With IKEAs of the world making a beeline to enter the Indian furniture market, there seem to be a growing trend for professional courses targeting designing, making and marketing of furniture.

Taking a step in this direction, city-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University has launched a post-graduate degree programme in furniture design under the Faculty of Design.

The two-year Masters in Design - Furniture Design is a skill-based programme focusing on furniture designs that are commercially viable to produce and compete with the global giants.

"Main feature of the course is that it is backed by scientific parameters such as ergonomics, structural behaviour, load transfer, materiel science among others," said Krishna Shastri, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Design.

Noted Irish designer Arthur Daff will be the area chair for the course while other faculties would include experts from furniture industry besides academicians.

Other institutes that offer specialised courses in furniture design, include National Institute of Design (NID), Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune and Srishti School of Art Design and Technology, Bangalore.

However, CEPT has created its niche by focusing more on scientific aspect of furniture than merely the design aspect. "It provides students a broader vision to understand the surrounding environment where the furniture is to be placed. Factors like living environment, commercial environment, institutional environment will be taken into consideration," said Shastri.