We’re a dynamic team working at the cutting edge of innovation strategy, with top global brands and organisations, unlocking future possibilities.
Turian Labs is a thought leader in Design & Futures led innovation consulting. We use RenaissanceMind framework - a powerful blend of Futures Thinking, Design Thinking and Business Thinking—to uncover human-centric insights, spot future opportunities and drive transformational change.
Our research-led strategy boosts user experience (UX), identifies emerging customers and competition, discovers new business models and sparks innovation.
Turian Labs: Where foresight and insight collide to spark transformative innovation. We bridge the gap between megatrend potential and immediate opportunities, guiding diverse companies across digital and physical landscapes.
We offer:
Megatrends led Strategic Foresight: Help clients chart future course by navigating the winds of future possibilities.
Design Thinking led Problem Solving: Dive deep into user needs and unlock immediate value with human-centered solutions.
UX research: Understand uses and their user-journeyes to craft the next level of product, service and experiences
Innovation Capability Building: Empower client teams with dedicated labs and cultivate a culture of creative problem-solving.
Our agile and interdisciplinary practice impacts the creation of compelling products, services and capabilities, reimagining business models in the face of rapidly changing realities.
We work with major global brands and high-growth startups across industries and geographies, enabled by a strong global network of associates. We also help organisations create a culture of innovation through cross-functional training programs, design sprints and Megatrend-led business innovation workshops.
Our Vision
Our name, Turian, derived from ‘Turiya’ (from the Sanskrit term ‘Chaturya’), means the ‘fourth state of consciousness’ mentioned in Indian philosophy.
The first three states of consciousness are waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. The fourth state is where the duality of the observer and the observed vanishes. It is also called the very substratum of the other three states. The higher aim of human life is to achieve the supreme consciousness of this fourth state.
Turian Labs believes that the world needs holistic thinking and 'unity of consciousness' to look beyond the obvious.
Knowledge
has no boundaries. Knowledge itself is a goal, as extolled since the ancient times in India. True knowledge lends itself to applications beyond conventional boundaries, across the entire spectrum of human activities.
Innovation
is meditation. Every act of creation is meditation and prayer. Innovation is no miracle. It is the result of perseverance of an individual or group to dream of a solution and live, eat and sleep on it. Innovation is about emerging new meanings. It is about making our short stay on this planet enjoyable and sustainable for all.
Structure
is the missing link in the game of creativity and innovation. The world is full of ‘big-data’, where we are struggling to make sense of things. There is no dearth of ideas in this world; however the skill to put these ideas into a tangible, practical, and scalable structure is a scarce commodity.
Why Turian Labs
Thought-Leadership
Turian Labs is built on the cross-industry, cross-border innovation project experience of a thought-leader in Design, own co-founder and leader Manoj Kothari. Do check out the wealth of articles/videos authored by him online.
Bespoke Methodologies
Every project is different, and we always build a bespoke program contextual to the needs, preferences, and capabilities of each stakeholder. Conducting design research for formidable and innovative client projects means that we deploy state-of-the-art tools that deliver tangible results, based on tested and proven methodologies from academia and industry.
Lean Teams
A project’s overall efficacy is largely dependant on the team’s level of engagement. Through years of practice, we have seen that a smaller team of generalists is able to establish a deeper connection with both the client and all stakeholders involved in a project. With small teams, we shorten feedback loops, reduce dependencies, and stay agile.
Future proofed with Renaissance-Mind framework
Futurology is at the heart of the interdisciplinary design practice at Turian Labs: this helps future-proof our work by leveraging a systematic approach to predict future developments through an intensive study of historical and current trends, using several methodologies, many of our own making.
Lead with Design
Design already touches many parts of a business: human–machine interactions, AI, behavioural economics, and engineering psychology, not to mention innovation and the development of new business models. The interdisciplinary team at Turian Labs, which works across functions while retaining their depth of design savvy, bring a broad range of experiences and perspectives, the impact of which is seen meaningfully and tangibly throughout our work.
Cross-sectorial practitioner
What Turian Labs consults and promotes as an innovation pedagogy is built on hands-on experience of over 30 years of innovation consulting across domains (across physical/digital; govt/corporate; B2B/B2C). Examples of change are rooted in stories of Indian and global corporates we have worked for.
Our Clients
We are a dynamic and diverse team, blending fresh perspectives with seasoned expertise, delivering impactful solutions."
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Manoj Kothari
Manoj is one of India’s leading Design Thinking practitioners and a futurist today. Prior to founding Turian Labs, he co-founded and led another product innovation & design company – Onio Design Pvt. Ltd. and a digital branding company ITERNIA.In a career spanning more than two decades, Manoj led innovation engagements with several global brands and organisations. He is an expert trainer for CXOs/policy-makers on Design Thinking and Megatrends-based future envisioning.He is a visiting faculty at several leading institutions like ISB, NID, IITs, and mentors startups in various capacities.He is a mechanical engineering graduate from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, batch of 1992), and has a post-graduate degree in Industrial Design from NID (National Institute of Design), Ahmedabad.
