Mishik Sharma

When we think of innovation in the renewable energy sector, the conversation almost always circles around energy generation (solar, wind, hydro, biomass) and storage technologies (batteries, hydrogen, pumped storage). This is natural — these are the visible, “glamorous” parts of the energy transition. But there is another sector, less glamorous yet just as critical, waiting to be reimagined: power transmission and distribution (T&D). Ordinarily, T&D is perceived as bland — just cables, poles, and transformers. But this perception hides the truth. T&D infrastructure is the circulatory system of the energy economy. It connects generation and storage plants — sometimes hundreds or thousands of kilometres away — to homes, offices, malls, transport hubs, logistics hubs, EV charging stations, and factories. Without robust and innovative T&D, even the most advanced generation and storage systems cannot deliver real impact. The Scope for Innovation India’s evolving T&D ecos...

For decades, the archetype of modern work has been the office. From American serials to Indian movies, the image of professionals working on computers inside cubicles has become the cultural shorthand for progress, prosperity, and aspiration. The office isn’t just a workplace — it was a symbol of arrival into the middle class, especially in India, where the IT boom of the 2000s gave rise to a whole generation of ‘techies’. But, by the 2030s, this image may no longer hold. Artificial Intelligence, propelled by massive investments, is threatening to make large swathes of office jobs redundant. In the first three quarters of 2025 alone, American AI startups have raised about $130 billion (+75% YoY), a record by a long stretch. They've promised to build increasingly advanced models and softwares, that will be applied across sectors — from finance to marketing to law. This wave of automation directly targets the quintessential office job: roles that rely on mostly computer-based tasks. ...

The recent Infosys share buyback has reignited debates around Indian IT’s long-term strategy. While buybacks boost valuations temporarily, critics have rightly contrasted Indian IT majors with their Western counterparts. Companies like Oracle, Microsoft, or Salesforce use financial engineering alongside innovation, whereas Indian IT often leans on financial maneuvers in place of sustained innovation. BusinessLine, among others, has highlighted this growing gap — and the criticism was overdue. But to understand what’s at stake, we need to go back to the history of one of India’s IT bellwethers — Wipro. Unlike Infosys, Wipro was not always a services-only company. It has a product-building DNA that it has all but abandoned. Wipro’s Legacy of Product-Building Wipro was an Indian pioneer in personal computing. In the 1980s, it made one of India’s earliest PCs, well before mass-market computing became common. In the 2000s and 2010s, Wipro used to make desktop and laptop PCs. Beyond IT serv...

In recent years, the Indian economy has been generating waves of innovation across multiple sectors. From e-commerce (especially quick-commerce and e-services) to real estate (especially industrial & logistics and flex spaces), from fintech (retail payments and micro-credit) to renewable energy (rooftop solar energy and green hydrogen), from chip design to electric vehicles (especially two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and SCVs) -- the list is long and growing fast. These innovations are not boutique or niche; they are India-scale—nation-sized markets where adoption runs in the tens of millions. What makes this story even more interesting is that these advances are not happening only through Indian companies. Indian subsidiaries of foreign multinationals are just as active in investing, experimenting, and scaling. The result is that India is steadily becoming a global player in industries as diverse as semiconductors, AI, critical minerals, shipping, tourism, aircraft MRO, and even def...

India’s technology landscape is on the threshold of a remarkable transformation, thanks to revolutionary DeepTech innovations like RF mesh networks. Originally best known for modernizing smart lighting and metering, RF mesh networks now promise to dramatically enhance live monitoring of climate, weather, disasters, and critical infrastructure across the subcontinent. RF Mesh Networks: How They Work and Why They Matter An RF mesh network is basically a network of hundreds or thousands of  sensors.  They're connected to each other via radio frequency.  Each sensor node relays data to its neighbours, forming a robust, decentralized network.  Instead of relying on cellular, satellite, or wired connectivity, RF mesh networks (which  use radio frequencies) can  thrive in places where connections need to be secure, reliable, and able to survive environmental disruptions. Recent Strides  Most recently, Comminent, an IoT communications startup focused on RF mes...

When we think of e-commerce in India, the mind usually goes to sales, discounts, and deliveries. But if one steps back and observes the broader potential, e-commerce companies are on the cusp of evolving from being mere sellers of products to becoming society-enhancers. They already hold vast digital reach, immense data on consumer preferences, and networks that penetrate deep into both metros and small towns. With such an ecosystem, they can do more than just deliver goods—they can help weave culture, convenience, and community into the digital economy. Festivals are the most natural starting point. Every festive season in India is not just about buying; it’s about rituals, gifting, food, and family gatherings. Here, e-commerce can step into a curatorial role. Instead of simply throwing random products onto a festive sale page, platforms can offer thoughtfully bundled kits—say, a Diwali home-prep pack that includes cleaning supplies, décor, sweets, and even diyas, or a Raksha Bandhan ...

