Prof. A Balasubramaniam, the founding Director of the Institute of Design at JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU) in Jaipur has become the first Indian to win the Hills Millennium Award 2025, a prestigious award for international designers presented annually by the UK-based Institute of Engineering Designers (IED).

Prof. A Balasubramaniam, Director of the Institute of Design at JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU), is the first Indian to win the Hills Millennium Award for international designers

Prof. Balasubramaniam was selected for the award in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field of product design. He will be felicitated on 12th July in Birmingham, UK.

The Hills Millennium Award is given annually by IED to an international designer who has made major contributions to the professional areas of Engineering Design, and/or Product Design.

Prof. Balasubramaniam has designed market-leading products, as diverse as tractors and torches, for industry leaders such as Eveready, Eicher, Usha, Hero Motors, Bajaj, and intergovernmental organisations such as UNDP. He was a consultant to National Innovation Foundation and NIIT. He also writes a popular blog on Design practice in India.

The selection of Professor Balasubramaniam for Hills Millennium Award 2025 is a testament to the growing influence of Indian designers at the world stage.

“Indias design ethos – rooted in centuries of craft, innovation, and cultural heritage – has long shaped global sensibilities, often without due recognition. That is why it is heartening to see the international design community acknowledge this legacy by honouring Prof. Balasubramaniam with the Hills Millennium Award,” said Professor Alka Mahajan, Pro Vice Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University.

An alumnus of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, he had served as the National President of ADI (Association of Designers of India) from 2022-24. Before joining the Institute of Design at JK Lakshmipat University, he was the Dean of IILM School of Design in Gurgaon from 2007 to 2010 and has also been a member of the Academic Board for several design institutes, including the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (SPA New Delhi) and Nirma University.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled by the Institute of Engineering Designers’ recognition. This prestigious award is not just a personal achievement, but a reflection of the collective effort to expand the global design dialogue. I truly believe this recognition signals a critical shift toward a more inclusive narrative in design – one that values and amplifies the diverse voices and traditions shaping our field,” Prof. Balasubramaniam said on winning the award.

Past winners of the Hills Millennium Award include the legendary automative designer Frank Stephenson, the designer behind some of the world’s most iconic cars, including the 2001 MINI Cooper, Ferrari F430, and McLaren P1, among others. Other awardees include Dorian Marjanovic, Professor Emeritus at University of Zagreb; veteran engineering design professional Crispin Hales; and Marcus Engman, Creative Director at IKEA Retail.

The Institution of Engineering Designers is a British professional engineering institution founded in 1945.