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People immediately recognize vehicles like Mahindra Scorpio, Thar and XUV700. But very few people know who has designed these luxurious SUVs. You will be surprised to know that a woman has a hand in giving this spectacular look to these powerful vehicles which are being liked a lot by men.
Ramkripa Anantan obtained his mechanical engineering degree from BITS Pilani.
New Delhi. When a Scorpio, Thar or XUV700 with wide tires and muscular body comes out on the road, it looks different from everyone else. These have remained the favorite vehicles of men for years. Do you know who designed these popular Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)? If you don’t know then let us tell you. The domineering look of Thar, Scorpio and XUV700 has been given not by a man but by a woman. His name is Ramkripa Anantan. It has been proved that it is not impossible for women to do anything.
In an article written on the website of Ola Electric, Ramkripa had told that his father was often transferred during his job. Due to which they had to live in different villages and towns. Growing up amidst paddy fields, rivers, mountains and forests gave him a chance to see nature closely. These experiences are also reflected in his vehicle design.
Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani
Ramkripa Anantan obtained his mechanical engineering degree from BITS Pilani. After this he completed post graduation from the famous Industrial Design Center (IDC) of IIT Bombay. She joined Mahindra & Mahindra in the year 1997. Initially his work was to design the interior of vehicles like Bolero, Scorpio and Xylo. On the basis of her creativity and deep understanding of engineering, she continued to progress and by 2005 she became the head of the design department of the company.
Got recognition from XUV500
The most revolutionary turn in Ramkripa’s career came in the year 2011, when Mahindra launched its first monocoque SUV XUV500 in the market. When the blueprint of this vehicle was being prepared on the design table, he took inspiration from Bruce Lee’s agility, combat helicopter, Spider-Man and Russell Crowe’s characters from the film ‘Gladiator’. Ultimately, Ramkripa and his team chose the body shape of a ‘cheetah’ ready to pounce on its prey. The muscular shoulders, wheel arches and aggressive front grille of the vehicle reflect the power and speed of the predatory cheetah. People liked this car very much.
changed mood
After the tremendous success of XUV500, Ramkripa never looked back. He gave such an urban and premium look to the second generation all-new Mahindra Thar, launched in 2020, that it became the first choice of every youth rather than just being an off-roading vehicle. After this, his imprint was also in the design DNA of XUV700, KUV100, TUV300, Marazzo and the recent Thar Rocks which came in 2021. For his unique contribution to the Indian automobile world, BITS Pilani honored him with the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ in 2021.
Now we have entered the electric world
After spending more than two decades at Mahindra, Ramkripa decided to do something new. He started his own design consultancy firm ‘KRUX Studio’. Keeping in mind the congested cities, the concept of a two-seater compact electric car named ‘Two2’ was prepared. After this, in 2022, she joined Ola Electric as Head of Design. Now, coming out of the world of big diesel-petrol SUVs, it is busy in giving a new look to the electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers of the future.
About the Author
Ruli Bishnoi is a senior journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the media industry. He is currently associated with News18 Hindi (hindi.news18.com) and works in the business vertical. Here he discusses the difficult facts of the business world…
