WISE Tech: SPJIMR's New Hub for Ethical Tech Entrepreneurship

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) unveiled today the Wise Innovation Studio for Emerging Technologies (WISE Tech).

WISE Tech will bring together a diverse group of innovators who have a shared interest in developing and responsibly deploying new technology-based solutions to create a net positive impact on our society and planet. The WISE Tech community includes rising tech entrepreneurs, emerging SPJIMR student and alumni entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, and investors; CSR leaders looking to leverage emerging tech for greater corporate impact; and academicians who work on responsible, sustainable and ethical aspects of innovation.

Sharing his thoughts on the launch of WISE Tech, Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR, noted, “Society’s grand challenges need innovative and entrepreneurial responses, but such innovation needs to be wise – done for the right reasons and in the right way. WISE Tech’s goal is to be the knowledge and community hub for all matters related to tech-based wise innovation and entrepreneurship.” 

WISE Tech will house the following initiatives:

Sunil Bhatia Start-up Resource Hub

The hub supports India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing networking and learning resources, bootcamps, workshops and various other resources for early-stage entrepreneurs. It hosts a vibrant community comprising mentors, investors, corporates, subject matter experts (SMEs), educators and founders, supported by an endowment from Sunil Bhatia, SPJIMR alumnus and former CEO of Infogain.

Accelerators

Two dedicated start-up accelerators champion wise innovation: ‘FinNovate’ for responsible finance and ‘EarthLab’ for sustainability-focused ventures. These accelerators admit around 30 start-ups annually and work closely with them to accelerate their growth and funding. This is achieved through a structured four-month programme consisting of CXO mentors, start-up curriculum, market access, and funding opportunities.

Entrepreneurship Fellowship

The entrepreneurship fellowship programme is designed for early-stage entrepreneurs who have not yet developed a viable product or acquired customers. Annually, we aim to select up to 10 promising entrepreneurs and guide them in transforming their ideas into viable start-ups that will generate a net positive impact on the economy, society and the environment.

Wise Innovation Conclave

A unique academic-practitioner conference drawn from a big tent of academic scholarship in sustainability-oriented innovation, responsible innovation, ethics, technology and society. The conclave brings together leading scholars, thoughtful chief innovation officers, chief sustainability officers and CSR officers seeking inspiration and insights on how to adapt their innovation processes to achieve ambitious triple-bottom line organisational goals.

Manoj Mohan, who previously led SPJIMR’s Centre for Financial Innovation, will now lead WISE Tech as its Executive Director. He will be supported by two eminent SPJIMR Executives in Residence: R. Ramanan, who formerly chaired the Atal Innovation Mission at NITI Aayog, and Haresh Chawla, a Partner at True North and one of the most influential commentators on India’s digital landscape.