Quick facts
Santosh Kocherlakota is an Assistant Professor at the School of Design Innovation, Mahindra University, and a design leader with 10+ years’ experience in design education, corporate alignment, and social innovation. He is Co‑founder and CEO of Earthen Tunes, a sustainable footwear startup for farmers incubated at IIT Madras and ISB Hyderabad, holds an M.Des in Transportation & Automobile Design (NID/IIT collaboration) and a B.E (Hons) in Electronics & Instrumentation from BITS Pilani, and has patents on an electric wheelchair for uneven terrain, an agricultural apparatus, and an articulated Kondapalli toy, along with TEDx talks and multiple design/teaching awards.
Publications
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Research
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Santosh Kocherlakota
Assistant Professor
Santosh Kocherlakota is a dynamic leader with over 10+ years of experience in design education, corporate alignment, and social innovation, adept at integrating academic rigor with industry needs to create impactful programs. He is the Co-founder of Earthen Tunes Designs, a pioneering start-up in sustainable footwear for farmers, incubated at IIT Madras and ISB Hyderabad. Santosh has been recognized for his thought leadership in product Design, entrepreneurship, and fostering strategic partnerships.
- M.Des in Transportation and automobile Design, IIT, NID Ahmedabad India (2013-2017)
- M.Des in Industrial design , Brno University of Technology , Brno, Czech Republic (2014-2015) exchange semester
- B.E(Hons) in Electronics and Instrumentation , BITS-Pilani, Goa campus(2007-2011)
Publications
- Kocherlakota, S., & Team. (2023). Earthen Tunes: The Vision. Global InCH International Journal of Living Heritage, ISSN: 2581-9410.
- Kocherlakota, S., & Co-Authors. (2024). Driving a Causal Change in Corporate Behaviour towards Enforcing a Culture of Sustainability. GENMGT102603.
Patents
- WO2019/030778 A1 – Patent granted for an Electric Wheelchair Assembly adapted for maneuvering through undulated terrain.
- Patent Application No. 202341056360 – Filed for an Agricultural Apparatus designed to enhance mechanized farming operations.
- Patent Application No. 202441048002 – Filed for an Articulated Kondapalli Toy with Modern Joint Technology, integrating traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design improvements.
- Assistant Professor , School of Design innovation, Mahindra University, India(May 2025- Present)
- CEO and Co-Founder, Earthen Tunes Design Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad(August 2019-Present)
- Assistant Dean-Corporate alignment , School of Arts and Design ,Woxsen University (September 2023- April 2025)
- Program Director, Industrial Design School of Arts and Design ,Woxsen University (March 2022- August 2023)
- Product Head , Indent Designs, Mumbai (2017-2019)
- Automation head –Karnataka, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Limited (2011-2013)
Invited Talks
- TEDx Woxsen University 2025
- Building Social Enterprises – FDDI Hyderabad
- World Entrepreneurship Day- NID Ahmedabad
- A Design thinking based approach to Entrepreneurship- IIT Hyderabad
Entrepreneurship-Earthen Tunes
- ‘Co-Founder and CEO at Earthen Tunes, an IIT Madras Incubated startup designing and manufacturing shoes for farmers from Indian Woollen Blankets
- Building Traceability for Indian Wool-a collaborative project between CFP, Earthen Tunes, Here we are and British Council. Project Funded by British Council
- Grants raised for Earthen Tunes from IIT Madras Incubation Cell, NID Ahmedabad and Telangana Govt
Awards
- Earthen Tunes- Lexus Design Award Finalists, Iprenuer Award
- Faculty of the year 2023, multiple faculty of the month at Woxsen University
