Strategic Innovation Labs

You don't have to be in a formal leadership position to influence change and improvement. Influence comes from building a shared purpose and anyone can do this! Let's say you’ve spotted a way to make things better, faster, or smoother at work. You know this change could really help, but when you bring it up, the team pushes back or doesn’t seem interested. ⚠️ It’s easy to get frustrated or try harder to win people over. But pushing hard usually backfires. ❗ So instead, shift your focus to shared purpose and cooperation. 👉Let’s take a common example: the weekly team meeting. 👉The problem: you see issues with meetings- they run over, lack focus, and don’t result in clear outcomes. Here's a suggested response to influence improvement... 1️⃣ Ask Questions That Spark Reflection Get your team to reflect on the current meeting process by asking: ❓ “How do you feel about our weekly meetings — are they a good use of our time?” ❓ “What parts of our meetings feel most productive, and what parts feel like a time drain?” ❓ “Do we always leave meetings knowing who’s doing what?” (This will get people thinking...) 2️⃣ Highlight shared goals. Link your idea to something the whole team values: ❓ “I know we all want to have more time for focused work. What if we could cut our meeting time in half and still get everything done?” (Now, the focus isn’t on your idea — it’s on solving a shared problem) 3️⃣ Invite Ideas and Feedback Rather than presenting a fixed solution, co-create it: ❓ "I've made a suggestion but that's just one option- what ideas do you have?” (When the team helps shape the solution, they’re more invested in making it work) 4️⃣ Start Small and Test Together Propose trying a small, low-risk change, taking into account all suggestions: ❓ “How about next week, we try a 30-minute meeting with a strict agenda and clear action points documented? We can see how it feels, adjust if needed, and then try out other ideas?" (Small tests reduce the fear of change and show that you value collaboration) 5️⃣ Celebrate Progress as a Team If the new approach works, recognize the team effort: ❗ “Our meeting was only 30 minutes, and we still got through everything! ❗ “It’s great to see us using our time more effectively. Let’s keep this going.” You could apply these 5 steps to influencing any kind of change or improvement....oh and don't forget to be prepared, use data and work on those communication skills! What do you think? Could you try this to help build your #influence skills? Do you have any tips from your own experience? Leave your comments below 🙏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. I have been noticing, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬—𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐡𝐃𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐰. According to a UNESCO report, while over two million research papers were published globally in 2022, less than 30% had any cited industrial or societal application. Similarly, in the U.S., an analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) reveals that only about 5% of patents filed by universities reach the commercialization stage. An increasing trend among academicians involves co-founding companies as a superficial indicator of market engagement. Registration alone is relatively inexpensive in many countries, and without substantial follow-through—market traction, talent acquisition, funding, or a public footprint—these entities may remain on paper only. A recent investigation revealed that several award-winning researchers, who claimed numerous corporate collaborations and company foundations, had little to no market visibility, casting doubt on the actual impact of these ventures. Many academics, unfortunately misuse resources. 𝐈𝐧𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬: 📌 Academia needs to prioritize real, industry-defined challenges rather than theoretical, manufactured problems. Direct engagement with industry experts, SMEs, and MSMEs can provide authentic, field-tested insights that are foundational for impactful research. Industry problems are keep changing thus academicians, startup fraternities have to update regularly through thoroughly ground level research, market survey and industry trends.📌 From problem identification to prototyping and commercialization, industry partners should be deeply involved. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬. 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬: 📌 Kalasalingam’s engineering faculty and students have partnered with small-scale industries to create low-cost solar and biomass energy solutions. 📌Chitkara University’s agribusiness program collaborates with small-scale food producers to enhance food storage and packaging solutions. 📌BAMU has collaborated with local agricultural industries and farmers to develop cost-effective soil health monitoring systems. #industryproblems #msme #patent

