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INSD Expands Access to Design Education Across India
INSD has received recognition including the Times of India’s Excellence in Design Education Award, honors from AICTE.
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The International School of Design (INSD), a growing design education network in India, is working to improve access to quality creative education across Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural India. With over 75 centers in 21 states, the institute aims to expand its network to 2,000 study centers and reach one million students by 2030.
Speaking on The Success Playbook Podcast by Expertrons and Shine, INSD Group CEO Pranav Raaj Aggarwall said, “Our goal is to ensure that wherever design education is thought of in India—people consider INSD. We’re focused on scale while maintaining quality.”
Founded in Delhi, INSD operates with a partner-led model that allows local entrepreneurs to establish centers, while faculty recruitment, curriculum, and training are managed centrally.“We recognised that design talent exists beyond metro cities, but the infrastructure was less developed. We established INSD to bridge that gap,” Aggarwall noted.
The institute employs a 70:30 practical-to-theoretical training model and hosts an annual national-level Talent Showcase in Delhi. It also enables students to gain global exposure through learning trips to design hubs like Paris, UK, and Dubai. “We want students to start feeling like designers before they even graduate,” he added.
To help ensure consistency across all locations, INSD standardises assignments, modules, exams, and even faculty evaluations. “Quality at the last mile is non-negotiable,” said Aggarwall. He cited success stories like a Mumbai partner who expanded from one to three campuses in a highly competitive market.
The franchise system is designed to be turnkey, with INSD offering end-to-end support—from infrastructure planning to marketing. “It’s a plug-and-play setup. New partners benefit from our experience and brand equity from day one,” Aggarwall said.
Jatin Solanki, host of the podcast and Co-founder of Expertrons, added his perspective on the INSD model. “The design talent has always been present in smaller towns. INSD has made design education more accessible where it can be impactful,” said Solanki, an IIT Bombay alumnus and founder of Eduisfun (with investment from Amitabh Bachchan) and has over 15 years of experience in the education space.
INSD has received recognition including the Times of India’s Excellence in Design Education Award, honors from AICTE, and a 2023 award from the Education Minister of Uttar Pradesh for being a fast-growing design school chain in India.
“We aim for INSD to be a prominent name when design education is considered in India,” Aggarwall said.
For more information on INSD’s programs or to explore partnership opportunities, visit https://insd.edu.in/.
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