Prior to moving to Hungary and joining CEU Business School, he was the Senior Manager of Polytechnic Institute of New York University's Office of Innovation Development, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship.

His main research focus is in entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in the areas of clean technology innovation. He teaches courses on new venture development, social entrepreneurship, sustainability in business, India and south Asia, and business in a global city: New York City. He holds a PhD in Technology Management from Polytechnic Institute of New York University.

Specialties: Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Clean Technology Innovation, Global Innovation Strategy
 

1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived in Budapest during the summer of 2011 to join CEU Business School as an assistant professor. It was an exciting opportunity for me to pursue after having just completed my PhD in Technology Management from NYU-Poly, where I had also been working as the senior manager of the university's Office of Innovation Development, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Yes. I moved from India to the United States when I was 22. After having completed my bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Bombay, I went on to pursue a master’s degree in telecommunication networks from NYU-Poly in Brooklyn, New York.

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
On one of the first days I was here I looked up from the entrance of the temporary apartment my wife and I were staying in to see the Fisherman’s Bastion a stone’s throw away from us! That was the first surprise. The excellent wines have also been a pleasant surprise.

4. How did you and your family adapt to living in Hungary?
My wife and I picked one of the liveliest neighborhoods in the city center with the most cafes and restaurants. It was the closest we could possibly feel to Manhattan, where we moved here from.

5. What do you do at CEU?
I am an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and innovation management. I am also the faculty director of CEU InnovationsLab, a business incubator focused on providing learning opportunities for students, such as testing ideas for new ventures, research opportunities for faculty, and curriculum development.

6. What is your primary research area?
Entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, regional innovation systems, and clean technology innovation.

7. What courses are you teaching this semester?
Developing a New Venture, which takes place in the InnovationsLab,, a course on business in India and South Asia, and Business in a Global City: New York City.

8. What was the topic of your most recent publication?
My most recent publication was a case study called "Verdant Power: A Case of Ethical Leadership,” published in the Journal of Business Ethics Education (JBEE). It follows the story of a renewable energy company in New York City as it tries to commercialize its technology.

9. Who is the person who most inspires you professionally?
Hard to pick one. In general, people who are independent, freethinking, empathetic and creative inspire me.

10. How do you keep your class interesting and relevant?
I aim to involve my students as much as possible in the class discussions. I also encourage students to discuss among each other and come up with joint projects and presentations. I also try to use twitter, blogs and other social media platforms to make the class discussions free flowing and interactive.

11. Is it challenging to teach an international group of students?
I have been teaching international students ever since I was an adjunct instructor in the Department of Technology Management at NYU-Poly beginning in 2005. More than challenging, I think it is inspirational and a constant learning experience.

12. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
An artist or entrepreneur of some kind.

13. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Racecar driver. I hate to drive! I try to only live in cities that don’t require that I drive.

14. Red wine or white?
Both. And rose.

15. Book or movie?
Movie. My wife is a movie addict, so I’ve grown to be one too.

16. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Digital freedom and rights.

17. What would you say is your personal motto?
Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive - Elbert Hubbard
If you want to know the end, look at the beginning - African Proverb.