Transforming How We Think About Collaboration: The 'Collaborative Innovation' Approach 🪄 🎯 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Instead of seeking lowest-common-denominator agreement, start with a powerful vision that attracts committed changemakers. 👥 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Rather than "open door" meetings, carefully select participants to ensure the whole system is in the room — from grassroots to grasstops. 🔄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Move away from "develop-then-present" to working together in real-time, leveraging collective intelligence. ⚡️ 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Stop pushing for false harmony and start using differences as catalysts for innovation. ✨ 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 Build the strategy through action rather than endless planning sessions. What's powerful about this approach is how it transforms resistance and diversity into sources of innovation. It's not about getting everyone to agree — it's about weaving different perspectives into transformative interventions. Insights from Russ Gaskin, CoCreative and Ashoka's Leading Multi-stakeholder Collaborations course💡 🤔 How do you navigate the tension between inclusion and focused action in your collaborative work? #SystemicChange #Collaboration #Innovation #Leadership #CollectiveImpact

‼️The fastest way to kill a good IVD innovation is not bad science.It is a slow agreement‼️ In India, many promising diagnostic ideas do not fail inside the lab. They fail between the lab and the market. One institution wants publication priority. One company wants IP clarity. One hospital wants sample-use protection. One researcher wants credit. One manufacturer wants commercial certainty. All are valid concerns. But when every collaboration starts from a blank document, months are lost in negotiation before real work even begins. This is where India needs a very simple but powerful reform: Standard IP and collaboration templates for IVD innovation. Ready-to-use templates for: Confidentiality agreements. Material transfer agreements. Joint development agreements. IP ownership. Licensing rights. Revenue sharing. Publication timelines. Clinical sample access. Data-use boundaries. Commercialisation rights. This will not reduce seriousness. It will reduce confusion. Academia should know how its research will be protected. Research organisations should know how material and data will be used. Hospitals should know how patient samples and ethics approvals will be respected. Industry should know whether it has a clear path to validation, scale-up and market access. Innovation does not need more paperwork. It needs better paperwork. A standard template is not a shortcut. It is a trust architecture. If we want academia, research institutions and the IVD industry to collaborate faster, we must remove avoidable friction from the system. India has enough scientific talent. Now we need operating discipline. Because in diagnostics, speed matters. Not careless speed. But structured speed. The country that standardises collaboration will commercialise innovation faster. And the country that commercialises innovation faster will serve patients better. IVD innovation should not wait six months for the first draft of an agreement. It should begin with clarity from day one. 👉Please share your thoughts ? ‼️Repost if this insight helps‼️ #IVD #Diagnostics #MedTech #Innovation #AcademiaIndustryCollaboration #MakeInIndia #HealthcareInnovation ASSOCIATION OF DIAGNOSTICS MANUFACTURERS OF INDIA

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. Leader #1: "This is the direction. Everyone needs to be aligned by Friday. No exceptions." The team went silent. Then compliant. Then quietly hostile. Three weeks later, the initiative was sabotaged—not with rebellion, but with indifference. Leader #2, same resistance, different approach: "I've been thinking about our workflow. You've raised concerns I can't ignore. What am I missing? What if we piloted this with one team first and learned together?" The team leaned in. They shaped the solution. It thrived. 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭. 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. In several years of #coaching executives, I've learned this: 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. Research shows empowering leadership increases team learning by 18%, driving innovation through trust and autonomy. But here's what the data misses: 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒅. 𝑴𝒚 𝑰𝑵𝑽𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒊'𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔): I - Involve before you announce: "What am I not seeing?" N - Name the tension: Don't pretend resistance doesn't exist. V - Value their expertise: "You know this better than I do." I - Invite co-creation: "Let's build this together." T - Test with pilots: Small wins > big mandates. E - Enable ownership: They own it, they'll drive it. 🎯 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉: Authority gets you compliance for a week. Influence gets you commitment for a year. Most leaders confuse the two—and wonder why their best initiatives die quietly. 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖: Think of one initiative you're driving. Are you announcing it or co-creating it? Try this today: Ask "What am I missing?" Then actually listen. 𝘗.𝘚. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 → 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒆 - Subscribe on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/gi-u8ndJ #TheInnerEdge #Influence #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveDevelopment

