Dilip Chhabria to Set Up Car Design Institute

Car designer, Dilip Chhabria is planning to start a state-of-the-art institute of automobile design in Pune. The institute is expected to be operational by end 2005 or early 2006.

"I have decided to accelerate our plan of setting up a design institute as I saw a lot of demand for a course like this during my recent visits to IITs and other educational institutes", said Chhabria. He plans to put up the proposal before the board of his company, DC Designs Pvt Ltd, end of this month. If the board okays the proposed investment of around Rs 7 crore, then the institute would be up within one and a half years, he said. The original plan was to start the institute three years later.

Since its is a specialised field, the intake would be limited to 100 students. A passion for cars, a proven drawing ability and at least 17 years of age would be the only criteria for admission, he said. The company will not create pure engineers, but strive to make them entrepreneurs as not everybody would find employment in international auto companies, he added. The institute would however look at placement with global auto majors in in Germany, US, Japan and Italy.

The company is already scouting for four-five acres of land close to its recently set-up car manufacturing facility in Chinchwad so that the students can get on-the-job training a