India's Best Car Designer
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WHEELS MW: How has passenger car design 1997-98, and what an impact it had on not celebrating their 100-year anniversaries. evolved at Tata Motors in the last only me but on the general public in India Of course, we're a 75-year old company, two decades? and overseas. I think the Indica, in its time, but not in cars; that's only about 20-25 Pratap Bose: I'I'd need to take you was amongst the benchmarks in small years. So, yes, it's a challenge to establish back a few years, to the mid-1980s, hatchback design, globally. Of course, that a fresh design DNA, which is unique, which early-1990s. Actually, Tata Motors was was designed by IDEA; we didn't have stands out, which says something about the first to establish a design studio and the internal capability, but that, I would the company, and that's what we've tried in large part, I'd give the credit for that say, was the start of the journey of the to do in the last five to seven years. We're to Mr Tata himself. As you know, he's a passenger vehicle design side. Today, the already internally working on the Impact trained architect, and therefore, he's got role design plays in Tata Motors is very 3.0 design language, which will start a fantastic eye for design. In the mid/late- central to its strategy, to its customer coming in a few years, and that's how we 1990s, when we established the design focus and to the numbers. hope the legacy builds. studio in Pune, albeit very small, and only for commercial vehicles at that point, it MW: Since Tata Motors has only been MW: Everyone seems to be buying SUVs was still that attempt to get design going building cars for about 25 years these days, while sedans have fallen out in an Indian company. And then if you or so, is the lack of an established "The challenge of favour. From the design perspective, flash forward to the mid-1990s/late-1990s, design language and absence of in India is to is doing SUVs more challenging? the Sierra, the Tata Mobile, the Estate, the design heritage a challenge, or is it an fit a lot of cars PB: All cars are equally interesting, Sumo — a lot of I, would say, were design- opportunity? within four exciting or challenging; I don't really think led products. And those were the bridge PB: It's actually both. On one hand we can metres, which a body type is necessarily the challenge. products for us to go from commercial say, wow, it's great, we have a clean sheet you don't What is the challenge in India, of course, vehicles to passenger cars. of paper. On the other hand, you look have to do is that we have to fit a lot of cars within If I flash forward to the late-1990s, when back, and there's almost nothing behind in any other four metres, which you don't have to do design from the prestigious National the Indica came out, that was one huge you. Some of the global contemporaries part of in any other part of the world. We have Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and leap. I still remember seeing the Indica in we have in India and overseas are the world" got premium hatchbacks, entry-level his first job was with Italian scooter India's Best pioneer Piaggio. But he quit two years later to go back to study vehicle design at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London where he acquired an Car Designer MA degree. Following this he worked Pratap Bose, whose designs have contributed immensely to the success for three years as a senior designer with Daimler Chrysler in Japan, before of Tata Motors' cars in the last decade, was recently accorded the joining the newly set up Tata Motors honour of being one of the five finalists for the 2021 World Car Person European Technical Centre, the design of the Year award and development arm of the Indian By Sameer Kumar automaker based in Coventry, England. He moved to the parent company as Head of Design in 2011 and was "How I classify great cars is if they stir World Car Person of the Year award. The appointed to his current global position an emotional response — that's very award given by the not-for-profit World two years ago. important," says Pratap Bose, the Vice Car Awards, an organisation founded India, according to Bose, presents President of Global Design at Tata Motors. and run by car journalists, bloggers, and unique challenges for a designer. "The He is the man who's designed cars like the reviewers from around the world, was challenge in India is that we have to fit Tiago, Nexon, Altroz, Harrier, and Safari, won by Akio Toyoda, President and CEO, a lot of cars within four metres, which all of which have gone on to be significant Toyota Motor Corp. you don't have to do in any other part successes for the company. "I love going But to be nominated in the company of the world, "he says, "So we have into the clay studio and seeing the clay of the likes of Luc Donckerwolke (Chief sedans in 4m, we have minivans, we modellers sculpt the clay and running my Creative Officer at Hyundai), Tomiko have SUVs, you name it. My colleagues in hands over it to judge the surface; you Takeuchi (Chief Engineer at Mazda) other global companies find it extremely can close your eyes and feel the surfaces and Euisun Chung (Chairman, Hyundai hard to design cars that are under 4m. come to life." Motor Group) besides Toyoda, is a rare We have got premium hatchbacks, Widely acknowledged to be the privilege in itself for any auto industry entry-level hatchbacks, entry-level best car designer in India, his name is professional, leave alone someone from a SUVs, subcompact SUVs — we've got now recognised in the larger world of developing country. everything in under 4m." He spoke to MW international auto industry, a measure Bose is still only 45. His passion for about these and other unique insights of which is the fact that he was one automobiles started quite early in life. He about the developing world of Indian of the five finalists for the recent 2021 followed on it with a degree in product vehicle design in this exclusive interview. APRIL 2021 • MW 49 48 APRIL 2021 • MW can't ship physical models around, but we use software and we use computer- generated images to have all our design reviews. And not one of our design decisions got delayed in these last few months that we've been in lockdown. So, yes, it helps in collaboration, visualisation, and the speed and volume of ideation. But it has to be backed by analogue process, and that's what I love about design; a computer model is not something you can touch or run your hands over. I love going into the clay studio and seeing the clay modellers sculpt the clay and running my hands over it to judge the surface; you can close your eyes and feel the surfaces come to life. And that nothing has replaced yet, hatchbacks, entry-level SUVs, subcompact your ears; it's the brain. There's nothing I'm glad. SUVs – we've got everything in under 4m. that's replaced that, luckily. It's still art and And that is more unique as a challenge in science; design is the perfect combination MW: Who are your favourite car India and Indian design, or design for India, of both of those. Having said that, of designers of all time? rather than the body type. course, technology opens up a lot of PB: Giorgetto Giugiaro remains the top possibilities, so the advantage is that you for most car designers and it's purely MW: In recent years, Tata cars have been can iterate a lot more, you can generate "Design is because of the influence he's had [over Mercedes 300 SL — that's a drop-dead scoring high in terms of safety, with more ideas, you can work faster in some the perfect the largest number of cars], which is just gorgeous car; I almost gush even while 5-star safety ratings from Global NCAP. cases, because you can exchange data combination staggering. The width and depth of his speaking about it. The Citroen DS – that's What are the unique challenges of with suppliers outside the company and of art and work is phenomenal, and he remains at incredible. The Lamborghini Miura, the designing affordable cars that are also engineering teams inside the company science, and the top. I think it would be unfair of me to Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the very safe? much faster. technology point out individuals but if I could say, in Toyota GT 2000 — an absolutely stunning PB: As part of our product strategy, Since last year, we have been working opens up Kia, for example, Peter Schreyer and Luc car. I could just go on – there are so many safety comes at the top of the triangle. In virtually, and we still have a design review a lot of Donckerwolke — what they've done at Kia gorgeous cars. fact we're seeing people buy our cars for with our management every month. We possibilities" in the last 15 years.