All about Ramkripa Ananthan, the designer behind Mahindra's iconic Thar, XUV SUVs

Every time a Thar roars past or an XUV700 turns heads on the highway, one woman’s vision is behind the wheel of that design story. Ramkripa Ananthan joined Mahindra & Mahindra in 1997 as an interior designer, and over the next two decades quietly became the creative force shaping some of India’s most loved SUVs. So who is the woman who redefined how India imagines an SUV? Here’s her story.

Ramkripa Ananthan educational qualifications

In 1992, she graduated in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani. Later, she completed her master's in Industrial Design from IIT Bombay in 1997. Before joining Mahindra, she worked at Thermax for a brief period of time. In 2021, BITS Pilani honoured her with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Ramkripa Ananthan's stint at Mahindra

She joined in Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) in 1997 after a brief stint at Thermax. Rising through the ranks at M&M, Ananthan became Chief of Design for the company's automotive and farm equipment divisions.

Ramkripa Ananthan has led teams associated with several popular models, including the Thar, XUV500, XUV300, XUV700, and Marazzo. Thar combined the ruggedness of an off-road vehicle with contemporary styling.

Launched in 2011, the XUV500 marked a shift in the company's design language. Her work also extended to the TUV300 and KUV100 portfolios. She contributed to the second-generation Thar, introduced in 2020 and the XUV700, launched in 2021.

XUV700 integrated technology with modern aesthetics whereas Scorpio maintains its robust and distinctive design identity.

Inspiration behind Mahindra XUV500 design

The iconic SUV's design drew inspiration from a cheetah, with the team studying the animal's movements, strength and appearance to translate its strength and agility into the SUV's styling. The animal's agility and muscular built influenced the XUV500's prominent wheel arches, grille, strong stance and flowing body lines. Before settling on the cheetah, the team explored several sources of inspiration, including Bruce Lee, Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator, Spider-Man and combat helicopters.

Ramkripa Ananthan joins Ola

In 2021, she left Mahindra after over two decades and established her own design consultancy KRUX Studio. One of her projects was Two2, an electric micro-mobility vehicle concept showcased in 2022.

Initially, Ola Electric engaged KRUX Studio as a design consultancy partner in the same year. In August 2022, Ananthan joined the company as Head of Design, overseeing design programmes for electric two-wheelers and planned four-wheelers.