About the Department
Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It hosts teams working with various government initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, AGNii, and PMG.
Position Overview: We are seeking experienced and dynamic leaders to lead Invest India’s startup and related investment initiatives aimed at fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and supporting entrepreneurship on both local and global scales. The ideal candidate will be someone with deep knowledge of technology and its application. Ability to think beyond the, a proven track record in startup ecosystem development, program management, and stakeholder engagement. As a key pivotal member of the team, you will play a leading role in shaping the future of investment initiatives, nurturing startups, and contributing to the overall economic advancement of the country.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for the investment & incubation / acceleration for start-ups, aligned with the government's innovation and economic growth objectives. Work towards building a comprehensive strategic framework between Academia, Industry and Government for the overall startup ecosystem. Build and design a nationwide network of aligned academic incubators and accelerators to enable a globally high impact ecosystem and innovations. Collaborate with relevant government agencies, industry partners, and relevant ecosystem stakeholders to align strategies and secure necessary resources.
- Build and scale sectoral startup ecosystems: Create sectoral startup strategies aligned to National growth sectors. Build and scale startup ecosystems at a sectoral level to drive investments and innovation into priority sectors bringing the entire value chain for scale. The focused sectors for this role may be in the areas of Industry 4.0, BFSI, LSEM, IT Hardware, Telecom & Networking, Automotive, EV, Steel, Process Industry. Identify the bottlenecks for global competitiveness and work towards collaboration with the ecosystem constituents both locally and globally to identify new business models and innovation. The candidate will be responsible for managing programs focused on these sectors promoting investments that supports both foreign and domestic startups and innovations.
- Emerging technologies Startup strategy: To keep India at the forefront of new technologies and trends, create a focus strategy for startups between academia, ecosystem and industry on the new emerging technologies as Generative AI, Quantum Computing, EV, security, etc. Foster a culture of translating academia works to product and technology leadership. Create a framework for building facilities for product prototyping and validation to foster hardware and deep tech startups in collaboration with industry and academia. This would include expanding collaboration globally with global Deep Tech startup ecosystems and foster cross border collaboration in innovations.
- IP growth and commercialization: Drive programs to enable startups for IP harvesting and work with academia on a comprehensive plan on potential of commercialization of IP.
- Program Development and Management: Design and oversee the incubation and investment programs, including mentorship, workshops, bootcamps, build funding opportunities, and networking events, aimed at nurturing startups' growth. Monitor and continuously refine program to ensure relevance and alignment with industry trends and emerging technologies.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with government officials, industry leaders, venture capitalists, angel investors, and academia to foster a supportive ecosystem for startups.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's and Master’s degree in Technology from reputed institutions along with a sound Business and Entrepreneurship acumen.15+ years of industry experience with proven experience in startup ecosystem development, accelerator program management, a strong network with the ecosystem and investors. Strong understanding of global startup trends, innovation ecosystems, and emerging technologies. A strong understanding of building ecosystems preferred.
- Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders. Track record of successfully scaling initiatives and driving impactful results. Experience in navigating government processes and collaborating with public sector entities is a plus. Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, adapt to changing priorities, and lead a cross-functional team.