“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
RamKripa Ananthan is a name to reckon with. RamKripa Ananthan, also known as Kripa Ananthan. is the world’s first woman automobile designer. She is a graduate of BITS Pilani and IDC, IIT Bombay.
Ananthan has been a very active and adventurous person, She has covered the distance from Manali to Srinagar on her Bajaj Avenger bike. Her inspiration from the outdoors helped her enter the car designing industry.
Ananthan was the first woman design chief in India who got the responsibility to lead a project of designing a car. While working on XUV 500, Ramkripa was asked to take inspiration from a cheetah for the design process. And most of the designs are now based on nature.
She has several feathers in her cap from setting up a world-class design facility at Mahindra Design Studio, Mumbai, and handling the design of a wide portfolio, including SUVs, PickUps, buses, trucks, tractors, and construction equipment. Some of the recent products from the studio are Thar, XUV, Marazzo, Yuvo, and Jivo
Ananthan is a true gender bender. As she has taken forward the Mahindra Group’s design philosophy of ‘Freedom and Adventure’,
In her words “An automobile designer is an artist with a difference. Using their experience and interests as their palette for inspiration, their creations bring metal to life and lend power to the automaker’s aspiration”
Design is about everything, about every element in the system, talking together”— As the lines & form blend effortlessly with design is about everything, about every element in the system talking together”— As the lines & form blend effortlessly with aerodynamics & manufacturing techniques,
Ramkripa Ananthan is a known face in the automotive industry that helped Mahindra revolutionize the SUV segment.
The former Head of Design at Mahindra & Mahindra, Ramkripa Ananthan led the team that designed the Mahindra XUV500, XUV300, Marazzo, Thar and XUV700. She also contributed to designing the Bolero and Scorpio. After leaving Mahindra last year, Ananthan has branched out to set up her design studio, and she has now created a concept electric vehicle. This is a small EV prototype, using upcycled materials, for last-mile connectivity. This will help to lessen the carbon footprint by 20%.
This 52-year young automotive stylist has revolutionized the automobile industry from SUVs now to EVs.
In Alfred Tennyson’s lines an ode to this passionate lady
“For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.”
By Dr Preeti Talwar
