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Manish Arora’s design practice is anchored in the visual traditions of Varanasi while engaging with institutional identity, environmental communication, social design and monumental public art. His work has shaped how India’s premier institutions present themselves, and how communities experience designed environments.

On this page:Design and public artFunded researchOnlineArchive
Funded research

₹11.8 crorein research funding from the Ministry of Education, ICSSR, the World Bank, IoE BHU and PMMMNMTT, including the ₹10 crore Design Innovation Centre grant shared by five institutions

Manish Arora’s research practice is fundamentally interdisciplinary, drawing on Visual Communication Design, Social Design History, Health Communication, Digital Media Ethics, and AI-Cultural Intelligence. His work consistently bridges academic rigour with real-world social impact.

20Research projects
6As Principal Investigator
14As Co-Principal Investigator
17Completed, 3 running
₹10 croreShared grant · BHU share ₹3.5 crore

Design Innovation Centre (DIC) BHU

Coordinator · Ministry of Education, National Initiative for Design Innovation · Hub and spoke with IIT (BHU), MNNIT, IIIT Allahabad and the University of Allahabad

2015–presentRunning
₹78.71 lakh

History of Social Design in India and USA with special reference to Infographics, Advertising, Human-Centered Design and Marketing

Principal Investigator · Ministry of Education, SPARC · with Michigan State University and the Center for Social Design, MICA, Baltimore

2019–2023Completed
₹35.30 lakh

UP Pro Poor Tourism Development Plan for Artisans of Varanasi

Principal Investigator · UP Tourism, Govt. of UP, funded by the World Bank

2023–2024Completed
₹18 lakh

Determining the key psychological, sociological and cultural considerations to enhance the attentiveness towards digital advertisement

Principal Investigator · IoE BHU, Transdisciplinary Research · with the Departments of Sociology, Psychology and Computer Science, BHU

2023–2025IoE TDR
₹16 lakh

Sustaining Traditional Craft Economies in India: A Comparative Socio-Economic Study of Wooden Toy Clusters in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu through the 4M Framework (Man–Machine–Material–Method)

Co-PI · ICSSR research project scheme · Varanasi and Thanjavur

2026–2028Running
₹15.75 lakh

Redesigning the Advertising Methods in Digital Media to Curb Environmental Deterioration

Principal Investigator · ICSSR, IMPRESS (Impactful Policy Research in Social Science) · Media, Culture and Society domain

2019–2022Completed
₹8 lakh

Development of Ganga Gallery

Co-PI · Varanasi Project, IIT (BHU), MMRC for Ganga, River Development and Water Resource Management

2019–2021Completed
₹6 lakh

Academic Linkage for Artifact, Manufacturing Cluster Development and Excellency

Principal Investigator · Faculty Incentive Grant, Institute of Eminence, BHU

2021–2024IoE FIG
₹4 lakh

New Paradigms for Visual Arts Education Standard in India

Principal Investigator · Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), MHRD, through the Faculty of Education, BHU

2019–2021Completed
Major project

An Analysis of Premises, Potential and Prospects of the Aspirational District Programme: Focus on Policy Implementation

Co-PI · Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education, Ministry of Education · NITI Aayog Aspirational Districts

2021–202318 months

Amounts as sanctioned, from his CV (June 2026). The total counts the full ₹10 crore Design Innovation Centre grant shared by BHU, IIT (BHU), MNNIT, IIIT Allahabad and the University of Allahabad.

Online

See the work online

Behance · Visual identity

Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited

A proposed visual identity and logo for PMRCL.