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Sonali Kothari
Sonali is co-founder of Turian Labs. She manages operations and client delivery at Turian Labs. She has nearly two decades of diverse experience in the advertising, education, e-publishing and branding industries. Apart from her work at Turian, she also manages her boutique social enterprise start-up INNISHARI. She is an ardent yoga practitioner and holds a master’s degree in Zoology from Calcutta University.
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Mugdha Damle
Mugdha is a program manager at Turian Labs for UX research and strategy. Coming from an academic background in Industrial Product Design, Mugdha shows great acumen for research-based analysis and design. Her curiosity to learn about the world, human behaviour, and what lies beneath the surface all led her into the field of design research. Before joining the team at Turian Labs, Mugdha worked as a design research consultant for a multinational company. She firmly believes that the broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design one creates.
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Chandana Kumar
Chandana, a Senior Researcher at Turian Labs, brings a blend of communication design expertise and user research skills to conduct comprehensive studies. Her keen eye for design aesthetics, coupled with strong analytical acumen, enables her to translate complex data into compelling narratives. This ability helps teams gain actionable insights and effectively bridge the gap between user needs and business objectives across various sectors.
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Nidhi Shand
With a strong foundation in landscape architecture, Nidhi excels in understanding complex spatial relationships and user interactions, which translates seamlessly into her UX work. Her background gives her a deep appreciation for aesthetics, functionality, and user-centered design principles.
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Biswarup Dutta
Biswarup is a senior UX researcher with a deep curiosity about how things work and why people make the choices they do. With five years of entrepreneurial experience running a design agency, Biswarup has worked across various domains, including sustainability tech, fintech, and edutech. His expertise has not only driven impactful projects but also helped startups secure funding. His approach is grounded in continuous learning and a passion for solving complex challenges.
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Vinit Soneji
Vinit is a passionate Strategist and Researcher skilled in transforming foresight research and business design into actionable strategies for innovative solutions. His unique blend of creativity and analytical prowess bridges the gap between human-centered design and strategic business outcomes. Vinit has consulted impactful businesses and conducted workshops to boost business outcomes. He holds a Master's in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University
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Nikhilesh Sharma
Nikhilesh is a UX researcher with a specialization in product design, seamlessly integrating design expertise with strategic acumen across a broad spectrum of projects. His extensive portfolio, encompassing sectors such as automotive, fintech, ed-tech, healthcare, and advertising, showcases his ability to uncover actionable insights that directly influence product roadmaps. Nikhilesh possesses a remarkable ability to distil intricate research findings into clear, strategic directives. His expertise in data visualisation ensures these insights are delivered through compelling and accessible visuals. Beyond his professional endeavours, Nikhilesh is an automotive enthusiast and tech aficionado, dedicating his free time to exploring machines and hardware.
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Gayatri Mokashi
Gayatri Mokashi is a UX Researcher with experience across fintech, consumer technology, and media streaming domains. She deployed a usability toolkit to facilitate research with children and is drawn to inclusive design. With a B.Des in UX Design from MIT-ID, Loni, she enjoys transforming complex data into compelling visuals, driving user-centric innovation.
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Himanshu Kalra
Himanshu is a forward-thinking UX researcher, blending 4+ years of experience with a deep fascination for AI's role in user research. His diverse background in Fintech, E-commerce, and media fuels his innovative approach. Himanshu's leadership skills shine in impact-driven environments, where he balances technological advancement with research integrity.
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Gouri Katte
Gouri is a design enthusiast and a valedictorian from MIT Institute of Design, with a specialization in User Experience Design. As a lefty, adapting to conventional right-handed tools fueled her curiosity for understanding and empowering people of diverse backgrounds. Her approach of intersecting visual design with research is how she analyzes and presents findings effectively. Trained as a classical singer from childhood, she finds solace in soothing melodies and enjoys exploring nature through treks.
Our Advisors
DR. TIM HOLMES (UK)
A BBC Radio show described Tim as a “neuroscientist gone rogue” because he now applies his knowledge as a vision scientist to behaviour change. Tim has a doctorate in visual neuroscience, decision making and aesthetic perception from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a graduate degree in mathematics from Sheffield University, UK. In 2011 he co-founded Acuity Intelligence Ltd, which specialised in real-world applications of eye-tracking, biometrics and cognitive neuroscience. He worked on vision science projects with companies as diverse as P&G, Coca-Cola, Unilever, GSK, BAE Systems, Ralph Lauren, Jaguar Land Rover, The Guardian and the Walt Disney Company to evaluate and optimise product, package design, digital media, mobile apps, visual interfaces and marketing strategy. In 2018, Acuity was acquired by the world’s leading eye-tracking manufacturer Tobii AB.
DR. CHIPS CHIPALKATTI (USA)
Dr. Makarand “Chips” Chipalkatti is a founder and board member of the Global Innovation Management Institute, USA. Chips received a Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Eng. from Univ. of Massachusetts and a B.Tech Chem. Eng. from IIT Bombay. Since 2005, Dr. Chips led the Strategic Innovation Management function for OSRAM SYLVANIA and continued to serve as a key member of OSRAM’s global innovation leadership. Dr. Chips has also played a pioneering role in the Lighting industry as an industry leader in various trade bodies and has also worked with public agencies. Dr. Chips now works through his executive consulting practice focusing on industry transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, with special emphasis on the commercialization of innovation.