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Can India become a global innovation powerhouse?

As AI reshapes geopolitics, economic competitiveness, and national security, one question matters more than ever:

What must be true for India to create breakthrough technologies—not just consume them?

In this episode of Chai & Chips, I sit down with Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), to discuss how India can build a world-class innovation ecosystem.

We explore:

• Why innovation is a long-term game built on institutions, talent and patient capital
• The role of ANRF in accelerating India's research ecosystem
• Why India must become the world's R&D partner
• How industry, startups, universities and government can collaborate better
• Why research should be measured by impact—not just publications
• The importance of bold science and taking bigger research bets
• Why private sector investment in R&D must increase
• How GCCs can become engines for India's innovation economy
• What founders, researchers and students can do to engage with ANRF
• Dr. Shiv's vision for making India a global leader in AI and deep tech

If you're a founder, researcher, policymaker, investor, student, or simply curious about India's future in AI and deep tech, this conversation is for you.

️ Guest: Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

Subscribe to Chai & Chips for conversations on AI, Semiconductors and India's technology future.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction: can India create, not just consume, technology?

2:55 Where innovation really happens: turning humans into human capital

5:08 Why innovation drives competitiveness, sovereignty & the AI era

9:04 The talent-vs-frontier gap: efficiency over chasing the frontier

15:15 Speed vs. patient systems: AI for Science & collaboration

17:57 Private-sector R&D, GCCs & India as the world's R&D hub

26:31 Technology diffusion: not every Einstein becomes an Elon Musk

32:16 Building institutions for the long term (Bell Labs, DARPA)

34:46 Lightning Round

38:06 AI as an enabler & what must be true for India

42:27 Measuring impact & how to work with ANRF

50:41 India's vision for the next 10–15 years

Resources:

Find Dr Shiv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivkumar-kalyanaraman-1942451/

Find Prakash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-mallya/  

Find Dr Shiv on X: https://x.com/shivkuma_k

Find Prakash on X: https://x.com/PrakashMallya

Find Prakash on Substack: https://www.prakashmallya.com/s/chai-and-chips-podcast

Find Prakash on Medium: https://medium.com/@pmallya2411