Global design leader Pradyumna Vyas has been invited to serve as Honorary President of Asia Design Week from 2026 to 2030. In a non-executive advisory role, he will support design-led innovation, sustainability and cross-cultural collaboration across Asia and beyond.
Pradyumna Vyas, one of India’s most influential voices in design leadership and policy, has been invited to serve as the Honorary President of Asia Design Week for the term spanning 2026 to 2030, a move that underscores both his global standing and Asia’s growing confidence in design as a driver of cultural dialogue, innovation and sustainable growth. The appointment places an Indian design leader at the helm of one of the region’s most significant international design and cultural exchange platforms at a time when Asia is increasingly shaping global conversations around creativity, technology and responsible development.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Asia Design Week has evolved into a key convening platform that connects designers, artists, cultural institutions and creative industries across China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and India, while steadily expanding its engagement with Europe and other parts of the world. Through exhibitions, conferences, collaborative projects and cross-border initiatives, the platform has built a reputation for encouraging dialogue that goes beyond aesthetics, positioning design as a common language through which societies can address shared challenges and explore new possibilities.
Vyas’s appointment comes with a clearly defined mandate. He will serve in a non-executive, advisory capacity, contributing strategic guidance rather than day-to-day management. His role will focus on strengthening design-led innovation, promoting sustainability, and deepening regional collaboration across Asia’s diverse creative ecosystems. For Asia Design Week, the association with a figure of Vyas’s stature brings not only credibility but also decades of experience in bridging design, industry and public policy.
Currently the President of the World Design Organisation, Vyas occupies a unique position at the intersection of global design discourse and regional development priorities. The World Design Organisation, a Switzerland-based international body, represents professional design associations and institutions across more than 40 countries, advocating for the use of design to create economic, social, cultural and environmental value. Under his leadership, the organisation has emphasised design as a strategic tool for addressing complex global issues, from urban resilience and sustainability to inclusive growth.
In India, Vyas is widely recognised for his long-standing contributions to shaping the country’s design ecosystem. As Senior Advisor to the Confederation of Indian Industry, he has worked closely with policymakers and business leaders to integrate design thinking into manufacturing, services and emerging sectors. His advocacy has consistently focused on moving Indian industry up the value chain, from cost-driven production to innovation-led competitiveness, with design playing a central role.
His presence on the boards of major Indian companies such as Titan Company Ltd., Dynamatic Technologies Ltd. and Carysil Ltd. further reflects his influence across diverse industries, from consumer products and precision engineering to home solutions. In these roles as an Independent Director, Vyas has been known to champion user-centric design, sustainability and long-term value creation, reinforcing the idea that good design is not an add-on but a strategic imperative.
Asia Design Week’s decision to invite Vyas as Honorary President reflects a broader recognition of India’s growing importance in the Asian and global design landscape. Over the past decade, India has emerged as a significant hub for design talent, digital innovation and cultural production, supported by initiatives such as Design in India, the strengthening of design education, and increased collaboration between designers, startups and established industries. Vyas has been closely associated with many of these developments, both as a thought leader and as an institutional architect.
For Asia Design Week, which seeks to foster cross-cultural dialogue across design, art, culture and creative industries, Vyas’s experience in navigating cultural diversity is particularly valuable. Asia’s design landscape is marked by immense variety, shaped by different histories, traditions, technologies and market realities. Bringing these perspectives together requires not only organisational capacity but also a deep sensitivity to cultural context, something Vyas has consistently emphasised in his work.
In his statement announcing the appointment, Vyas expressed his enthusiasm for the role and the platform’s mission. He highlighted Asia Design Week’s meaningful role in fostering cross-cultural dialogue and underscored his commitment to contributing to design-led innovation, sustainability and regional collaboration. The emphasis on sustainability aligns closely with his long-held views that design must respond to pressing environmental and social challenges, particularly in rapidly developing regions where the consequences of unsustainable growth are increasingly visible.
Sustainability has become a central theme across global design forums, but Asia faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Home to some of the world’s fastest-growing cities and largest manufacturing bases, the region has immense potential to influence global sustainability outcomes through design choices in products, infrastructure and services. Asia Design Week’s platform, with its reach across multiple countries and sectors, is well positioned to catalyse conversations and collaborations in this space, and Vyas’s guidance is expected to strengthen this focus.
The non-executive nature of his role also signals a collaborative approach. Rather than imposing a singular vision, Vyas is expected to act as a mentor and connector, helping Asia Design Week build bridges between institutions, industries and creative communities. His extensive international network, developed through years of engagement with global design bodies, governments and corporations, could open new avenues for partnership and exchange.
Observers note that the appointment also reflects a broader trend of design platforms seeking leaders who can operate across boundaries, not only geographic but also disciplinary. Design today intersects with technology, business, culture and policy in ways that demand holistic thinking. Vyas’s career, which spans professional practice, institutional leadership, corporate governance and policy advisory, exemplifies this integrated approach.
As Asia Design Week looks ahead to the 2026–2030 period, it faces a rapidly changing environment. Digital technologies are transforming how design is created, shared and experienced. Geopolitical shifts are reshaping regional collaborations. At the same time, there is a growing demand for authenticity, cultural rootedness and social responsibility in creative work. Navigating these dynamics will require both vision and pragmatism, qualities that Vyas has demonstrated over the course of his career.
For India’s design community, his appointment is also a moment of quiet validation. It signals that Indian design leadership is not only participating in global conversations but helping to shape them. As Asia Design Week continues to expand its footprint and influence, the presence of an Indian Honorary President could encourage deeper engagement between Indian designers and their counterparts across Asia and beyond.
Ultimately, the significance of Pradyumna Vyas’s new role lies not just in the title but in what it represents: a commitment to dialogue over dominance, collaboration over competition, and long-term value over short-term gains. As Asia positions itself as a global centre of creativity and innovation, the stewardship of leaders who understand the power of design to connect cultures and address shared challenges will be critical. In that context, Vyas’s appointment as Honorary President of Asia Design Week appears both timely and well aligned with the platform’s ambitions.
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