"We wear many hats" – Why Mahindra Advanced Design Europe merge advanced and production design 

For our advanced design focus, CDN has investigated the changing role of the industry's future-thinking studios. We’ve examined where the line between advanced and production design really lies as well as how regional advanced design centres are becoming increasingly important in interpreting global brands through a local lens.

Yet, while many studios maintain a clear distinction between blue-sky thinking and production execution, Mahindra has adopted a different model. At MADE, the boundaries between advanced and production design are deliberately blurred. Designers are encouraged to develop future-forward concepts while simultaneously working on production programmes, ensuring design stays fresh and the designers avoid becoming too restrained in their thinking.

This wide-spanning philosophy has been central to MADE since the Banbury-based studio was established in September 2021 under chief design officer Pratap Bose. Alongside Mahindra's headquarters in Mumbai, the European team provides an alternative viewpoint, bringing distinctly European references and design sensibilities to a brand with global ambitions. 

To gain a deeper understanding of how the MADE studio balances both advanced and production design, CDN spoke to chief interior designer Phil Gillman and chief exterior designer Paven Patel. This was an interview conducted via email, with Gillman and Patel deciding to answer as one. 

Car Design News: How long have you both worked at the MADE studio and what attracted you to the job? 

Phil Gillman and Paven Patel: We both joined at the inception of the studio in September 2021. The attraction lay in the ambition of Pratap Bose to create a UK centre of excellence for design from the ground-up. There are not many opportunities in your career where you truly begin with a blank sheet of paper! This was a chance to build a team and help build an electric identity for Mahindra. 

CDN: What role does the advanced design studio play in Mahindra’s global design strategy? 

PG & PP: The role of the studio initially was to develop the electric future for Mahindra as both a philosophical approach and a product line. This has since expanded and we have taken our sketches through the A-Class phase to mass production. Having a second studio also ensures there are always alternative proposals on the table, which allow management to see a different point of view. Having another opinion stimulates debate and pushes the overall quality of Mahindra proposals forward. The fact that we are Europe-based mean our references and benchmarks are more often Euro-centric, which helps to ensure that proposals from both studios are more suited for the global market.

CDN: Talk us through the structure of the studio. 

PG & PP: MADE encompasses all the departments you would expect in an automotive studio: exterior, interior, studio engineering, CMF, CAS, visualisation. We are expanding to around 70 people in 2026 having begun as just a handful five years ago. We feel this will give us the correct scale for delivering on our workload while remaining agile. We have tried to maintain a relatively hierarchy-free structure, beyond CDO, Pratap Bose and studio director, Cosimo Amadei, the team of designers are all treated with equal right to contribute or offer an opinion. The selection of our team members is taken with great care to ensure that they fit into our working culture. Life at MADE is intense and features ambitious timelines, but we like to balance this with good humour. The atmosphere that we have created at MADE is very special indeed, and I can safely say that I have never experienced such a supportive group of people in my career.

CDN: How does the design process for advanced design differ to production design? 

PG & PP: At MADE we do both – we do not see them as exclusive of each other. The same designers work on all manner of projects. We see this as important to avoid people stagnating. If possible, we like to have a designer working concurrently on the two ends of the spectrum, it keeps it interesting and keeps you fresh. We meet designers who have become embedded in a particular phase of a project, and they risk becoming blinkered in their thinking. This is not the mindset we like to perpetuate at MADE. We wear many hats! 

CDN: How closely do you work with the Mumbai studio? 

PG & PP: We work in partnership with the mothership studio in Mumbai. Projects have been competed for between the studios and, in a recent new development, the interior and the exterior of a project have been awarded separately to the two studios. We frequently have the privilege of visiting the MIDs (Mahindra India Design studio, which is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility by the way…) to exchange ideas and experience the all-important domestic setting for our vehicles. While we meet daily over Teams, having regular in person contact has been key to building relationships and makes “picking up the phone” feel natural and instinctual.

CDN: What are some of the key concepts that the design studio has created? 

