March at Anant was an action-packed month. It began on a vibrant note as the WITH Festival and the inaugural Anant Student Fest (ASF) transformed the campus into a celebration of creativity, storytelling and artistic exchange. We also launched our first-ever podcast series, After Class, a dedicated space for conversations beyond the classroom. Other academic milestones and student achievements continued to highlight the Anant spirit.
Anant was at its vibrant best as WITH and Anant Student Fest (ASF) brought a lively energy to the campus. The first edition of ASF, inaugurated by Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost, Anant National University, was a combination of high-energy performances, fun activities, engaging and interactive workshops and a lot more. The highlight, of course, was specially curated spaces like the Artisan Village, Sage Village and Otaku Village that transformed the campus into a creative melting pot. The fest ended with a grand fashion show.
The third edition of WITH Festival turned out to be a combination of exclusive performances, artist-led workshops and a lot more. Performers like Rina Das, Kangal Khyapa, Maati Baani, Gazi Khan and Manbhum Chhau induced the vibrancy, richness and energy of Indian traditional performing arts.
Conversations, confessions and connections - this is what After Class, Anant’s first-ever podcast series is all about. It’s an honest space where heart-to-heart conversations rule and students and faculty disclose and discuss what makes Anant so special. The first edition of After Class dropped on our YouTube channel, where Anant’s final year BDes students reflect on their Anant experiences, creative journeys, academic exploration, mentorship and a lot more.
Anant recently hosted an author talk by eminent lawyer, writer and columnist Berjis Desai on his latest book Modi’s Mission. The session engaged students, faculty and staff in discussions on leadership, public life and the ideas explored in the book, which traces the journey of PM Narendra Modi from his early years in Vadnagar to national leadership. The talk reflected Anant’s ongoing effort to bring diverse intellectual voices to campus.
Anant strengthened its global engagement through key international collaborations. The Anant School for Climate Action (ASCA) signed a five-year MoU with the University of Windsor to advance structured graduate pathways focused on climate change, sustainability and interdisciplinary design-led education. In addition, a delegation from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel, visited Anant to explore collaboration in design, research and technology, engaging with academic departments to discuss opportunities for future academic exchange and joint initiatives.
Anant regularly invites distinguished speakers and faculty from leading industries and international institutions to bring diverse global perspectives to our students. Mark Pesce, inventor, award-winning author, educator and entrepreneur, conducted the Speculative Design course for the 6th-Semester Interaction Design students. The Centre of Moving Image hosted Silas Hickey, Founding Director, Custom Nuts, Japan, to conduct a 4-day Master Class as part of the Media Management module for 6th-semester BDes students.
We believe that designers should not just be job seekers, but job creators. Entrepreneurship is a substantial part of the career pathways Anant promotes, supporting students at every step of their entrepreneurial journey. Recently, we hosted LaunchPad 2026, the final showcase of the Entrepreneurship Minor supported by Axis Bank, where 55 students presented 33 business pitches. Anant’s Aarambh Incubation Centre also organised a 1Vs1 Pitch Battle as part of the Red Bull Basement initiative, where student teams presented fast-paced solutions to real-world problems.
Anant’s research students and alumni continue to design innovative solutions to real-world challenges. Pinkal Raval, PhD Scholar specialising in Creative Leadership and Gender Studies, recently presented her case ‘Studio Kohl at a Crossroads: Vacillating Between Care-Centred Values and Market Expansion’ at the 2nd IIM Nagpur Case and Research Conference 2026. Aarambh incubated start-up Loop Robotics Technologies LLP, founded by PhD student Devendra Parmar, was invited to showcase its AI-driven Autonomous Mobile Robots at Expand North Star GITEX Global. Additionally, the project ‘GAU-SUTRA’ by Jaswanth V Allam, Anant Fellow (Cohort 2021–22), was recently published in AgroSpectrum.
