CBI Newsletter

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Editor’s Note

Dear ISB Community,

Welcome to this latest edition of our newsletter. In this edition, we present a focused set of insights on how digital innovation is transforming work models, agricultural ecosystems, public service delivery, and cultural management.

Our case on GigVistas offers a new lens on sustainable gig platforms. The Forbes India article explores how integrated agri-platforms can drive farmer incomes through network effects. The main highlight of this quarter has been the launch of the inaugural edition of the Marketing Strategy Journal with contributions from global leaders like Phil Kotler, George Day, V Kumar, and many more.

Through our Learning Tables on agritech, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and India's semiconductor ecosystem, we engaged with a diverse set of experts to chart future pathways for collaboration. Events like the Plugin Alliance member meet and our webinar on experiential tourism reflect CBI’s effort to connect innovation with strategy and inclusive growth.

Our FinSpark conversations this quarter brought out rich insights, from Monica Millares on building trust through purpose-led fintech innovation, to Ray Ruga’s call for policy-first approaches in driving real-time, inclusive payment systems.

Thank you for joining us in this pursuit of actionable, market-driven innovation. We look forward to your participation in our upcoming learning tables and networking opportunities.

Best regards, 
Prof. Rajendra Srivastava 
Executive Director, Centre for Business Innovation 
Indian School of Business

The Centre for Business Innovation (CBI) is pleased to present a curated set of insights highlighting how digital innovation is transforming sectors such as work, agriculture, governance, and cultural management. These contributions reflect CBI’s commitment to studying and sharing real-world applications of market-driven innovation.

A recent case study titled “GigVistas: Understanding Gig Models Beyond the Business Canvas”, co-authored by Rajendra Srivastava, Sreenath Kanugovi, and Samriddhi Mukherjee, and published by Harvard Business Impact, explores how GigVistas is redesigning freelance work.

In the agri-tech domain, the article “Can a Single AgriPlatform Multiply Farmers’ Incomes Through the Network Effect?” featured in Forbes India, examines how digital platforms can increase farmer incomes through scale, integration, and smart partnerships, offering a roadmap for digital transformation in agriculture.

On the cultural front, “Technology and the Kumbh Mela: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Tradition” (published in Marksmen Daily) captures how technology is being used for managing crowd flows, safety, and service delivery at one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.

In governance, the EENADU editorial titled “WhatsApp Governance: Offering Public Services in Andhra Pradesh” highlights how a simple messaging platform is enabling responsive, real-time public service delivery, making citizen access faster and more transparent.

Together, these cases and articles showcase CBI’s focus on actionable research and impactful narratives that bridge technology, business strategy, and inclusive development

The ISB CBI organized a team retreat on 16th April at Kanha Shanti Vanam, with the objective of fostering team cohesion and providing an opportunity for rejuvenation. The day began with a series of team-building activities designed to enhance coordination, collaboration, and mutual support among team members. Participants also engaged in a guided yoga session, promoting mindfulness and well-being, followed by a nutritious vegetarian lunch in a serene setting.

In the afternoon, the team embarked on a guided tour of the Kanha Shanti Vanam campus via buggy rides. The tranquil environment, lush greenery, and thoughtfully placed statues with inspirational quotations offered a reflective and enriching experience. The retreat concluded on a positive note, reinforcing the importance of teamwork, shared purpose, and collective growth within the organization.

The Plugin Alliance Member Meet, hosted on 23rd April, at the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay, brought together top minds from industry and the startup ecosystem to explore the future of industrial and enterprise tech innovation. The event featured an impactful panel discussion with senior leaders from ITC Limited, Marico Limited, and the Mahindra Group, who shared strategic insights on scaling startup solutions within large organisations. The conversation emphasized that driving value through technology requires a sharp focus on solving business problems rather than showcasing complex tech. Simplification was identified as a critical factor in accelerating adoption, while Proofs of Concept (POCs) were acknowledged as only the beginning; true success is measured through scalable, long-term impact.

The session also spotlighted deep-tech innovations from emerging startups. Mowito showcased its AI-powered vision software designed for robotic arms in complex environments, demonstrating the practical application of advanced automation. Other promising ventures from the SINE ecosystem, including Zwilling Labs Pvt Ltd, SustLabs, and Living Things, also presented their cutting-edge solutions. The event highlighted the value of cross-sector collaboration in enabling enterprise transformation, reaffirming Plugin Alliance’s role as a bridge between startups, corporates, and academia. The ISB CBI acknowledges this as a forward-looking initiative and looks forward to future engagements that fuel industrial innovation. Events like these reflect the growing momentum in India's startup landscape and the power of collective action in shaping the future of work and technology.

As part of our ongoing innovation dialogue series, ISB CBI hosted a webinar on 9th May, featuring Bhavik Sheth, COO of Evoke Experiences. Bhavik shared how immersive travel experiences are crafted by blending heritage, storytelling, and community involvement, drawing from examples like Rann Utsav. The discussion highlighted the power of co-creation with local communities, the role of art and performance in tourism, and the importance of public-private partnerships in scaling such initiatives. The session offered a compelling vision for sustainable, culturally rooted tourism models, insights we aim to build on through upcoming projects in the Deccan and Hampi regions.

