- “Good design elevates the soul”—Dr Vembu urges graduands to dream boldly, think beyond lifetimes
- 299 students receive degrees across design, architecture, sustainability and climate action
- Ajay Piramal and Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi call for design-led nation building and Viksit Bharat
- Campus transforms into a live innovation gallery showcasing student excellence
- Convocation echoes message of creativity, humility, purpose and nation-first thinking
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, DEC 6
Addressing the graduating Class of 2025 with rare candour and conviction, Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corporation, set the tone for a stirring convocation ceremony at Anant National University, urging young designers to embrace humility, curiosity and a future-first mindset.
“Coming to Anant National University has truly been a joy. The creativity and purpose-driven designs by Anant students blew my mind. I saw remarkable work—the kind of innovation our nation urgently needs,” Dr Vembu said, as the audience of graduands, faculty and families listened in rapt attention.
Reflecting on India’s design future, he added: “We often celebrate the achievements of our past, yet rarely do we pause to honour what we are building in the present. We must think beyond our own lifetimes and create for the future, and Anant is clearly teaching its students to do exactly that.”
Urging students to lead with grounded confidence, he said: “Good design elevates the soul and spirit, and I have seen that spirit alive across this campus. Keep dreaming, stay young, stay relevant. When you suspend your ego and stop trying to make a statement, you often end up making your most powerful one. Focus on the problem, and extraordinary work will follow.”
Dr Vembu co-founded Zoho in 1996, served as CEO for two decades, and now leads deep-tech R&D, especially in AI—an evolution he described as “the joy of building for tomorrow.”
‘From Make in India to Design for India’: Ajay Piramal’s Vision
Speaking next, Ajay Piramal, President of Anant National University, highlighted the transformative power of design in national development.
“Design gives us the tools to reimagine industries, rebuild communities and renew our environment. It is how we transition from ‘Make in India’ as an aspiration to ‘Design for India’ as a philosophy,” he said.
He emphasised Anant’s mission-driven approach: “We are not just teaching design. We are helping young people apply it to life, to society and to the challenges of our time. We are helping them turn creativity into careers that build, repair and renew the world around us.”
‘You Will Build Viksit Bharat’: Provost’s Message to Graduates
Congratulating the 299 graduands from design, architecture, sustainability, climate action and fellowship programmes, Sanjeev Vidyarthi delivered a powerful message of responsibility and opportunity.
“As you enter this new chapter, remember that there couldn’t have been a better time to begin. India stands in a moment of remarkable opportunity. We are growing, innovating and moving with purpose toward becoming Viksit Bharat within just a few decades.”
He added:
“You will be the builders of that India—sustainable, inclusive, globally recognised. An India where design thinking shapes governance, industry and everyday life.”
299 Students Graduate; Campus Turns Into Living Design Museum
The convocation honoured outstanding achievers across categories including Academic Excellence, Innovation, Best Graduation Project, Best Thesis, Best Live-Action Project and Best Student.
To celebrate the graduating cohort’s journey, the entire campus was transformed into an immersive exhibition ecosystem—galleries, studios and auditoriums showcasing design prototypes, sustainability solutions, architectural models and climate-action projects.