About Taxi Fabric
Taxis in India, particularly in Mumbai, are not only the most convenient form of transport but also are iconic to the city’s culture. Although a lot of attention is given to each taxi by its driver to make it stand out from his competitors, very little thought is given to the fabric used on the seats. The designs that cover the taxi seats are often dull and forgettable.
On another note, design in India has always had limited scope and impact. It has never been widely recognised in India, as a medium of communication and social good. Older generations don’t understand it, design to them, is merely visual and not functional.
On another note, design in India has always had limited scope and impact. It has never been widely recognised in India, as a medium of communication and social good. Older generations don’t understand it, design to them, is merely visual and not functional.
We put two and two together – turning taxi seat covers into canvases, thus creating a great outlet for our designers to channel their talent and enhance the everyday travel experience of thousands of locals. This platform has made contemporary design available to everyone.
The Taxi Fabric project started by Sanket Avlani is aimed at creating a space for designers to show off their ideas and talent through the medium of fabric used within the taxis of Mumbai. Towards the end of 2015, the Taxi Fabric team collaborated withTEDx Gateway (Mumbai) and came out with a series of Taxi Fabrics based off of the theme of Design for Social Good.
About my Taxi Fabric
I stumbled upon the work of Arvind Gupta, who makes educational toys from trash for underprivileged children.
I was greatly inspired by his work and the way it was contributing to the world. A curious mind made me look up for more such small scale innovators
and was surprised at their presence in such huge numbers in India. This is what encouraged me to tell their story to the world and Taxi Fabric became my canvas.
Our constitution states that all children have the right to education. But a lot of innovators in our country are taking this idea a step further and creating educational toys for the underprivileged. This inspired me to tell their story and create 'Homegrown Innovators' for Taxi Fabric.
I was greatly inspired by his work and the way it was contributing to the world. A curious mind made me look up for more such small scale innovators
and was surprised at their presence in such huge numbers in India. This is what encouraged me to tell their story to the world and Taxi Fabric became my canvas.
Our constitution states that all children have the right to education. But a lot of innovators in our country are taking this idea a step further and creating educational toys for the underprivileged. This inspired me to tell their story and create 'Homegrown Innovators' for Taxi Fabric.
“The passengers are amazed by the colours and designs once they get in. Most of them read about the innovators and then ask me about it as well.
I tell them about the project and also ask them to go to the website to find out more. I feel very good that I am spreading the word about these inventions!”
— Ankush Yadav Khade, Taxi Driver
