Dhruva Paknikar | The Masterpiece Designer | Dominix Global
A pathfinder to the young and aspiring youth, an entrepreneur gifted with the art of designs, the icon Dhruva Paknikar is an enlightening personality placing an example to all as to how an inquisitive mind can balance expertise in different arenas of interests and choice. The early signs in his school was already a prediction to his plethora of achievements today. The prolific designer is a global entrepreneur with his International firm ‘Dominix Global’ establishing its corporate presence in India, Europe, Middle East and the United States.
His introduction doesn’t limit to just attributing the titles of a designer and an entrepreneur. He has earned more to his name and identity. He is a well-known Design Mentor and an inspiring TEDx speaker having influenced and enlightened many young minds at various institutions and organizations nationally as well as internationally.
Born in a higher middle-class family, Dhruva was always exposed to the both ends of the world. Blessed with one of the most prestigious schools in India, Jnana Prabodhini, his childhood was exposed to wide and vast learnings with exploration of ideas and experimentation. Soon, he realized that he wanted to create experiences that people would cherish and celebrate.
During his school days, his brain and hands experimented with designs thus constructing the designs of school premises and buildings with 3D models and earned huge laurels. He secured a place at the MIT Institute of Design in the discipline of Product Design where he explored his passion creating experiences and products and very soon he established his name in the institution and in many other platforms with his creations ‘The Shoulder Walker’ for the specially abled people and ‘Microtemp’ for foundry use, in collaboration with SR Probes(Italy). His first mass manufactured product was sold in 17 countries at the age of 20. Just by the time he graduated, he had more than 20 products which he designed available in the international markets.
Designer Dhruva later
moved to France to be a part of Strate Ecole de Design in Paris where he studied lifestyle, brand and packaging design. There he sharpened his horizon of knowledge and gained in depth views of ‘style’ and ‘art’ in the field of design. The intellectual mind delved into all great works of art and design and earned the opportunity to work as an intern with the famous designer Emmanuel Cairo where he got to learn about the styling, structures and a complete European aspect of design. He also worked with many other great and reputed designers and directors worldwide thus becoming an exceptional experienced designer at a very young age with splendid recommendations from all. His outstanding contributions with his creative talents led him to achieve prestigious glories such as
His project ‘Headpods’ which was a headphone that regenerates energy from the lost vibrations, was showcased as the ‘Best Outgoing Project’ at Strate Ecole de Design the year it was assigned. His technically complex product – Dominix Band was theoretically demonstrated at a pitch debate at the Strathclyde University, Glasgow UK. At Strate, Dhruva had designed one product named ‘Cubos’ which was nominated for the ‘French School Design Awards’ in 2015 by the Government of France. Later in 2018 it was selected as the ‘Best of the Best’ at the Asian Kids Design Venture Awards, Seoul, South Korea. Adding more to his hard-earned experiences, he has also interned with IKEA, Velizy FR, the world’s leading furniture brand with a formidable output of accomplishing a unique project named ‘Elewashh’, a product which helps to connect a mother with her child while working in the kitchen- teaching him/her the essence of washing veggies, fruits before eating.
Entrepreneur Dhruva has gained a vast experience being a travel enthusiast and has travelled far and wide through Europe, UJ and Isle of Man thus working with some great brands like Calvin Klein, English Breakfast, Rolex (Wimbledon). His knowledge and innovative ideas made him the most sought-after designer who also helped Leela’s Kitchen, now one of the biggest Spice companies on the island, grow from scratch by branding the company and designing the packaging of its products. He has also worked with Mitsubishi Electric collecting the ocean of knowledge about electronics and productizing technology. He also designed an office lighting system at Mitsubishi Electric, which saves electricity wastes in its use. He also worked on productizing the German technology ‘Shape Aware Cable’ into industrial means.
Dhruva is the only Indian to have been grabbed the privilege of working with Karim Rashid (one of the world’s most Influential designers and the most famous industrial designer having said by TIME magazine 2009) experiencing his best times in Manhattan at the world’s one of the best design offices.Apart from several products he designed, he was a part of the branding campaign design for Pepsi called ‘Mix it Up’ which took place across California. He was also a part of the team responsible to design the Temptations Resort, Cancun Mexico. There is no end to the numbers of achievements to Dhruva and he proudly carried laurels in various parts of this world through his designs as well as creations of famous portrait of Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Founder owner of Shifa Cosmetics, Dubai which was auctioned for a few million dollars.
The multi-talented entrepreneur, designer and a skilled artist soon realized the potential of having exposed to problem solving and Luxury design together. He states,
“I wanted to make Smart Functional Art pieces. Products that will humanize the environment, that will ease the life, solve small problems leading to bigger inventions.”
Dhruva delved deep into the scope of designs India and discovered that there was no Signature or Label brand working in all the disciplines of design, offering a complete living experience. He started developing a philosophy where the global contemporary design would meet the Indian spiritual context. He expressed his motto,
“I want to make spaces where we will start to define beauty in a humanist context, not a cultural one. Observing human tenancies and designing for a better living. Interestingly there is a lot of literature in India about the art of living. I’m trying to amalgamate the same into contemporary form and space design!”
A ‘Dhruva Paknikar’ experience is an amalgam of beauty and being. ‘Conceived with Purity’, the brand thrives that every product is an amalgamation of contemporary design and Indian spirituality.
Dhruva Paknikar came back to India with the vision to bring a revolution in the market of design, innovation and invention.
