satwalekar was married to Suranjana Satwalekar, an NID alumna and design educator. They had one son, Eeshaan.
Satwalekar died in Mumbai on 27 June 2020, at the age of 76.
External links
- Vikas Satwalekar profile on D'source