India’s innovation challenge may not be about ideas - it may be about scale. Many technologies follow a similar journey: Discovery → Prototype → Validation → Scale-up → Deployment India is strong in the early stages of discovery and prototype development. But many promising technologies struggle during the transition to scale-up. This stage typically requires: • Pilot-scale infrastructure • Testing and certification facilities • Process engineering capability • Industry partnerships Without these, strong ideas can remain stuck at the prototype stage. This becomes visible through the technology compendiums released by Government department like #DSIR, Indian research & academic institutions such as #CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), #NRDC (National Research Development Corporation), Indian Institutes of Technology, Medical research institutes, and other laboratories showcasing hundreds of promising indigenous technologies. Yet the translation to industry remains limited. Available patent working disclosures suggest that only about 2–6% of patents in India show evidence of commercial use, highlighting the challenge of moving from invention to large-scale deployment. I often think of this as the “#ScaleupGap” in the innovation ecosystem, the space between laboratory success and industrial impact. Strengthening this “#MissingMiddle” could significantly accelerate: • Technology commercialization • Startup growth • MSME innovation • Industrial competitiveness India has the talent and ideas. Designing stronger pathways for #scaleup may be the next big step we need. 💬 Where do you think the biggest bottleneck lies when moving from prototype to commercialization? Image Courtesy: AI

🚀 Day 28 of 100 Days of Product Management: The Consultative Approach to Product Management in Industry 4.0 🚀 Hello LinkedIn community! Industry 4.0 is transforming how businesses design, develop, and deliver products. As advanced technologies like IoT, AI, Digital Twins, and Automation redefine industries, product managers must shift from traditional methods to a consultative approach—advising, collaborating, and co-creating solutions tailored to customer needs. ✍ Daily Insight: In Industry 4.0, customers are no longer just buyers—they are partners in innovation. A consultative product management approach focuses on deep engagement, solution-driven strategies, and continuous iteration to align with complex business challenges. ⭐ What Does a Consultative Product Management Approach Look Like? 1️⃣ Customer-Centric Discovery Move beyond basic requirements gathering; conduct in-depth consultations with customers. Understand their business goals, pain points, and how Industry 4.0 technologies can drive impact. Example: A manufacturing company adopting IoT-driven predictive maintenance benefits more from a consultative approach that tailors the solution to their specific equipment and operational needs. 2️⃣ Technology as an Enabler, Not a Feature Don't just sell technology; help customers unlock business value through AI, automation, and smart data. Guide customers in understanding what problems the technology solves rather than focusing on technical specs alone. Example: Instead of pitching an AI-powered supply chain tool, consult with customers on reducing downtime, optimizing logistics, and increasing operational efficiency. 3️⃣ Collaborative Solution Building Work closely with customers, engineers, and data scientists to co-create solutions. Use Digital Twins & AR/VR to simulate real-world applications before deployment. Example: A smart factory solution should be built in partnership with plant managers, IT teams, and operational leaders to ensure real-world applicability. 4️⃣ Continuous Value Delivery Adopt an iterative, data-driven approach—leveraging real-time customer insights to refine and evolve the product. Use customer data, IoT telemetry, and predictive analytics to offer proactive recommendations and drive continuous improvements. Example: A fleet management platform using AI-based routing optimization can be improved by actively consulting customers on traffic patterns, fuel efficiency, and real-time driver behavior insights. ⭐ Why This Matters for Product Managers 📌 Shift from “Feature Building” to “Solution Advising.” 📌 Develop long-term partnerships rather than transactional relationships. 📌 Make data-driven recommendations that shape customer success. How is Industry 4.0 influencing your approach to product management? Have you implemented a consultative product strategy? Share your thoughts! #Day28of100 #ProductManagement #Industry4 #ConsultativePM #AI #IoT #DigitalTransformation #100DaysOfProductManagement