On 19th May, ISB CBI hosted an engaging episode of FinSpark featuring Monica Millares, renowned Fintech Strategist and Former CPO of BigPay. Monica shared her insights on the purpose-led innovation at BigPay by prioritizing features that advanced financial inclusion, helped reduce acquisition costs and build long-term trust. She introduced a practical four-step framework for fintech innovation: identify user pain points, assess profitability, understand regulatory constraints, and launch a "minimum lovable" product. Tailoring this model to local contexts like India’s UPI and credit systems can accelerate success. Monica also highlighted the importance of shifting focus from user growth to usage patterns, sharing how BigPay reignited momentum through reward-linked spending. Her closing message emphasized that constraints could become powerful design tools.

On 3rd June, ISB CBI hosted a FinSpark episode with Ray Ruga, Co-founder of Fintech Americas. Drawing from Brazil’s Pix and India’s UPI, Ray emphasized how policy-led, zero-fee, real-time payment systems have driven massive financial inclusion, far more effectively than market-driven models.

He highlighted how affordable smartphones and QR tech empowered small vendors to bypass traditional banking barriers. Ray also advocated for agile, adaptive tech teams and measuring success by real user engagement, not project completion.

His closing insight was “I used to think banks would lead the transformation. Now, I know it starts with policymakers.”

Held at the Hyderabad campus, this learning table by, in collaboration with Samunnati, convened key stakeholders to discuss how can empower Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). With over 85% of India's farmers being smallholders, the event emphasized the need for affordable, scalable, and hyperlocal technologies. Discussions highlighted gaps in FPO leadership, low tech adoption, and missing market linkages. Models like Sahyadri Farms and innovations such as drone-as-a-service, soil testing platforms, and the Triple-R (Right Time, Right Activity, Right Place) approach were shared as successful examples.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like Telangana’s ADeX was seen as vital, though concerns remain around data access, literacy, and privacy. Policymakers and industry leaders called for ecosystem collaboration, leadership development, and functional aggregation models. Key recommendations included launching pilot programs, upskilling FPO CEOs, and fostering data-sharing frameworks. The event marked a shift toward action-driven partnerships for building inclusive, tech-enabled agri ecosystems. As Prof. Rajendra Srivastava stated, “It is not dominance that drives transformation, it is collaboration.”

This Learning Table, held on 14th June, by ISB CBI brought together senior leaders from Global Capability Centres (GCCs), government, and academia to reimagine the role of GCCs as strategic value creators. Discussions underscored a bold shift from cost-arbitrage models to innovation-led growth, with Hyderabad now emerging as a leading GCC hub. Leaders called for evolving performance metrics such as moving from headcount and cost to innovation outcomes, time-to-market, and product ownership. The dialogue emphasized the need for GCC leaders to drive product innovation and strategy locally, while encouraging headquarters to recognize and support India centres as global growth drivers.

Ecosystem support and policy enablement were identified as critical success factors, with Telangana’s efforts in curriculum reforms, regulatory ease, and CoE infrastructure receiving special mention. Collaboration between industry, academia, and startups is accelerating capability building. Actionable directions included redefining KPIs, grooming strategic leadership, strengthening headquarter engagement, and scaling innovation through open platforms. The forum closed with a collective call for continued cross-industry collaboration, signalling India’s GCCs are at an inflection point, ready to lead global innovation from the frontlines.

This Learning Table on India's Semiconductor Ecosystem, held on 16th June 2025, brought together senior government officials, leading academicians, and industry leaders to discuss India’s path to becoming a global semiconductor powerhouse. Eminent participants included Shri B. Sundar (Special Secretary, ITE&C, Govt of Andhra Pradesh), Shri S.K. Sharma (Director, Electronics, Govt of Telangana), and Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar (IIT Delhi, Former UGC Chairman). Industry voices like Sanjay Churiwala (VP, AMD), Sri Lakshmi Simhadri (MD & CEO, MosChip), and Narendra Korlepara (VP, Synopsys) highlighted critical barriers including talent attrition, startup scalability, and funding hurdles in India’s deep-tech landscape.

The session underscored the urgent need for strategic academia-industry collaborations, recommending co-created curricula, faculty interactions with industry, student exposure to live projects, and broader engagement with tier 2/3 colleges. The dialogue also emphasized enabling policies, mentorship networks, and the creation of success stories to inspire talent and attract investors. The Learning Table set the stage for actionable next steps i.e. developing a white paper, forming research groups, and curating future forums that will transform India’s semiconductor ambitions into a sustained innovation-driven reality.

LATITUDe, a 12-week leadership program, will be launched on 19th Sep 2025 by ISB CBI and ANSR to empower GCC leaders to evolve from operational managers to enterprise strategists.

The Family Business Report will be launched in collaboration with the Thomas Schmidheiny Centre for Family Enterprise, profiling innovation in 20+ Indian family-led businesses.