Prof. MP Ranjan sounds like the Eames and Enzo Mari of Indian design. Or at least Indian bamboo design. He's the head of the Centre for Bamboo Initiatives at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, where he evangelizes local design and production as a tool for economic development.
TheStrictus collection of super-simple kids furniture and toys is named after the local species of bamboo used to make it. The designs date back at least to 2004 and were shown in Germany in 2007. Ranjan calls this rocking horse, designed with G. Upadhayay, a "poverty buster" because its metal-free design enables craftsmen to make and sell it themselves rather than work as wage laborers in some nail-hoarding rocking horse factory.
The Strictus table and chairs does require nails, however, but it's about as simple as a table and chair can be. The bamboo trike looks strictly Gilligan's Island.
Bamboo Initiatives product catalogue 2004 [mac.com/ranjanmp]
NID's Bamboo Initiatives and Design from India on show in Germany. [design-for-india.blogspot.com]
