Sujata Keshavan
Sujata Keshavan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | National Institute of Design (1984) School of Art Yale University (1987) |
| Occupation | Graphic designer |
| Spouse | Ramachandra Guha |
Sujata Keshavan (born 1961) is an Indian graphic designer and co-founder of Ray + Keshavan, a brand design firm in India.[1][2][3]
Early life
Keshavan was born in 1961 to an engineer father and a painter mother.[4]
Education
She graduated from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad in 1984.[5] She then earned a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Yale University in 1987.[6] While at Yale, she studied under noted designers Paul Rand, Bradbury Thompson, Matthew Carter,[7] and Armin Hofmann.[8]
Career
Keshavan began her professional career at the advertising agency Response, founded by Ram Ray, where she worked for six months. In 1989, after returning to India, she co-founded Ray + Keshavan with Ray.[4]
The firm worked with clients such as Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, Wipro, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, McKinsey & Company, TVS Motor Company, Mindtree, and several Indian airports.[9]
In 2006, Ray + Keshavan was acquired by the WPP Group.[10]
In 2016, Keshavan co-founded Varana Design Ltd.—an artisanal luxury fashion brand—with entrepreneurs Ravi Prasad and Meeta Malhotra.[3]
Awards and recognition
- Twice named **Graphic Designer of the Year** at the annual Advertising and Marketing (A&M) awards.[11]
- Recipient of the **Eastern Press Award** and **Schickle–Collingwood Prize**.[12]
- Awarded **Outstanding Woman Professional of the Year (2007)** by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).[13]
- Featured in India Today’s list of **India’s 30 Most Powerful Women** (2006).[14]
- Ranked 18th on Fortune India’s **Most Powerful Women in Business** (2011).[15]
- Member of the World Economic Forum's **Global Agenda Council on Design & Innovation**.[16]
- Member of the **Governing Council of the National Institute of Design**, Ahmedabad (since 2016).[17]
- Winner of the **Design Icons 2019 Award** in Graphic and Communication Design, presented by India Design Forum.[18]
Keshavan has spoken at international conferences such as Design Indaba in South Africa[19] and at the International Design Center in Nagoya, Japan.
She has served on juries for ReBrand 100 at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the Business World Awards for Design Excellence, and The Design Yatra Awards.
Personal life
Keshavan lives in Bangalore and is married to historian Ramachandra Guha. They have two children.[20]
References
- ^ "Welcome to Srishti".
- ^ Keshav, Karunya (7 May 2011). "Image make-overs". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ a b Datta, Pronoti (11 August 2017). "Jamdani on Dover Street". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ a b Ghoshal, Somak (22 March 2019). "Sujata Keshavan: Making design matter". Mint. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "NID gets Rs 50 lakh donation from 1984-batch alumna". The Times of India. TNN. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "A Career of Firsts". Design Indaba.
- ^ "Sujata Keshavan: We Believe The Taj Mahal Is Beautiful Because We Are Taught So". Forbes India. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "From Graphics to Textile, with Sujata Keshavan".
- ^ "Female frontiers". DNA India. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ Bagchi, Subroto (2014). Zen Garden: Conversations with Pathmakers. Penguin Global. ISBN 978-93-5118-574-1.
- ^ Bakshi, Jahanvi (14 January 2025). "NID Notable Alumni: List of Popular Alumni". College Dekho. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "Asia's top brand designer lives in the city". The Times of India. April 2003.
- ^ "FICCI Ladies Organisation's annual awards presented". The Hindu. 19 April 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "30 Indian women role models". India Today. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Global Future Councils".
- ^ "National Institute of Design – Management". Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Menon, Rashmi (11 October 2019). "IDF felicitates cross-disciplinary design thinkers". Mint. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "Design Indaba Conference 2003". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Lunch with BS: Ramachandra Guha". Business Standard.