The Pune Design Festival is the flagship event of the Association of Designers of India. Launched in 2006, the festival is a conference that brings together individuals who have “shaped the global design ecosystem.” The events, which are usually centred on a theme, include discussions, workshops, networking sessions, studio visits, a design quiz and an awards ceremony.
John Thackara, K. V. Sridhar, Maggie Macnab and Timothy Jacob Jensen have been among the list of prominent speakers at the Pune Design Fest in recent years. The last edition of the festival embodied the theme ‘NXT25 and explored "the futurist agenda for design over the next 25 years for India and for the world".
The upcoming edition of the Pune Design Festival has the theme “Versus” . Prepare for vibrant discussions and debates that delve into the power of divergent perspectives to ignite clarity. "We celebrate the understanding that sometimes, the path to the best solution lies not in singular spotlights, but in strategically crafted shadows of comparison.'
Some of the eminent speakers at this year's festival include Dibakar Banerjee - Indian film director, screenwriter, producer; Isabelle Dechamps - Social Design, Co-Creation, Design Thinking, Transformation Design; Isabella Chow - Programme Director, DFA Awards & Design Exchange Hong Kong Design Centre; Suresh eriyat - Founder – Studio Eeksaurus, Indian Animator, Art & Film Director; Rahibai Popere - Indian Farmer & Conservationist, Wasim Khan - Director at Lemon Design Pvt Ltd. & Partner at Change By Design LLP and many other eminent names from the global design industry.
Check out more design festivals here.
How to Reach Pune
1. By Air: Pune is well connected through domestic airlines with the entire country. Lohegaon Airport or Pune Airport is an international airport, located 15 km away from Pune city centre. Visitors can avail of taxi and local bus services from outside the airport to reach their destination.
2. By Rail: Pune Junction Railway Station connects the city with all the prime Indian destinations. There are several mail/express trains and superfast trains linking the city to various Indian destinations in the south, north and west. Some of the prominent trains operating to and from Mumbai are the Deccan Queen and Shatabdi Express, which take around three-and-a-half hours to reach Pune.
3. By Road: Pune enjoys excellent connectivity with neighbouring cities and towns through a well-maintained network of roads. Mumbai (140 km), Ahmadnagar (121 km), Aurangabad (215 km) and Bijapur (275 km) all are well linked to Pune by a number of states and roadways buses. Those driving from Mumbai need to take Mumbai-Pune Expressway route, which takes barely two to three hours to cover a distance of about 150 km.
Source: Pune.gov.in




1. Warm winter wear as February can get cold and dry in Pune.
2. Carry your winter skincare because you do not want your skin to suffer the wrath of the season.
3. A sturdy water bottle, if the festival has refillable water stations.
4. COVID packs: Hand sanitiser, extra masks and a copy of your vaccination certificate are things you should keep handy.




