New Delhi : Professor Geetam Tiwari, a leading voice in sustainable transport and urban mobility, was felicitated with the Design Guru Award 2025 by the World University of Design (WUD). Her work over three decades has significantly shaped the way Indian cities approach mobility, road safety, and inclusive transport planning.
Prof. Tiwari’s research has informed major national initiatives, including India’s National Urban Transport Policy, safe-street design frameworks, and pedestrian- and cyclist-focused mobility guidelines. Her evidence-based approach has contributed to improvements in bus systems, non-motorised transport infrastructure, and urban safety interventions across multiple Indian cities.
Recognised globally for her contributions to transport design and public safety, Prof. Tiwari has also played a central role in nurturing the next generation of mobility researchers and policymakers through her leadership at IIT Delhi’s Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre (TRIPP), one of the world’s foremost interdisciplinary centres in this domain.
National Design Guru Day, observed annually on 9 November, honours the pioneering generation of design educators who laid the foundations of design education in India. The felicitation coincides with the birth anniversary of the late Prof. M.P. Ranjan, one of the country’s most influential voices in design thinking and education.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor, World University of Design, said, “The Design Guru Award allows us to recognise individuals whose work has transformed the landscape of design practice and education in India. Prof. Tiwari’s contributions demonstrate how design thinking can inform public systems and influence the lived experience of millions. Her work exemplifies the expanding role of design in addressing complex societal challenges.”
Over the years, WUD has conferred the Design Guru Award on several distinguished figures including Prof. A.G. Krishna Menon, Prof. Iftikar Mulk Chishti, Shri Rajeev Sethi, Prof. Jatin Bhatt, Prof. Archana Shastri, and Ms. Laila Tyabji—each playing a significant role in shaping contemporary design practice and education.
This year’s award recognises Prof. Tiwari’s sustained scholarship on how design, behaviour, and policy intersect in everyday mobility. Her work continues to serve as a reference point for students, researchers, and policymakers working at the intersection of transport, safety, and urban equity.
As India’s first university devoted exclusively to creative education, the World University of Design, located in Sonipat, Haryana, offers programs across design, fashion, architecture, communication, visual arts, and management. Through its academic and research initiatives, WUD aims to contribute meaningfully to emerging conversations on the future of design and its role in shaping public life.
