Ameet Mehta’s shooting star will be the new face of the American Center in India, after he was declared the winner of the American Center’s nationwide logo design contest. Chosen from more than 1,300 submissions, Mehta’s winning design will become the nationwide brand of the American Centers throughout India. At a ceremony at the New Delhi American Center on April 16, 2009 Mehta was awarded a Motorola phone and a 10-day study tour to the United States to meet with top design schools and professionals.

Mehta, a 2004 graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, is a principal designer at Pineapple Consulting in Mumbai. Although he primarily designs bags, footwear, and leather articles, he is also an expert in branding. Says Mehta, “I emphasized bringing dynamism and visual integration of the two forces — India and America — fusing together to make one cohesive unit! I’d consider myself extremely fortunate if this logo can really invoke a new spirit to the glorious Indo-U.S. relationship!”