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Awards and Achievements: replaced: among one of → among

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{{short description|Indian graphic designer (born 1961)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more footnotes|date=July 2018}}
{{peacock|date=July 2018}}
{{Notability|Bio|date=June 2020}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Sujata Keshavan
| nationality = Indian
| education = {{Nowrap|[[National Institute of Design]] (1984) <br> School of Art <br> [[Yale University]] (1987)}}
| occupation = Graphic designer
| known_for = Brand identity and design movement in India
| spouse = [[Ramachandra Guha]]
}}

'''Sujata Keshavan''' (born 1961) is an Indian graphic designer. She is a co-founder of '''Ray and Keshavan''', a brand design firm based in India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://srishti.ac.in/people/gc-sujata-keshavan|title = Welcome to Srishti}}</ref> At the forefront of brand-identity and design movement in India, Keshavan is considered a pioneer in developing South Asia's design industry.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Keshav|first=Karunya|date=2011-05-07|title=Image make-overs|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/image-makeovers/article1993252.ece|access-date=2021-03-19|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Datta|first=Pronoti|date=2017-08-11|title=Jamdani on Dover Street|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/jamdani-on-dover-street/article19473151.ece|access-date=2021-03-19|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Keshavan's father was an engineer and her mother, a painter. After considering studying medicine, taking a BSc in [[Mathematics]] or joining a fine arts college, she ended up joining the [[National Institute of Design]], [[Ahmedabad]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ghoshal|first=Somak|date=2019-03-22|title=Sujata Keshavan: Making design matter|url=https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/sujata-keshavan-making-design-matter-1553223479616.html|access-date=2021-03-20|website=mint|language=en}}</ref>

==Education==
Keshavan graduated from the [[National Institute of Design]], Ahmedabad in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jun 1|first1=TNN /|last2=2017|last3=Ist|first3=06:15|title=NID: NID gets Rs 50 lakh donation from 1984-batch alumna {{!}} Ahmedabad News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/nid-gets-rs-50-lakh-donation-from-1984-batch-alumna/articleshow/58934628.cms|access-date=2021-03-19|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> She then moved to [[Yale]], graduating in 1987 with a [[Master of Fine Arts]] in graphic design from the School of Art, [[Yale University]].<ref>http://www.[[Design Indaba]].com/article/career-firsts</ref> At Yale, she studied under designers [[Paul Rand]], [[Bradbury Thompson]], [[Matthew Carter]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Sujata Keshavan: We Believe The Taj Mahal Is Beautiful Because We Are Taught So|url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/fourth-anniversary-special/sujata-keshavan-we-believe-the-taj-mahal-is-beautiful-because-we-are-taught-so/35371/1|access-date=2021-03-19|website=Forbes India|language=en}}</ref> and [[Armin Hofmann]].

==Career==

=== Ray + Keshavan ===
Keshavan worked with [[Ram Ray (advertiser)|Ram Ray]] at his advertising agency, Response, for six months from January 1985, after which she moved to School of Art, [[Yale University]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=www.ETBrandEquity.com|title=Remembering the other Ray - ET BrandEquity|url=https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/remembering-the-other-ray/72129733|access-date=2021-03-20|website=ETBrandEquity.com|language=en}}</ref> After graduating from Yale, Keshavan moved back to India. In 1989, she co-founded Ray + Keshavan, in India, with her former boss Ray.<ref name=":1" /> The portfolio of clients include [[Infosys]], [[Kotak Mahindra Bank]], the Himalaya Drug Co., [[Bharti Airtel]], [[Hindustan Lever]], [[Reliance Industries|Reliance]], [[ITC Limited|ITC]], [[Wipro]], [[McKinsey & Company|McKinsey]], [[Dr. Reddy's Laboratories|Dr Reddy’s]], [[Dabur]], [[Max Group]], [[TVS Motor Company|TVS]], [[Mindtree|MindTree]], among others several airports across the country.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-03-10|title=Female frontiers|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-female-frontiers-1357319|access-date=2021-03-20|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Brand design is about corporate image-building, it is about using strategic designs to make a company look better and connect better to its customers and the public. In 2000, Keshavan was instrumental in giving the 130-year-old Himalaya Drug Company a complete image makeover, reworking on the brand architecture and reinventing the look and feel of the company, into the brand '[[The Himalaya Drug Company|Himalaya]]', whose DNA was "researching nature, enriching life".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sujata Keshavan: We Believe The Taj Mahal Is Beautiful Because We Are Taught So|url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/fourth-anniversary-special/sujata-keshavan-we-believe-the-taj-mahal-is-beautiful-because-we-are-taught-so/35371/1|access-date=2021-03-20|website=Forbes India|language=en}}</ref> She is also the one who has given the indigenous MTR a modern, international look. She was also involved in designing the logo of [[Infosys]] and [[Ashoka University]]. Ray + Keshavan was acquired by [[WPP plc|WPP Group Plc]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bagchi|first=Subroto|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1132398355|title=Zen Garden : Conversations with Pathmakers|date=2014|publisher=Penguin Global|isbn=978-93-5118-574-1|location=[Place of publication not identified]|oclc=1132398355}}</ref>

