The Design Village to open first international campus in Italy

The Design Village (TDV), a Delhi NCR-based institute offering industry-oriented design programs in collaboration with OP Jindal Global University, is set to launch its first international campus in Italy.

“TDV is the first Indian design school to open a dedicated overseas campus in Europe,” said TDV founder Sourabh Gupta.

TDV co-founder Mridu Sahai said the Italy campus will immerse students in a region with a rich design heritage.

“We want to open a satellite campus in Italy, a place rich with design heritage, to question the status quo and build a new narrative of design, one connected to social impact,” she said.

After searching for a suitable location, the team selected Villa-Castello di Torrazzetta, a heritage building 50 km north of Milan.

Once home to the Italian noble Marquises Serra, the villa later served as a hermitage and a hotel.

“The owners and the Don Niso Dallavalle Foundation, which looks after its upkeep, were seeking collaborations that would retain its heritage value and ensure proper maintenance,” Sahai said.

TDV currently offers four-year undergraduate and two-year postgraduate programs in fashion and textile, communication and interaction design, product and industrial design, and space and interior design.

About 340 students are enrolled in the undergraduate program, which costs close to Rs 26 lakhs.

Up to 50 students will spend either their fifth or sixth semester at the Italy campus in a fully paid two-month creative residency.

From 2028, TDV plans to introduce a two-year master’s program in design, with the first year in Italy and the second in Noida.

With an investment of €1.5 to 2 million over the next five years, TDV plans to renovate the villa to include classrooms, labs, and a library.

“The campus is in Borgo Priolo, a small town in the province of Pavia with a population of about 1,399 people. The younger generation is leaving the area. By establishing a design school, we aim to rejuvenate the region and contribute to the local community,” Sahai said.

She added that an international experience helps students understand their own context better.

The campus surroundings include olive groves, ham production, ceramics, and local artisanal culture. Nearby is Valentino’s workshop.

“Students will explore agro-tourism, food design, furniture research, and international opportunities. They will also visit the Milan Fair, the largest furniture fair, and the Venice Biennale,” Sahai said.

Sahai pointed to Italian villages that have benefited from social impact projects. Trivero was revived by a fabric merchant supporting the local ecosystem. Solomeo became known for luxury cashmere.

The University of Gastronomic Sciences, promoted by the Slow Food Association in 2004, is another example of private initiatives improving communities.

“There have been these examples internationally, but this is the first project of its kind involving India,” she said.

At its Noida campus, TDV has engaged the local community through tailoring, woodworking, and metalwork training.

Students have designed Braille fabrics, adaptive school uniforms, recyclable pads for stem cell harvesting, and food systems for Rohingya communities, including fish farming.

“Our ethos lies in creating social impact. We want to connect the India and Italy campuses to expand this work,” Sahai said.