April at Anant was marked by some action-packed days, coveted visits and immersive learning at its best. Anant opened its doors to aspiring designers from more than 40 cities to know what learning design at Anant truly feels like. The President’s visit brought some meaningful conversations to the table, while our students and faculty continued to make a mark, nationally and internationally.
Anant hosted the Open House 2026 on 25-26 April at its Ahmedabad campus, inviting aspiring designers from over 40 cities in a two-day immersive experience designed to help them understand design as a discipline of thinking, making and problem-solving.
Attended by more than 300 students and parents, the Open House offered students a first-hand understanding of design education at Anant, through 50+ hands-on workshops by more than 30 Anant faculty, studio walkthroughs and engagement with faculty and current students.
Talking about the Open House, Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost, Anant National University, shared, “Open House is our way of opening up the Anant campus in its entirety to students so they can experience, first-hand, what we do and how we do it.”
Mr Ajay Piramal, President, Anant National University, visited the campus, engaging with faculty and leadership in a meaningful exchange of ideas. The interaction focused on the University’s academic vision, innovation and future growth, reinforcing Anant’s commitment to delivering transformative, design-led education.
Anant’s pedagogical approach emphasises experiential learning across disciplines. Recent site visits, from BTech in Climate Change students exploring industrial processes at Arbuda Plastochem Pvt Ltd and ecological systems at Rajbhavan Forest Nursery, to Communication Design students visiting Letra Graphix and Space Design students studying regional contexts in Dang and Saputara, offered immersive, real-world exposure across disciplines.
Reflecting on the experience, Prof Nirali Parekh Soni, Assistant Professor, School of Design, shared, “Learning becomes meaningful when students step into real contexts,” while a 4th-semester Space Design student, Trisha Sherikar, added, “These visits helped us connect theory with the realities we design for.”
Anant students continue to translate learning into impactful outcomes. Space Design students developed a productive garden through a Community Forest Garden workshop using permaculture principles. Alongside, Dhruvin Kalsaria, a 5th-semester Bachelor of Architecture student of the Class of 2028, was recently featured in Gujarat Samachar for his project ‘The Staggered Studios Housing’, reflecting thoughtful design innovation.
As Dhruvin shared, “Seeing my work recognised affirmed how classroom ideas can take real-world form.”
Anant takes pride in celebrating the accomplishments of its faculty and associates. Prof Foram Bhatt, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, moderated the ‘Document the Undocumented’ programme for the West Zone of the National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA), guiding 40 participants, including Anant students, in documenting cultural heritage.
Additionally, the visiting artist-in-residence, Vijay Joshi, was honoured by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, for his outstanding contribution to Phad painting.
At Anant, students continue to carve diverse and meaningful career pathways, from global internships to prestigious recognitions. Pratham Rawat secured an internship with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Germany, while Pareeta Agrawal joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Vidhi Gangani, along with Prof Kavita Pradhan, earned top honours at the National Finale of the Asian Young Designer Awards 2025–26.