Open on BehanceBehance · Calendar design

Ministry of Education calendar

Calendar design for the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Open on Behance
Archive

More design work

Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL): design work. See on BehanceBehance
Ministry of Education calendar: design work. See on BehanceBehance
2023Documentary films: a 5-minute film on the Faculty of Visual Arts, BHU, and a 3-minute introduction to the Design Innovation Centre, IIT (BHU) and BHU (an earlier DIC film in 2019). Watch: Faculty of Visual Arts, Design Innovation CentreYouTube
2022Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam, Ministry of Education, Rudraksh Convention Centre, Varanasi (7–9 July 2022)Archive
2021Manifesto for Sustainable Graphic Design, for the ICSSR IMPRESS project ‘Redesigning the Advertising Methods in Digital Media to Curb Environmental Deterioration’Policy
2021Flexible Academic Programme logo, IIIT Allahabad, Prayagraj. Selected and released. With Rahul Kumar Shaw.Logo
2021SUTRA logo & book, IIT Kanpur. Logo and book for SUTRA (Susceptible Undetected Tested (positive) & Removed Approach), a mathematical model of COVID-19 progression. With Rahul Kumar Shaw.Archive
2021Book design: 'Covid Sangram, U.P. Model: Niti, Niyukti, Paridam', IIT KanpurArchive
2019Logo for 100 Years of Lucknow University, University of Lucknow. With Rahul Kumar Shaw.Archive
2019STRIDE logo, UGC / BHUArchive
2019Gyanotsav logo, Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, New Delhi. Selected and implemented. With Rahul Kumar Shaw.Logo
2019International Kashi Ghat Walk University logo, Varanasi. Selected and implemented. With Rahul Kumar Shaw.Logo
2019–2022Digital Media Centre, Central Discovery Centre, BHU. Overall concept and tender documents for the audio-video and graphic design units, as sub-committee member.Archive
2019MHRD Innovation Cell IIC logo, top 3, MHRDArchive
2019Books for the Design Innovation Centre, DIC BHU / SPA New Delhi. 'Innovation' (2nd All India DIC Meetup) and 'Journey of Design Innovation Centre, IIT (BHU) and BHU'.Archive
2018–19Sir Sunderlal Hospital & Centenary Superspeciality unit, BHU. Internal and external signage system (partly installed), graphic identity programme and mobile application.Archive
2018–19External and internal signage, IIT (BHU), installedArchive
2018Front signage, Atal Incubation Centre (AIC-MFIE), BHU / NITI Aayog AIMArchive
2016Advertising campaign, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture / BHU. Print, electronic and outdoor campaign with documentation; souvenir book and website.Archive
2016Guinness World Record: Largest Photo Awareness Campaign. A public campaign of 302 awareness posters, organised by Jagadish Pillai, in which he took part. His poster: 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.Archive
2016Documentary: ‘Jaina Art, Architecture and Iconography at Mt. Samet Shikhar’, as editor. Narrated by Prof. Maruti Nandan Tiwari.Film
2014–16Brand BHU design studio and souvenir shop, BHU. Proposal adopted by the university, linked to the Centre for Digital Media Lab.Archive
2014–15Internal signage system, Trauma Centre BHU, PMSSY, Govt. of India / CPWDArchive
2012Global branding, Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), VaranasiArchive
2012150th birth anniversary of Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya: closing ceremony campaign, BHU with the Ministry of Culture (19–25 December 2012). Nodal person for design, publicity, exhibition and display.Campaign
2012–24Book of alumni artwork, Department of Applied Arts, BHU. Digitising, editing and compiling the work of graduated students.Archive
Branding for Munger University, Bihar (seal and monogram)Archive
2012–2017PRAGATI research magazine covers, BHU. Six issues: Vol. I (2012), Institute of Agricultural Sciences (2013), IMS (2014), Faculty of Ayurveda (2015), Institute of Management Studies (2016), Institute of Science (2017). Also a cover from his painting for SABDARTH, quarterly of literature, art and culture (2012).Archive
2016–2021Websites: diciitbhu.com (live), kalaksharbhu.in, designpicnic.in, rsmbhu2016.in (offline), aroramanish.inWeb

Competition entries: Swachh Bharat logo; Digital India logo; National Digital Literacy Mission logo/banner/slogan; DAVP 68th Independence Day press ad; MyGov e-greetings; Godrej universal symbol for innovation; Ministry of Labour portal name; NULM name.