How to Engineer Perfect Color: Dr. Sajeesh Kulappurath’s Global Standards Revolution

An Apple expert reveals how Indian engineering expertise shapes billion-dollar consumer electronics manufacturing worldwide

The color detection sensor market is growing rapidly—from $2 billion in 2024 to $2.17 billion in 2025, according to Research and Markets: the industry demands automated quality control and precise color reproduction. Creating global color perception standards requires a blend of scientific training, engineering skill, and manufacturing knowledge. Indian specialists excel in this field. For example, under the leadership of Dr. Sajeesh Kumar Kulappurath, a Color, Materials, and Finishes specialist at Apple Inc., global protocols for visual color assessment were established, hyperspectral material analysis technologies implemented, and an environmentally safe dye library developed for Apple’s entire production ecosystem. He is responsible for translating industrial design color concepts into engineering specifications and ensuring long-term consistency across Apple’s global supply chain. His work bridges design, engineering, and product operations, making him a critical driver of Apple’s color standards and placing him among the foremost experts in this highly specialized field.

From Textiles to Technology: Indian Roots of Global Standards

Dr. Kulappurath began his career in color engineering at India’s textile companies, Trident Group and D’Décor Exports. There he first faced the challenge – ensuring consistent color perception across different lighting and materials.

“Color is the language, through which a brand communicates with the user,” explains Dr. Kulappurath. His work in textiles confronting color shifts caused by light and material surfaces, laid the foundation for his later work in advanced color engineering: “The sea is a harsh examiner for color. Salt water, sun and wind can change fabric shades in days if the right dye and treatment aren’t chosen.” This experience informed standards for Apple Watch bands, which must look consistent from London offices to Hawaiian beaches.

Engineering Solutions to Artistic Challenges

The main challenge of modern color engineering, Dr. Kulappurath says, is metamerism—when colors appear identical under one lighting yet differ under another. This is critical when combining materials: “Glossy plastic and matte textile can reflect the same spectrum yet look different. We develop protocols to identify and correct these nuances at the design stage.”

The key lies in spectral modeling—algorithms analyzing how materials reflect light across wavelengths. Hyperspectral spectrophotometers scan surfaces in hundreds of spectral channels, creating a “color fingerprint.” “It’s like an MRI for color,” Dr. Kulappurath compares.

Global Standardization of Visual Quality

In mass production where factories worldwide produce millions of parts, standardizing color assessment is crucial. Dr. Kulappurath developed a comprehensive system of protocols.

His environmentally safe dye library contains materials tested for resistance to UV light, seawater, sweat and detergents. Alongside, the team standardized visual assessment environments—calibrated light sources, fixed viewing angles, neutral backgrounds—and developed opacity measures to prevent “show-through” in multilayer materials.

“We can’t allow one factory’s ‘red’ to be warmer and another’s cooler. Color is an engineering constant, not artistic interpretation,” he stresses.

Training as the Key to Quality

Standards only work, when properly applied. A major part of Dr. Kulappurath’s work involves training suppliers globally— from colorimetry basics to hands-on visual calibration.

“We don’t just send documents; we ensure every supplier perceives color as we do. That’s the key to global consistency,” he says. Training encompasses color science fundamentals, measurement tools and visual assessment protocols. Global unification—standardized lighting, viewing angles, neutral backgrounds, and instruments—is essential to achieve stable color quality, regardless of country, material or technology.

The Future of Color Engineering

Textile materials increasingly influence high-tech products combining aesthetics with durability, lightness, flexibility and dyeability. Many eco-friendly materials are textile-based, making them key to sustainable development. This aligns with Indian manufacturers and startups, who face the same challenges as global tech leaders.

“For me, color engineering isn’t just science; it’s a way to create products, that emotionally resonate, remain beautiful and recognizable worldwide, including in India,” concludes Dr. Kulappurath.

Indian Contribution to Global Standards

Dr. Kulappurath’s journey— from R&D labs in Mumbai and Punjab to Apple’s California headquarters —demonstrates India’s ability to solve complex technical problems globally.

His international recognition is evident in scientific publications and presentations at color science conferences in the USA and Europe. His work, such as “The Effect of Luminance on the Perception of Small Color Differences”, is widely cited. Dr. Sajeesh Kumar is recognized as an authority in visual and instrumental color control, and is frequently consulted on global color standardization projects influencing manufacturing practices worldwide as a leading expert.“We live in an era when India not only adopts global standards but also helps shape them,” he notes, highlighting Indian specialists’ growing role in the global tech ecosystem. The systematic problem-solving approach, rooted in Indian engineering culture, is especially valuable in the mass production of high-tech goods.

In the digital transformation era, color is no longer just a visual element —it forms part of user experience, brand identity, and consumer trust. Thanks to precise engineering, devices made worldwide look perfectly consistent in every hand.