PG & PP: The BE 05 (2022) concept is one of our highlights – it was many “firsts” rolled into one for us and for Mahindra. For example, it was the embodiment of our “Heartcore Design” philosophy and bought a new vehicle typology to India – a sports car top hat over an SUV ride height. It also featured a driver-focussed cockpit defined by an IP which encompasses the driver. There are many progressive design ideas on the vehicle – they were all part of our attempt to set ourselves apart from the competition and make design a differentiator. The interesting thing about the BE 05 concept is that by 2025, it was in the customer’s hands renamed the BE 6, and with changes so minimal, even we confuse them!

The BE 05 concept was part of a family of vehicles which all made their debut at the inauguration of the MADE studio in Banbury in the summer of 2022. They also included a larger seven seat SUV, the BE07, and a coupe SUV, the BE 09. All the concepts were underpinned by a new “INGLO” platform and demonstrated our intent to bring our “Heartcore” design language into different product categories. For example, the interior of BE 07 concept, whereas the BE 05 concept was driver centric, takes similar form language but opens out the key lines to envelop and cosset the occupants. This is aligned with our intent to make the BE 07 concept a more practical, family experience and with a level of execution which can challenge premium manufacturers.

CDN: Are there any other concepts, perhaps any wildcards? 

PG & PP: The Rall-e concept began life as a “what if?” We had been tasked by the board to see whether we could imagine a variant of BE 6 with a reduced bill of materials. We took satisfaction in taking cost-down exercise to a highly distinctive and exciting product. The faces of the board members lit-up when we revealed it as a full-size model, and within weeks it was boxed-up to make a surprise guest appearance at the annual India Independence Day show which Mahindra mark every August. It was a great reminder of the power that design can exert on an organisation as it has opened opportunity for special edition models. 

Another hugely important concept car for us was the “Thar E” (2023). This concept re-imagined the Mahindra Thar, a legendary four-wheel drive car in its home market, updated for a global audience and featuring an electric drivetrain. We used this concept to break away from the existing heritage model while building upon its huge presence and charisma for a new audience. The reaction to this product was strong enough for us to give us the confidence that this segment demanded our attention further. We have therefore followed this up with the Vision T and Vision SXT (2025) and further developed the monolithic and robust form language emblematic of this tough vehicle. We also used these concepts to hint at how the Thar nameplate could extend its ambitions into new body styles – the vision SXT featuring a compact pick-up rear end.

CDN: What are some of the unseen challenges that the advanced design team face? 

PG & PP: There are so many challenges to the business of design today, we always need to remember that we are essentially doing something that we love and that we are very privileged indeed to be in this position.

I imagine people would be surprised that even as an Advanced Studio, we are constantly educating ourselves on the evolving requirements of safety legislation. We are always striving and challenging ourselves to come up with design solutions that satisfy legislation and are simultaneously aesthetically pleasing to the customer. From the point of view of our workflow, like everyone, we are finding our way with the application of AI. We are being cautious and taking the necessary time to understand this exciting technology. We are finding that when the designer is properly taking control and guiding the software, eye-catching outcomes are possible. The flip side is that we are constantly vigilant that AI does not overpower the designer – which is a trend we are sadly noticing more and more in the portfolios of designers applying to work with us. We are “old school” - we still like to see hand drawn sketches – nothing beats those early flashes of inspiration.

CDN: How do you create an environment in the studio that encourages creativity and forward-thinking design? 

PG & PP: The answer to this is multi-faceted.

The physical environment certainly helps – we are fortunate to be housed in a studio which is airy, open and welcoming. Of course, it features the essential coffee machine, but also breakout zones. For example, we have a table tennis table, and we have the use of a state-of-the-art on-campus gym from our neighbours the Formula E team. Our proximity to Racing has organically led to some interesting conversations and idea exchanges – more of that hopefully to be revealed in due course!

As mentioned before, we have both been very selective with our hiring – while it is a given that we take only the top talent, we also encourage that our team can work and bring a sense of humour to their day. It is essential for keeping the work feeling light and maintaining the fun when under pressure. Our director Cosimo is a firm believer that the best work is only created when our designers are content in themselves.