Mr. Ninad Shastri is the Founder and Director of Explorra Education Pvt. Ltd. Explorra School of Design and Technology is India’s Premier design, digital media and emerging technology education and consulting organisation. He holds a B.Com. degree in Computers from H L College of Commerce and a PGDMM in Marketing Management from the Ahmedabad Management Association.

Mr. Shastri is an expert on Design and Innovative Design thinking processes, Interactive Content Development, Digital and New Media Design Education and Development. He has been a part of this field for the last 24 years. He works closely with various large companies as a Mentor and Consultant. Furthermore, he teaches at various Management and Technology Institutions across India in his area of expertise.

Mr. Ninad works closely with the Smart System and Operations Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to develop new-age solutions, consulting and training programs in the field of Emerging Technologies.

Mr. Ninad Shastri (Director) - Explorra School of Design and Technology

You have held key positions at education institutes throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

My entry into the education sector was not planned. Explorra was established in 1996 because there was a need for talented and qualified human resources. We recognized this need and it brought us into academia. At that time, there were no academic institutions training students in the domain of multimedia and digital media design. To be able to contribute to this sector is highly motivating for me. Over the years Explorra has trained and provided meaningful careers and employment to one lakh plus students and we have professionals who have received national awards. The satisfaction of building meaningful and creative careers keeps me going in the education sector.

Being the Director of Explorra School of Design and Technology, what is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

The culture at Explorra is a fine balance of high level of professionalism and intuitive personal connections. The senior management at Explorra has always believed in a de-centralised and ownership-based work environment leading to both professional and personal growth of our team. It is the team that has always been responsible and credited for the consistent growth of Explorra as an organization across India, Canada, UK, China, and Malaysia.

How does the curriculum of Explorra School of Design and Technology ensure the best practice of industry?

Explorra pioneered the reverse education model in India bringing direct involvement of industry in curriculum creation. We have received the ‘Indian Leadership Award for Academic Excellence’ for the best curriculum matching the 21st century needs. This has been consistently achieved by an extremely accomplished board of advisors composed of top academic and industry professionals. Our partnerships with top national and international institutes like NID, IIT Kanpur, Red River College Canada, City of Glasgow College, UK, University of Creative Arts, UK help us immensely in shaping our curriculums and courses.

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According to you what should be the Explorra School Of Design and Technology top priority over the next 10 years?

The priority for Explorra is and will always be to train students as needed by the industry. We need to ensure that we continue to build meaningful careers for our students nationally and internationally while ensuring our humble contribution to the nation’s growth.

What would you like people to know about your university they may not know?

We are the only institution in the country that offers Government Partnership International Pathway bachelor's, master’s and diploma programs in the domain of design, digital media and emerging technologies. We are the first educational organisation to develop a unique three years bachelor's degree program in design in India. We also have over 350+ associate companies across India ensuring top quality and seamless placements of our students.

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What do you see as the Explorra School Of Design and Technology greatest strengths?

Explorra is one of its kind academic organization college due to our courses and the facilities we offer. We have a cutting-edge curriculum that has been designed in consultation with industry experts. We encourage a culture of excellence and hard work in campus. We have tie-ups and an international campus as well that provides illustrious career opportunities for our students. Our Partnerships with Top Academic as well as Industry Organizations ensure our students have the best Mentorship and guidance not only during their education but throughout their professional career – we call it “Career Track Program”

What are some of the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general and for Explorra School of Design and Technology specifically?

The biggest challenge for Explorra School of Design and Technology, according to me is the rapid growth in technology and its meaningful integration in learning. We need to match our pace with the change in technology and include it in our course curriculum as well. Students must also develop a culture and passion for research and consistent self-learning. This will ensure they have a sustainable long running satisfying career.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

The field of Visual Communication Design and Digital Media Design has seen rapid growth in the last ten years. This growth will be exponential in the coming decades creating phenomenal and highly rewarding careers for the youth of our nation. Lack of awareness and guidance in relation to this field is one of the reasons for the comparatively lower number of students choosing this field as a career. Students aspiring for careers in this field need to be extremely focused, hardworking, and highly adaptable to technology.