Gandhinagar/Gujarat, May 17: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday emphasized the need for an IPL‑style platform in India’s design sector to ensure talented youth can confidently pursue design as a profession. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Incubation and Innovation Centre at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Gandhinagar.

Drawing parallels with cricket, Shah recalled how legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar once earned only ₹500 for a five‑day Test match, leading parents to discourage children from sports. “After the arrival of IPL, parents now say, ‘Play cricket, you may become something,’” he said, adding that design too requires a similar transformation to become a financially attractive career option.

Shah noted that while India has immense creative talent, the commercial potential of design remains underutilized. He urged NID to establish systems that connect designers with industry requirements and commercial platforms. “Here, there are people of design. There are no people here who commercialise it. NID will also have to bring these two together,” he said.

The Home Minister highlighted the work of Indian designer Pratap Bose, whose vehicles were showcased during the event, lamenting that Indian designers often lack international recognition compared to their foreign counterparts. “If the same car had been designed by a Japanese designer, could there be any comparison between the recognition received by Pratap Bose and by the Japanese designer? There can be none,” Shah remarked.

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He further stressed that design education and awareness must expand across sectors ranging from industrial parks to semiconductors and chip manufacturing, integrating creativity more deeply into industry and society. Shah described NID as an institution linking creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and said India must create an environment where more young people can confidently choose design as a profession.

The event was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, NID officials, faculty members, and students. Shah also toured the Gandhinagar campus and interacted with students and faculty, reiterating his vision of design as a driver of India’s innovation economy.