Maruti Suzuki DesignXathon Draws 450 Students From 70 Institutes

Maruti Suzuki India has concluded the second edition of its DesignXathon automotive design competition, which attracted more than 450 students from over 70 design institutes in India and overseas. The competition challenged participants to envision an iconic vehicle that Gen Z and Gen Alpha would aspire to own in 2036.

Following multiple evaluation rounds and mentorship sessions with Maruti Suzuki's Design Studio team, the top 10 teams presented their concepts through 1:8-scale prototypes at the grand finale held at the company's India Design Studio in Gurugram.

Team IED Torino from Italy was declared the winner, while the first and second runner-up positions went to teams from the National Institute of Design (NID), Gandhinagar.

Top Three Teams to Receive Six-Month Internships

The top three teams received cash prizes and six-month internship opportunities at Maruti Suzuki's India Design Studio. Participants ranked fourth to tenth will also be considered for internship opportunities following further evaluation.

Maruti Suzuki MD and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the competition was intended to connect emerging design talent with the automotive industry as customer preferences, lifestyles and vehicle technologies evolve.

He added that DesignXathon seeks to encourage collaboration between industry and academia, provide students with exposure to professional design practices and contribute to the development of India's vehicle design ecosystem.

Maruti Suzuki DesignXathon Focuses on Industry-Academia Collaboration

DesignXathon is an annual automotive design competition for students, aimed at providing exposure to real-world industry requirements and professional design practices.

The second edition focused on mobility aspirations among younger consumers, with participants tasked with developing vehicle concepts for 2036. The initiative forms part of Maruti Suzuki's efforts to engage emerging designers and understand evolving customer expectations.