Drumlins Water Technology
Drumlins Water Technology is a spin-off company originated from Water Research Lab Banasthali Vidyapith. They provide smart water solutions for the communities at affordable price. They convert polluted water into tangible and valuable assets without utilizing excess water and electricity for operation. Drumlins Vision The utilization of existing water in more responsible and smart way is the major concern in day today [...]
An interview with Vinita Srivastava, Executive Director (Heritage) at Railway Board
John Hoffmire: You’ve had an interesting career that spans mechanical engineering, the transportation sector, and cultural preservation. That’s an unusual mix. I’d love to learn more about how that came about? Vinita: I don’t see it as such an unusual mix. I’ve always had a love for the Indian railroads. You see, a railway isn’t just tracks and trains. It’s the backbone of the [...]
An interview with Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant, Member, Corporate Strategic Management Team, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
John Hoffmire: You are an increasingly rare entity in management these days — you’ve stayed with the same company for nearly 20 years. Tell me about your work with Bharat Heavy Electricals and why you’ve felt comfortable staying there for so long. Sanghamitra: You are right, I’ve been with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for a long time. It is one of the country’s [...]
An Interview with Meghna Apparao, Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) Fellow, 2018
John Hoffmire: Since your time as a fellow at the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP), you’ve taken on new roles and responsibilities as a leader of brand awareness and customer experience. I’d love to hear more about that? Meghna: I came to Oxford in 2018 as part of the CRISP program at St. Cross College. I had been working with [...]
An interview with Shilpa Pandit, Associate Professor of Psychology and Co-Founder of Dreampath Foundation (which works with adolescents and youth as they navigate their careers)
John Hoffmire: When I first met you in 2018, I remember being impressed by three things: 1) You seemed like a very wise soul – like someone full of hard-earned wisdom; 2) You radiated joy and fun – happiness just spilled out of you; and, 3) You’ve worked in such a wide variety of ways and means to make the world a better [...]
An interview with Michael Jayawardana, Assistant General Manager at Mitsubishi Corporation, Sri Lanka
John Hoffmire: When you were a fellow of the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) at Oxford a few years ago, we spent a lot of time talking about entrepreneurship. You’ve taken those concepts in an important direction as an intrapreneur – behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization. Please tell me more about that. Michael: Being a part [...]
An interview with Reena Dayal, founder and CEO of Benzaiten Advisors, and Chair at Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of India
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 to know more about all of this. Reena: Thank [...]
An interview with Basava Purushottam, Private Secretary to Union Minister of Education, Government of India
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 the Government of India. Please catch me up [...]
An Interview with Chevening CRISP alum – Siddharth Banerjee, Managing Director, Pearson India & Asia
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 I came to Oxford in 2013 [...]
Good News: Schools go solar as India’s West Bengal state reaches for green goals
Until two years ago, all 12-year-old Sapan Majhi knew about solar power was what he read in his science book. Now he gets to see it in action nearly every day, after his school was fitted with rooftop panels that generate clean electricity. The solar energy system powers the whole school for 1,600 students in the remote town of Kakdwip in West [...]
An interview with Rajesh Parishwad, External Relationships Manager, India at the Royal Society of Chemistry
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, in London, by a [...]
An interview with Shyam Menon, Partner and Co-Founder at Bharat Innovation Fund and Infuse Ventures, and Chief Growth Officer at CIIE.CO.
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 startup in Ann Arbor, Michigan when I [...]
