Pune Design Festival 2025: Designing for a sustainable future

The 19th Pune Design Festival (PDF), organised by the Pune chapter of the Association of Designers of India, will take place on 28 February and 1 March at the Hyatt Regency, Pune. 

Since its inception in 2006, PDF has evolved into one of India’s most prestigious design events, drawing renowned speakers, industry leaders, and global delegates from a variety of fields including UX, product design, architecture, and graphic design. The festival provides a dynamic platform to discuss the evolving role of design and its global impact.

Pune Design Festival is a two-day conference, preceded by a week-long city-wide celebration as part of Pune Design Week. Centered around the theme Mind the World, this year’s edition explores emerging perspectives from India, next-gen challenges, and building a responsible future. The festival features music events, exhibitions, open house sessions, and workshops, while the conference hosts 35+ speakers, interactive forums, hands-on workshops, and the Battle of Projects – Student Design Award. Winners will be announced at PDF25.

The event will feature Dick Powell, co-founder of Seymourpowell, as the keynote speaker, along with a diverse panel of experts offering insights into design, innovation, and sustainability. 

Among the speakers are Varun Grover, acclaimed lyricist and filmmaker; Kirti Trivedi, professor at IIT Indore; Shipra Bhutada, founder of User Connect Consultancy (UCC); and Anirudha Joshi, head of the IDC School of Design at IIT Bombay.

Alongside the keynote sessions, the festival will host four workshops and a panel discussion, providing attendees with opportunities for hands-on learning and in-depth exploration of key industry topics.

Beyond the main sessions, PDF25 will host Open House workshops at design agencies such as Elephant Design, Lemon Design, and MIT Loni. These workshops will offer attendees the chance to engage in hands-on activities and network with industry leaders.

Sustainability will be a central focus throughout the festival, with several sessions dedicated to examining how companies and individuals are driving change through design. 

At PDF24, Khushboo Gandhi of Go Do Good led a sustainability workshop on eco-friendly packaging, attended by over 60 participants, showcasing how sustainable solutions can be integrated into design. Building on last year’s theme, Versus, which explored contrasts in design, PDF25 moves forward with a renewed emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and the future of design.

Click here to register for the Pune Design Festival 2025.