From Sangli To USA: Journey Of Automobile Designer- Amit Patankar

Coming from a humble background, Amit Patankar hails from Sangli in Maharashtra born to a family of cowherds. From his initial days of sketching on books to winning the prestigious Red Dot Design award not once but twice, Patankar catapulted to the highest level in the automobile design world with sheer hard work. car&bike recently caught up with the man himself, as he shared personal anecdotes from embarking on a journey to become a world-renowned automobile designer. From his schooling days to his architecture years and eventually entering the prestigious National Institute of Design, Patankar shares his thoughts in an exclusive interview.

Can you tell us about your early life, your schooling and a bit about your family?

I’m born and raised in Sangli in the southern part of Maharashtra. My father was a milkman used to distribute milk filled in large cannisters to our neighbourhood. My day started at 5 am by assisting my father in distributing milk on my way to the school. I wasn’t a fan of waking up so early in the morning, but which kid is right? Anyways, growing up, I studied in Marathi medium, so wasn't much exposed to the world outside but I've always had an inclination in the creative field, and decided to pursue Architecture in Sangli. But then again, my reason for staying back was completely different. During Class 12^th, I lost both my parents within a year and so leaving everything behind wasn’t a choice and had to take over the familial responsibilities. 

What made you choose automobile design and how has the journey been like?

Despite the hurdles I faced personally, my curiosity to pursue a creative profession allowed me to complete my Bachelor of Architecture with flying colours and topped my class for all five years of the course. My inquisitiveness led me to Ahmedabad’s National Institute of Design (NID), one of the most prestigious design institutions in India. I largely wanted to create solutions through my design. But getting through NID wasn’t easy. It is one of the oldest and premier design school recognised globally, and so as expected, the entrance process involved applying through numerous tests, and even at the end of it, only 12 people get selected out of the thousands that apply. I was super fortunate back then to get admitted into NID but not in my preferred course which was Transportation & Automobile Design. So, eventually, I studied Product Design and completed my Diploma with it. Coincidentally, at the time of deciding my final project, Tata Motors had announced a Rs. 1 lakh car (Tata Nano), and this intrigued me a lot. So, I decided to base my project on designing a similar budget car, and since it was a hot topic back then, it even got published in Times of India. It was quite humbling, but it led me to realise that maybe this is my calling, designing automobiles. But it was interior design within automotive design that caught my attention and interest more and dedicated my whole career ever since to design car interiors. 

What do you enjoy most about the design process?

I don't know where to start the answer from because almost an entirety of the process of designing or coming up with something new, stumbling upon idea when you're sketching and sketching is like, just if you get that runner's high, and I think that's that little sweet spot, and it can happen anytime, be it midnight or some weird hour. You sketch, sketch, sketch and then you stumble upon one idea. You spend more time doing the same thing with different perspective. I remember for 16 years of my career, I’ve designed from perfume bottles to tractors to cars, and whatnot. I’ve done it all! And then during that process you stumble upon the idea. And the high point is what I love. 

Can you elaborate on the awards you’ve won till now?

Awards are a by-product of a much bigger purpose. But during the process of finding that “Aha” moment, we finalised on a sketch and took it to the global design team of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (China), which was eventually named “XiM20” concept vehicle. The project taught me how to corroborate work between teams in the USA, Germany, and China, while managing odd work hours. Despite this, we managed to build the physical version of the concept car within a year. But the high point was when the entire team saw the concept car for the very first time in its physical format, which wasn’t less than a jaw-dropping moment for us all. Then the company decided to publicise this and eventually we entered the Red Dot Design 2019. And winning the award is possibly the high point in my career, like a landmark event that you never forget. More importantly because it opened doors to the global platform. It was then followed by the Good Design Award, the oldest and the most prestigious awards program in this community, founded by Charles Eames. We won the award for our touchFC floor console concept in the Transportation category, and this was even a bigger deal for me because, not many people know this, but Eames was one of the founding fathers of the NID and having studied from the same institution, it meant a great deal to me. Then the third award I won for “XiM20” concept vehicle was at the Automotive Brand Contest (ABC) award in Germany. So that was a big deal. At least in Europe, it is a revered award. 

Any piece of advice that you'd like to impart to young designers, or for those pursuing automobile designing?

I'm asked this question many times, and my advice is that you need to work hard, because you will progress in the profession based on your merit. You can develop your skills, bring finesse to the design, but all this requires hard work. Keep sketching, keep practising, hone your skills but more importantly understand the reason behind the design. It needs to solve a problem; you need to give a solution with your design. Other than that, what we look for in a designer is his ability to work in a team. Most of the school projects, they are individual projects, you finish your assignment, and you get great grades. That's how the education system has been functioning so far. But then for industrial professional programs, collaborating and working with others, and managing differences between you and other co-workers, or maybe people from other departments. These are some challenges that one learns on their own. At least when we hire, I make it a point that the person is a team player rather than an individual player. Teamwork is important to achieve a common goal, no matter where you work. Though, you must have the passion to solve problems. 

Which car would you say is your favourite and if do you have an idol?

My personal favourite is the MINI Cooper simply because of its iconic design, but more importantly because I designed the seats of the Euro-spec version of the 2015-16 models. It is also part of my garage today. Another car that I really admire is the Land Rover Evoque, of which I designed the rear seats of the First Edition. It has a very minimal, elegant styling without too much bling. Then Alfa Romeo Giulia, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are a few of my favourites. From old iconic cars, Audi A2 used to be my favourite though its discontinued now. The BMW 1-Series is another gorgeous car. I have a soft spot for BMW’s though mainly because most cars were designed by the legendary Chris Bangle or Mr. BMW as he is fondly called. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him in the past as well. Later, he selected me for a workshop in Milan as well as got the honour of visiting his home in Clavasana, Langhe based in Italy.