India

A Primer for Indian Entrepreneurs: Reflections of Successful Founders and Investors

Hear from successful founders and investors in India's startup ecosystem as they share their insights into the country's startup landscape and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing hopeful entrepreneurs. This series is part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative.
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India – The Next Startup Nation? Summit

The Center for Emerging Markets held the second annual India summit: India – The Next Startup Nation?, on October 28, 2023, to explore India's vibrant startup ecosystem. The summit featured successful CEOs and founders of Indian startups, investors, policymakers, and academic experts who shared insights into India's current startup landscape and discussed how they forged their own paths to success. Attendees heard inspirational stories from founders of Indian unicorns such as Paytm and Snapdeal; founders of space exploration and healthcare startups; leaders of Indian venture capital, crowdfunding, and impact investment companies; and policymakers from the Government of India and the Gates Foundation. This event was part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative at the Center for Emerging Markets. Learn more.

India-U.S. Partnership for Innovation Summit

To mark the 75th anniversary of India's independence, the Center for Emerging Markets, in collaboration with the Consul General of India in New York, organized a day-long summit on the India-U.S. Partnership for Innovation on October 14th, 2022. The Summit was inaugurated by India's ambassador to the U.S., Hon. Taranjit S. Sandhya. Speakers included ministers, senior policymakers, and CEOs/Founders of Indian and US companies. They explored innovation in India in sectors ranging from water, renewable energy, and communications, to electronics, digital businesses, healthcare, and space exploration. This event was part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative at the Center for Emerging Markets. Learn more.


India Lecture Series

Launched in 2017, the Center for Emerging MarketsIndia Lecture Series is free and open to the public. It is now endowed and known as the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Lecture.

March 26, 2024

The Center for Emerging Markets welcomed Suresh Muthuswami, Chairman of North America for Tata Consultancy Services, for a fireside chat to discuss the promise of AI and other enterprise technologies in today's business world.

October 16, 2023

The Center for Emerging Markets welcomed Raj Subramaniam, President, CEO, and Director of FedEx Corporation, for a fireside chat to discuss how FedEx is making global supply chains smarter for everyone.

March 16, 2023

Vimal Kapur, President and newly appointed CEO of Honeywell, shared his thoughts on Honeywell's Global Strategy and High-Growth Emerging Markets.

May 2, 2022

Sam Pitroda, influential policymaker, inventor, and entrepreneur, reflected on his professional journey, culminating in his most recent book, “Redesign the World: A Global Call to Action”

October 7, 2021

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, discussed the status of the pandemic, what the WHO has done to mitigate its impact, and how to better prepare for the next pandemic.

February 8, 2021

Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India from 2014-2018, took stock of where the Indian economy stands following the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed whether the recent inward turn can help realize India's long-term potential.

October 20, 2020

Indra Nooyi, member of Amazon's Board of Directors and former CEO of PepsiCo, discussed her management philosophy and insights on the future of the corporation.

October 28, 2020

Viral V. Acharya, New York University C.V.Starr Professor of Economics and former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, discussed his recent book.

October 1, 2019

Ashutosh Varshney, Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies at Brown University, spoke about the achievements and deficits of Indian democracy

April 1, 2019

Dr. Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, reflected on the big challenges facing India and the global economy, based on his two recent books

November 13, 2018

Dr. Arjun Subramaniam, Air Vice Marshal, offered a strategic and historical perspective of India-China Relations through the lens of his recent book

October 18, 2018

Dr. Ramachandra Guha, a renowned author and historian, discussed Gandhi's impact on India and the world and the five fault lines he sees in contemporary India

April 4, 2018

Dr. Arvind Panagariya, former Senior Advisor to the Indian Prime Minister, provided a modern outlook for the Indian economy

April 27, 2017

Devesh Kapur, the Madan Lal Sobti Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, examined the role of Indians in America


Distinguished Speaker Series

Mr. Sri Bhara, GITAM University, President

Outlook for Higher Education in India

M. Sri Bharat, President of GITAM University, shared his thoughts on where higher education is headed in India and how GITAM is transforming itself with the goal of becoming one of the top global universities.


Nardone Family Seminar Series

Made possible by a gift from David R. Nardone, this seminar series brings scholars and practitioners to Northeastern University to share insights on emerging markets.

Jay Mulki

Ethics and Small-scale Business in India

Jay Mulki, Renfro Fellow and Associate Professor of Marketing, and Kim Eddleston, Schulze Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Montoni Research Fellow at Northeastern University,  examined the ethical practices of small family-owned businesses in India in light of the government's growing efforts to clean up business practices, curb tax fraud, and reduce ambiguity in business dealings.

How We Created India's Medical Devices Industry

DA Prasanna, Founding CEO of Wipro-GE Medical, shared his experiences building a medical technology industry in India over 40 years and discussed insights from his recent book, Innovate Locally to Win Globally (2023). 

Ganesh Krishnamoorthy

The Adani Controversy: Causes and Consequences

Ashish Chugh, a leading portfolio investor intimately familiar with publicly-listed Indian companies, and Ganesh Krishnamoorthy, a Northeastern University professor specializing in accounting, auditing, and corporate governance, discussed the merits of Hindenburg's claims against Adani Group's business practices, and what it means for corporate governance, the stock market, India's infrastructure growth, and the India brand.

Preet S. Aulakh

Coping with Global Institutional Change – A Tale of India's Textile and Pharmaceutical Industries

Preet S. Aulakh, Professor of Strategy and the Pierre Lassonde Chair in International Business at the Schulich School of Business, York University, discussed his recent book “Coping with Global Institutional Change – A Tale of India's Textile and Pharmaceutical Industries.”

Professor Partha S Mohanram, John H. Watson Chair in Value Investing

How an Accounting Professor runs an India Innovation Institute

Partha Mohanram, John H. Watson Chair in Value Investing and Director of the India Innovation Institute at the University of Toronto, discussed his India Innovation Journey and shared some thoughts on the role of academics centres in fostering development, peace and prosperity in South Asia.

headshot of William Miles

Reversing brain drain: Evidence from India, Israel and Morocco

William F.S. Miles, Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University, presented a comparative study of public and private efforts to attract the return or reengagement of high-value expats from three countries over the last four decades.


Faculty Feature

N. Prakash

Improving Socio-Economic Outcomes in India

Nishith Prakash, is a Professor of Public Policy and Economics at Northeastern University and Faculty Fellow of the Center for Emerging Markets. His research is contributing valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for improving public service delivery and human capital development in emerging markets.

Some of his current research projects examine the link between evidence-based research and policy implementation through the lens of policing in India, and human capacity building through alternate pedagogies including theatre of the oppressed techniques.