To begin a revolution is a challenge. And a self-made man with vast experience and knowledge accepted ever challenge on his way to make his vision come true. He had to meet infinite problems with his principle of not taking any financial aid from home for any kind of investments. So, he paired up with his childhood friend and his cousin to start Dominix Strategic Design Pvt. Ltd. – Consulting in Product Design, Strategic Design and Visual communication design.
“We started with one laptop and 500 rupees saved by my cousin Vyom Paknikar!”
Dominix has delivered design and strategic solutions with Dhruva as a Chief Strategist and Global Creative Director to more than 200 multi-national clients for over 250 projects in the past 4 years. His clientele includes multinational players like Reliance Energy, Larsen & Tubro, Diamond BP, Asian Machine Tools Corporation Limited, Midas, Essem Srinisons, General Electric, CEC Dubai as private players in Industrial Design; He has built brands like Kapil Dev-The Legend, Truso, Monjin, Freelings, BlueTick, LK, Sapience Tech., Orthocrafts, PadCare etc. Dominix has collaborations with the National Chemical Laboratories, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd. Venture Centre, Midas, Spacers etc. and worked with the government entities like Pune Municipal Corporation for the Experience Design for their campaign- ‘Agla Wegla’ as well as The University of Pune for their strategic mapping and way finding system design. Dominix has also helped many individuals and emerging social entrepreneurs as Pro-bono. One of the most successful examples is ‘Smart Sakhi’ – extremely economically friendly Sanitary Pads for the Rural India. In less than four years, Dominix managed to have offices in Pune, Mumbai (IN), Douglas (UK), New Jersey (USA), and now in Dubai (UAE), also a steady growth till more than 25 employees across.
Dhruva and Vyom have come up with 7 scientific products and 4 empathetic products, all Intellectual Properties across disciplines that help quantify the design and design drives scientifically! Not just that, Dominix has the World’s First Design Subscription Model. Dominix is also blessed with Design mentors like Dhimant Panchal, Satish Gokhale, Ravi Paranjape, Sateesh Paknikar, Hemant Paknikar, Harish Paknikar, Sanjay Salunke, Avadhoot Deshpande, Anant Kakatkar, Sandeep Patki, Prasheel Suryawanshi, Dhananjay Salkar, Parag Shah- to name a few.
Struggles lead to challenges and challenges when faced with plans lead to success. Unstoppable Dhruva started his Dhruva Paknikar Luxury Design Pvt, Ltd. in the year 2017 with the brand name ‘Dhruva Paknikar’ catering to the niche Luxury market with Products, Accessories and Lifestyle Experiences. DPLDPL spent 2 years in Research and Development, and were the best retail displays at the Pune Design Expo in 2018, and 2019. In 2018, he invested in a Mumbai Based perfume manufacturing company- Atara Fragrances Pvt. Ltd. and is still in the Research and Development mode to create some amazing perfumes, eau de touche’s and fragrances. A few of Dhruva’s IPs also include the AgarAtara- a bottle for holy Oud completely made out of Agar Wood, to be burnt after use. A cradle to cradle design! Dhruva has also protected a few other perfume bottle designs for the company. As a pro-bono activity and out of pure passion, Dhruva is the founder and the principal designer of ABLED Labs at Avantika University Ujjain- Creating free, bespoke designs and products for specially abled people.
Dhruva’s experiences and achievements flooded nationally as well as internationally thus adding more responsibilities to his career as a Design Mentor at the Jammu Kashmir Knowledge Network (Government of J&K- now Central Govt. of India), Design Education Mentor at the Atal Tinkering Labs, Government of Maharashtra, Design Strategy Mentor at MIDAS Institutes and an Industry mentor at the Vishwakarma Institute of Technology. He recently became the youngest member of the Advisory Board at the Vishwakarma University for the disciplines of Art and Design.
In 2019, Dhruva found and invested in ACE SPACE Design LLP- catering Interior design and architectural services, based out of Pune and Mumbai. Ace Space has more than 10 Intellectual Properties of concepts and structures designed by Dhruva. Along with the end to end Interior Design and Project Management consultancy, Ace Space also caters with IP trading in construction design. Dhruva enlightens,
“A new age construction tech and with the traditional sciences of the geographies is what Ace Space envisions.”
Ace Space has also planned an entire city where a few iconic buildings and installations are designed as concepts. The AceSpace web app is an under construction.
Indeed, the maestro designer is an exemplary figure to all the aspiring youth and generations to come with his tremendous contributions to the world of designs, entrepreneurship, and more importantly to the scope of innovations. Dhruva and his cousin brother Vyom Paknikar founded www.artsmart.in – a web portal which acts as a platform for artists and connects the consumers with the artists, merchandisers having bespoke and tailored products, clothing and merchandise. The company is incorporated under Ideasmart Networking LLP. The website set to launch by November 2020.
The soul of an artist never remains hidden for long. Dhruva Paknikar could balance his passion and profession in the most exemplifying way. Dhruva is an artist too having showcased his photography at various exhibitions over the past few years. He has also created a series called “Absolids”. Absolids (Abstract Solids) deals with a completely different medium of expression. Made in 3D softwares, the art forms are unconstrained by the conventional mediums of art. Absolids were launched and showcased at the Pepperfry Koregaon Park and SB Road (Pune, IN) in 2018.
With many titles to his identity, he must be doctored as the epitome of success, patience and perseverance and of course the Archetype of Designs.
The idol to many says,
“The most loved part in these businesses is the joy of making people realize that a designed experience can simplify one or much more than one aspect of your life and cumulatively a much better and simple life if the designs and strategies are conceived purely.”
Designs and Stories wish all the very best to Dhruva Paknikar and his entire team for all future endeavours!
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