Prof. Prasanna Halbe is the dynamic Associate Professor and Head of the Industrial Design Department, having joined the institute in 2015. He primarily focuses on Product Design and related courses, bringing a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to his role.

Prasanna's academic journey began with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune, followed by an M.Des in Industrial Design from IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. His career took off at Tata Motors, where he spent two decades (1994-2014) shaping the future of automotive design in their Design Studio. With extensive experience in designing and executing interiors and exteriors for passenger and commercial vehicles, particularly multi-utility vehicles, he collaborated with international design houses and renowned car designers from Europe and Japan. His contributions were showcased at numerous International Motor Shows, and he played a key role in the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM), assessing various Tata organizations.

In 2015, Prasanna transitioned to academia, initially teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Symbiosis Institute of Design and later contributing to the Transportation Design discipline at MIT Institute of Design. He also taught Product Design and Development for the MBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management for six consecutive years and delivered courses on Product Development at Flame University. In 2021, he became an Associate Professor at Symbiosis Institute of Design.

Prasanna's research interests are diverse and forward-thinking, encompassing Product Design, Emotional Design, Design and Development, Design for the Future, Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, Design Education, and Curriculum Development. Outside of academia, he is passionate about Calligraphy and Graphic Design and is fond of cats.