John Hoffmire: I understand that you have been a strong advocate and promoter of the field of quantum computing in India, that you have a new position as Chair at Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of India, and that you founded a startup focused on innovation management and future tech consulting, called Benzaiten Advisors. I’d love
John Hoffmire: I met you when you were a scholar in the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) at Oxford in 2016. If I remember right, you were creating a plan for a more effective cruise industry in India at the time. I believe that was the assignment you had taken on for
John Hoffmire: Big congratulations, Siddharth, on your recent appointment as the Managing Director for Pearson-India & Asia. It has been a few years since you were a CRISP (Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme) Fellow at Oxford in 2013. Tell us what you have been up to over the years.
Siddharth: Thank you, John. When
John Hoffmire: I first met you in Oxford in 2018 when you were a Chevening CRISP Scholar. You were working for the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and I thought that was a UK-based organization. You taught me otherwise.
Rajesh: It certainly had its beginnings in England. We were founded as The Chemical Society of London in 1841,
John Hoffmire: Like so many CRISP scholars, you’ve had an interesting journey including everything from being a research engineer to managing two successful venture capital funds you co-founded. Tell me how your career has taken shape.
Shyam: For me personally, it began back in 2001 when I got an opportunity to be part of a nanomaterials
John Hoffmire: You are the founder of Sanshodhan An E-Waste Exchange, an emerging company working for e-waste management and the development of zero waste businesses and organizations. You also founded Global Institute for Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Goals (ICE&SDGs), the NGO. Tell me how this came about?
Shalini: It goes back to January 2017,
John Hoffmire: You are a principal scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, which is known for its excellence in scientific research in chemistry and chemical engineering. Tell me about the work you do there, if you will.
Nitin: The saying, “Do what you’ll love, and you’ll never work another day in your life” definitely
John Hoffmire: In the three years since I met you as a fellow of the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) at Oxford University, you created and have steered SR Innovation Exchange (SRiX) to a level where you are receiving international recognition. Please tell me more about that.
Sreedevi: I explain it this way:
John Hoffmire: I’ve been on trains in India but I still can’t fathom the scale of what you must manage as the Group General Manager at the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). Tell me more about what you do.
Sachin: The Government of India has entrusted DFCCIL with construction, maintenance and operation of
John Hoffmire: One of the things that always impresses me when I sit down with a CRISP scholar is the interdisciplinary learning that each of you have engaged in. You are no exception. You’ve gone from a Bachelor of Engineering, to printing technology and graphic communication, technology management, Indology and Buddhist studies. Then on to consulting
John Hoffmire: Kamesh, you are a man who wears lots of hats. Tell me about your many responsibilities at Tata.
Kamesh: As a Senior Vice President, Strategic Collaborations and Programs in the Group Technology and Innovation Office of Tata Sons, my job is to create and deliver strategic collaborations and new technology programs for global impact.
John Hoffmire: When I met you in Oxford two years ago, if I remember right, you were working on providing safer drinking water throughout India. Is that still one of your priorities?
Suphiya: You remember right. In India, as in many other parts of the world, water scarcity is considered a major crisis in the 21st
More youth from the Northern Province are turning to innovative startups under the initiative of Yarl IT Hub (YIT), originally set up in 2013.
They are made competitive via the Yarl Geek Challenge Accelerator which runs for six months for a selected cohort of early-stage startups twice a year.
During these six months, the startups will be
Throughout the developed world, the rise of cell phones as a way to communicate and stay connected has been a potent force in economic and social change. New devices and more connectivity have changed not only the business landscape, but also the way we interact with our friends, families, and relations. While many assume this change has been limited to
The human instinct for trade has deep historical roots, but its economic, social and political importance has risen in recent times due to industrialisation, technological advance and globalisation. In fact, there is evidence that our Cro-Magnon ancestors engaged in trade and moved from barter for their immediate use to trade for resale. The shift by
The last season of “Downton Abbey” has just finished airing the U.S., and a significant portion of the populace is once again caught up in the fortunes and misfortunes of the Earl of Grantham and his household, both above- and below-stairs. Why are we so interested?
To give it its due, the cast is phenomenal, the production values are
Finding opportunities and sorting them out from grand possibilities is what Mo Ibrahim has done throughout his lifetime. However, in attempting to change the perceptions of an entire continent, Ibrahim has elevated the scale of his ambitions to a different realm altogether.
A natural disaster like a deadly epidemic inflicts tremendous loss of life but does not damage roads, buildings, or the countries material infrastructure. What it does damage is the social infrastructure like government, the economy and businesses. The good news is that those institutions can be revived and even strengthened despite the loss of human
Ebola has been in the news. But much of the news has not offered background information about the disease.
The world may be facing the worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Oct. 15, there have been 8,376 cases and 4,024 people have died. These figures are
Regardless of all operational, strategic and management factors, staff productivity can make or break a business. Recruitment and training are thus fundamental to any CEO’s efforts to ensure or improve worker output. Still, many firms struggle in these areas, and many others wonder what more can be done. Employee ownership is a complement to recruitment
