Top: Winners of Nokia_Bhasha 2011; bottom: Sugata Mitra gives award to 1st Winner_Kachha Limbu_Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology_Bangalore
Nokia salutes young Indian designers with Bhasha awards Nokia Research Centre has announced the winners of Bhasha 2011 Design Competition. ‘Kaccha Limbu’ concept from Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology; Bangalore emerged the winner while Pitara’ concept from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore was awarded the runner-up place. The 3rd spot was shared by ‘Vijeta’ concept from IIT Kanpurand ‘Word of Snake’ concept from National Institute of Design.
Bhasha 2011, a unique national design competition held across India’s top design institutions, aimed to identify ideas and designs that will encourage the use of Indian languages on mobile phones and, as a result, possibly make users more literate in their native language through casual learning.
Says YoungheeJung, Research Leader, Nokia Research Centre said, “ While the proliferation of mobile telephony has reached critical mass in India,consumption of services amongst non urban and rural consumers remains a hallenge due to language. The aim of Project Bhasha was to address this challenge by engaging the best young design minds in India and developing real workable concepts. We received some great designs and ideas and it was a difficult decision to arrive at the winner teams.”
The competition began in January 2011and was open for all students from top four institutes – IIT Kanpur, National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad,Gandhinagar, Bangalore), Sristhi School of Art, Design and Technology,Bangalore and Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. It received an overwhelmingresponse with over 50 student teams sending in their entries. Nine finalistentries were selected for the final round in Bangalore, where teams presentedto an eminent jury comprising Prof. Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology, Newcastle University; Prof. Mahendra Patel, ex-National Instituteof Design, Ahmedabad; and Younghee Jung, Research Leader, Nokia ResearchCentre. July 25 2011