Most medical AI tools fail to reach clinical use because developers overlook the complex commercialization process needed to scale validated algorithms into real-world care. 1️⃣ A new deep learning tool allowed nurses with no ultrasound training to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with 100% sensitivity and 97.8% specificity, using real-time probe guidance. 2️⃣ This proof-of-concept shows how AI could address workforce shortages and expand access to vascular imaging, especially in underserved areas. 3️⃣ But even accurate tools like this rarely reach patients unless developers align early with commercialization steps: funding, regulation, reimbursement, and guidelines. 4️⃣ Key challenges include the “funding valley” between academic validation and clinical deployment, as many grants stop before market entry. 5️⃣ Private investors look for scalable products with clear cost-benefit cases, especially in smaller markets like AAA where commercial potential must be justified. 6️⃣ Regulatory approval (e.g. via FDA 510(k)) requires that AI tools follow quality frameworks like Good ML Practice throughout development—not as a retrofit. 7️⃣ Reimbursement is often the rate-limiting step: most AI tools lack billing codes, so developers must engage early with payers and policy bodies to create viable payment models. 8️⃣ Integration into clinical guidelines (e.g. from SVS or USPSTF) is crucial for adoption but requires navigating conflicting recommendations and building consensus through evidence. 9️⃣ A successful case, Viz.ai, shows what’s required: a multidisciplinary team, regulatory strategy from day one, ISO certification, FDA clearance, payer engagement, and $290M in funding. 🔟 The paper calls on AI developers to embed commercialization strategy from the start—not as an afterthought—to move from promising research to scalable clinical impact. ✍🏻 Ben Li, Dylan Powell, Regent Lee. Commercialization of medical artificial intelligence technologies: challenges and opportunities. npj Digital Medicine. 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-01867-w

This marks an important step forward in how India supports innovation and it’s one I feel personally proud to be part of. I recently launched the first Open Call of the Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Fund through the Technology Development Board (TDB). At its core, this initiative is about changing the way we finance technology in India especially when it comes to taking high-potential, high risk ideas from the lab to the market. Over the last 11 years, under the clear and consistent leadership of Shri Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s science and technology ecosystem has seen a fundamental shift. Sectors once considered out of bounds, like space, nuclear technologies and other strategic areas have been opened to private participation. Innovators, startups, and industry are no longer on the sidelines, they are central to our national development story. The ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund, housed under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), reflects this evolution in thinking. It moves beyond traditional grant-based or CSR driven models and offers something far more enabling that is long-term, government backed financing that shares risk while demanding accountability. Through this first TDB window, we are supporting TRL 4 and above technologies with: • Funding of up to 50% of project cost • Collateral free loans, without personal or corporate guarantees • Concessional interest rates of 2-4% • Long tenures of up to 15 years, with moratorium provisions • A transparent, time bound evaluation and approval process What matters most to me is that this framework is designed not just to fund ideas, but to enable real world commercialisation, particularly in areas like AI, energy, and deep tech, where innovation is critical but financial risk is often a deterrent. The response to the first call has been extremely encouraging, with 191 proposals received, the majority from the private sector. This tells me that confidence in India’s innovation ecosystem is growing and that industry sees the government as a serious, reliable partner in technology led growth. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, science and technology have become powerful drivers of entrepreneurship, jobs, and economic transformation. The RDI Fund is a natural extension of that vision. I encourage innovators, startups, industry leaders, and investors across the country to engage actively with this initiative. Together, we can strengthen India’s indigenous technological capabilities and take confident steps toward a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Universities say they want more research commercialization — especially through new ventures. But the system they’ve built is doing the opposite. Over the last decade, I’ve watched countless promising research ventures struggle not because of the technology, talent, or market… …but because of university ownership structures that create friction, misalignment, and investor hesitancy. And the evidence is overwhelming: ⚠️ Most TTOs lose money ⚠️ University equity scares investors away ⚠️ Spin-out rates DROP when universities take ownership ⚠️ Europe has already admitted this publicly ⚠️ Founders (especially graduate students) are demotivated early ⚠️ Tacit knowledge cannot be licensed — it must be co-created If universities truly want more commercialization, they need to stop thinking like owners… …and start acting like enablers, catalysts, and trusted partners. That’s the core argument in my new piece: 👉 How University Equity is Undermining Venture-Based Commercialization https://lnkd.in/gW3e_prb? This isn’t about being anti-university. It’s about being pro-commercialization — and honest about what actually works. If we want more research-driven ventures, more regional economic impact, and more success for students and founders, we MUST rethink our default assumption that ownership = impact. Sometimes the best way to support innovation …is to get out of the way. Would love to hear perspectives from founders, investors, faculty, TTO leaders, and policymakers. This is a conversation the sector can no longer avoid.