Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a widely respected thought leader in creative education, with over three decades of experience at the intersection of design, management, and innovation. An alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, he has been instrumental in shaping design education in India and expanding its relevance across industries and geographies.

Before founding the World University of Design, Dr. Gupta served as Dean at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), one of India’s foremost design institutions. He was also the Founding Dean of the School of Design at GD Goenka University, where he pioneered several interdisciplinary programs that bridged design, business, and technology.

At WUD, Dr. Gupta has led the university’s emergence as a national trailblazer in transdisciplinary creative education—introducing future-focused programs in areas like digital product design, animation, game design, curatorial practices, and design management, well ahead of industry trends.

Internationally, Dr. Gupta was a driving force behind the creation of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI), bringing together leading fashion schools from across the world into a common global platform. He continues to engage with academic and industry networks globally and has been a consultant to organizations like UNESCO, UNIDO, and India’s Ministry of Textiles.

Dr. Gupta is a published author, editor, and speaker, and has served on national and international committees including ASSOCHAM, CII, BIS, IFFTI, and NISTI. He has also been on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals and regularly advises institutions on creative strategy, curriculum development, and academic leadership.

At heart, he is an institution builder—passionate about nurturing talent, fostering original thinking, and preparing students to lead with purpose in a fast-changing world.

Cdr. Manjeet Singh (Retd.) is an ex-Indian Naval Officer with over 42 years of distinguished experience in personnel management, business development, and administration. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1983, he served for 25 years in the submarine arm before transitioning to the corporate sector as Assistant Vice President–Marketing at ICICI Lombard. Since 2011, he has held senior academic administrative roles, including Registrar at Mangalayatan University, BML Munjal University, and currently at the World University of Design. He holds a Master’s in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University and has completed his Executive Management program from MDI Gurgaon.

Prof. Dhiraj Kumar is a distinguished design educator, institution builder, and policy strategist with over three decades of leadership experience across India’s leading design institutions and creative ecosystems.

He has served as the Founding Director of the National Institute of Design, Madhya Pradesh (Institute of National Importance), where he led academic vision, governance, and program development from inception. At the Unitedworld Institute of Design (UID), he strengthened academic frameworks, pioneered NEP-aligned curricula, and integrated emerging skills such as systems thinking and AI into design education. His earlier roles span key design schools including NIFT, Pearl Academy, and the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery, where he championed curriculum innovation, industry engagement, and faculty development.

Prof. Kumar is a long-standing contributor to national and global design policy, having worked with the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National Committee on Design, the DPIIT, the India Design Council, and the World Design Organization. He represented India on the CII India Design Mission to South Korea, forging international academic and innovation partnerships.

Currently pursuing a PhD focused on India’s design ecosystem, Prof. Kumar is committed to advancing research, mentoring future leaders, and strengthening academic excellence at the World University of Design.