What was initially deliberate as a fireplace chat between Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Madras and The Hindu Group CEO LV Navaneeth, on the two-day Deep Tech Summit 2026 organized by The Hindu Group with the SRM Institute of Science and Expertise (SRMIST), turned out to be a motivational session filled with vitality and optimism, inspiring technocrats, entrepreneurs, academicians and startups.
The session, titled “From Lab to Nation: How India Can Construct A International Deep Tech Ecosystem”, coated a large arc of time—from Professor Jhunjhunwala’s return to India within the Nineteen Eighties, the important thing rules behind the success of IIT Madras Analysis Park, do’s and don’ts of entrepreneurship, the necessity for options for on a regular basis issues, two sorts of mentorship for any startup, to many issues in between.
When requested what initially satisfied him that India wanted a totally completely different mannequin, Professor Jhunjhunwala recalled his return from the US in 1981 and the absence of interplay between {industry} and academia. Together with a bunch of scholars, he began constructing issues for the {industry}. “That was the start!” he mentioned.
And was the {industry} forthcoming? “I additionally understand that it’s a must to truly attain the highest particular person within the {industry}. They’ve the imaginative and prescient to take dangers. Should you go from under, you will be unable to try this,” he mentioned.
Curious in regards to the IIT Madras Analysis Park (IITMRP) mannequin, which is commonly cited as some of the profitable industry-academy collaboration fashions within the nation, Mr. Navaneeth sought to grasp the important thing rules behind its design and requested what lesson ought to different universities study from it.
“Initially, we checked out IIT Madras Analysis Park as a startup. Sure, you may take seed cash from someplace, however past that, a robust enterprise mannequin should drive that. So, past the seed cash, you aren’t going to get any grant. Past the seed cash, it’s a must to elevate cash by both enterprise capital or loans. For that, your marketing strategy must be very sturdy and the banks should be satisfied,” mentioned Professor Jhunjhunwala.
The opposite vital factor for such an institute, he added, was: “We can not have interference both from the federal government and even from the institute. As a result of the federal government does issues in its personal method. If you’re depending on authorities funding, they’ll, after all, intrude.” Even the institute has its personal priorities, he mentioned and emphasised: “Should you permit them to intrude, they’ll by no means help you construct.”
Professor Jhunjhunwala recalled how a newspaper article printed his quote, which helped him get his first examine of ₹1 lakh from the chairman of WS Industries. Arduous work of 1 yr led to constructing a prototype, he mentioned, and additional recalled how the chairman used the prototype to deliver down the associated fee and emphasised that it was the sort of acumen that enterprise leaders have.
On sustaining optimism, Professor Jhunjhunwala advised Mr. Navaneeth, “I in all probability will cease dwelling if I’m not an optimist. A variety of issues go flawed. I am very sad with many issues. At night time, I really feel horrible. Generally, I do not sleep. The subsequent morning, nevertheless, it’s a must to get again to your work and get going. And you can not work laborious with out optimism.”
Relating to real-world challenges, the professor cited how heavy rains affected vehicular site visitors on his technique to the summit. “And we have not discovered an answer. Who’s going to unravel this downside? It’s we who’ve to unravel it. So, at the moment I’m constructing a consortium of scientists across the nation, together with 8-10 startups. So, we are going to discover a expertise answer. That is a sort of factor that we have to do. I’m not afraid of failing.”
On entrepreneurship, Professor Jhunjhunwala mentioned he often asks startup lovers for his or her background. “Mainly, I ask them two issues. First, I begin attending to know them and their household and attempt to perceive their financial scenario and household obligations. I need to perceive whether or not they’re ready to take dangers. As a result of entrepreneurship is about threat. For a minimum of two to 3 years you’ll earn zero.”
The second factor he asks them is about their failures. “Inform me about your failures, and what did you do after failures? How do you stand up, overcome the failure and restart? As a result of entrepreneurship can also be about failures, getting up and restarting. I’ve not seen any startup succeeding with out two, three, 4, 5 failures.”
He advised Mr. Navaneeth, “There are two sorts of mentorship that any startup wants. One is a expertise mentorship, the place they’ve a technical downside to unravel, and the individuals in expertise might help them mentor that. The second is a enterprise mentorship. Anyone who has run a enterprise, primarily, who has gone by way of the difficulties of dealing with money flows.”
On mentorship, Professor Jhunjhunwala mentioned: “Your expertise, your listening to them, will assist. Be very clear. You aren’t going to inform them what to do. In actual fact, it will likely be silly in the event that they hearken to you and do precisely what you say. You’re a mentor. You’ll advise. It’s as much as them to resolve whether or not to take the recommendation or not. The opposite vital factor about is that the mentor does not really feel offended if their recommendation just isn’t taken.”
For the kids, he had this to share: “Take up the problem. Work laborious. That is what you may have been educated for. You are able to do wonders. Should you imagine, take the inconceivable issues and do this. That is what I’ll advise. Nothing greater than that. And be truthful to your self. You’ll get pleasure from life. Cash will come. Do not run after cash. That is what I’ll do!”
Revealed – April 06, 2026 10:56 pm IST