=== Varana Design Ltd. ===
In 2016, Keshavan co-founded an “artisanal luxury fashion brand" along with entrepreneurs Ravi Prasad and Meeta Malhotra. It is located onDover Street, in London’s Mayfair area.<ref name=":2" /> [https://varana.com/pages/about-us Varana] is positioned as an Indian luxury brand like a home-grown answer to [[Gucci]] or Hermes.<ref name=":0" /> Staying true to its Indian roots, cotton silk, linen and cashmere are embellished using traditional Indian techniques or with modern cuts, using material that has been woven.<ref name=":0" /> The store has been designed by one of the partners at [[Pentagram (design firm)|Pentagram]], London-based architect, William Russell, as well as by Keshavan herself.<ref name=":0" /> It is spread across 4,359 square feet, an interesting feature of which, are window displays consisting bamboo sculptures of dresses created by Sandeep Sangaru, a furniture designer in Bengaluru.<ref name=":0" />

== Awards and Achievements ==
Keshavan has made a success of her career, as evidenced by the following honours, accolades and positions:
*She is the only Indian graphic designer to be honoured twice as the Graphic Designer of the Year at the annual Advertising and Marketing (A & M) awards.
*She won the Eastern Press Award and the Schickle–Collingwood Prize for outstanding work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore-times/Asias-top-brand-designer-lives-in-the-city-/articleshow/42012318.cms|title = Asia's top brand designer lives in the city | undefined News - Times of India}}</ref>
*She received the Outstanding Woman Professional of the Year, 2007, awarded by the [[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry]] (FICCI).<ref>{{Cite news|date=2007-04-19|title=FICCI Ladies Organisation's annual awards presented|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/FICCI-Ladies-Organisations-annual-awards-presented/article14751633.ece|access-date=2021-03-21|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
*In 2006, she was named among India's 30 most powerful women by [[India Today]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20060424/wo-power7-14.html|title=India Today Magazine Issue - Dated October 4, 2021}}</ref>
*In 2011, she was placed 18th on Fortune India's list of most powerful women in business.<ref>http://www.crisil.com/pdf/corporate/Most-Powerful-Women.pdf</ref>
*She is a member of the [[World Economic Forum]] Global Agenda Council on Design & Innovation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weforum.org/global-agenda-councils/sujata-keshavan|title = Global Future Councils}}</ref>
*From 2016, she is a Member of the Governing Council at the [[National Institute of Design]], Ahmedabad.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Institute of Design - Management|url=http://www.nid.edu/people/management.html|access-date=2021-03-13|website=www.nid.edu}}</ref>
*In 2019, she was presented the Design Icons 2019 Awards in The Graphic and communication design, by India Design Forum.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Menon|first=Rashmi|date=2019-10-11|title=IDF felicitates cross disciplinary design thinkers|url=https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/business-of-life/idf-felicitates-cross-disciplinary-design-thinkers-11570782925154.html|access-date=2021-03-20|website=mint|language=en}}</ref>

Keshavan has been an invited speaker at many international conferences including Design Indaba in South Africa and the International Design Center at Nagoya, Japan. She was a jury member at ReBrand 100 at the [[Rhode Island School of Design]] and a member of the Design Jury at the [[Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival]]. She served as the Chairperson of the jury at the Business World Awards for Design Excellence, and Chairperson of The Design Yatra awards for Excellence in South Asian Design.

==Personal life==
Keshavan lives in [[Bangalore]] and is married to the historian [[Ramachandra Guha]] and has two children, Iravati and Keshava.<ref>Ramachandra Guha in Business Standard http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/lunch-with-bs-ramachandra-guha-107050801041_1.html</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.rayandkeshavan.com Ray and Keshavan Design]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Keshavan, Sujata}}
[[Category:Indian graphic designers]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:National Institute of Design alumni]]

Sujata Keshavan - Revision history

->Chris the speller: /* Awards and Achievements */replaced: among one of → among