In recent years, I’ve noticed a curious pattern across business media interviews: the inevitable question about IPO. Whether it’s a startup founder being grilled by a journalist or an investor waxing poetic about “partnering through to IPO,” the public listing seems to be treated as the natural culmination of entrepreneurial success. It’s as if IPO is not just a financial milestone—but a rite of passage. And the evidence is compelling. Urban Company’s blockbuster IPO a couple days back—India’s most oversubscribed listing of the year—saw its shares soar over 56% on debut. Before that, we witnessed strong public debuts from Zomato (2021), Nykaa (2021), Paytm (2021), and Delhivery (2022). Each of these IPOs marked a moment of transition: from startup hustle to institutional presence. This observation led me to a broader reflection: is going public truly the logical next step for every Indian company? And if so, why do some of India's most iconic firms—like Zoho, Haldiram’s, and even R...

The recent law enacted by the Parliament of India banning real-money gaming (RMG) apps has sparked a wave of closures and layoffs across the industry. On the surface, this looks like a bad economic decision—hundreds of jobs lost, businesses shuttered, and investors shaken. But as a sociologist, I see it differently. This may actually be a reset button — an opportunity for India to nurture healthier, more socially beneficial gaming ecosystems. Ending the RMG Trap RMG apps were essentially gambling platforms dressed up as entertainment. They encouraged reckless spending among the youth and cultivated habits of financial risk-taking that often spiraled into debt. Their disappearance, therefore, is not just a regulatory victory but also a social safeguard. Space for Mind-Enhancing Games The exit of RMG apps creates room for the growth of mind-enhancing games. We already know their appeal: crossword puzzles and sudoku are staples of every major Indian newspaper. Chess has produced global ch...

In a world racing towards the future, where technology reshapes every aspect of our lives, India is turning back the clock to its ancient roots—not to dwell in the past, but to propel the nation forward. Enter the Gyan Bharatam Mission (GBM), a groundbreaking initiative that blends heritage with high-tech innovation. Launched on September 13, 2025, this mission isn't just about dusty scrolls and forgotten scripts; it's about reclaiming India's intellectual legacy and sharing it with the world. If you've ever wondered how a 3rd-century manuscript featuring the symbol for 'zero' could inspire tomorrow's AI breakthroughs, read on. A Glimpse into India's Timeless Treasury India boasts the world's largest collection of manuscripts—estimated at over 5 million—making up a staggering repository of human knowledge. These aren't mere books; they're lifelines to ancient wisdom in philosophy, science, medicine, literature, mathematics, astrology, astrono...

The debate around Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in India often revolves around financial technology and monetary policy. But a CBDC will succeed only when it becomes part of a living economy — a space where people accept and use it meaningfully. India offers a unique opportunity to design such a space. The government can use CBDC not merely as another form of money, but as a tool to encourage good public habits and strengthen traditional livelihoods. Incentivising Good Public Habits A society runs smoother when its citizens follow good civic practices — using public transport, paying taxes on time, and participating in community-minded behaviour. These acts are already digitally recorded in various government systems: metro and bus passes are managed online, and tax payments are logged electronically. If the government links these verified acts with a CBDC-based reward system, then citizens who show responsible behaviour can automatically receive small amounts of CBDC in thei...

At the 65th SIAM Annual Convention, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari reiterated the themes he has been consistently championing: bringing down road accidents, reducing logistics costs, and transitioning towards clean mobility. These are all crucial objectives, and the automobile industry has been rightly asked to innovate on technology — safer vehicles, greener fuels, and more efficient systems. But there is a missing piece. Road accidents, logistics efficiency, and even the pace of clean mobility adoption are not just about vehicles — they are about people. Specifically, the millions of men and women who drive buses, trucks, taxis, autos, and e-rickshaws every single day. India already has the e-Shram portal for informal workers, with nearly 30 crore enrollments. It is a significant umbrella, linking unorganized workers to insurance and pension schemes. But it remains a general framework. Public vehicle drivers need something more specific — a dedicated national policy that recog...

Government of India's PM Internship Scheme (PMIS) pilot was ambitious on paper. 1 lakh internships were sought to be created, and more than 1.2 lakh internship positions were posted by the participating companies. But d espite big scope and even bigger posting numbers, the offtake was poor: recent government-reported figures show less than 10,000 joined — a rather large drop between offers and actual joiners. Reported reasons include location, internship duration, pursuit of higher studies, and inadequate financial support.  The PMIS stipend package is ₹5,000/month plus a one-time joining grant of ₹6,000. Official guidance says ₹500/month is expected from the partner company (CSR) and the remaining ₹4,500 is DBT by the government. Moving to another town costs more than a one-time ₹6,000: airfare/bus/train, deposit + first month’s rent, food, commuting. ₹5,000/month won’t reliably cover shared rent + meals in many industrial towns. That up-front and recurring cash gap is exactly whe...

Over the past few years, India’s tech headlines have rightly been dominated by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech, e-commerce, cloud services, data centres, and semiconductors. These are the areas where the government has launched large missions — from the IndiaAI Mission to the India Semiconductor Mission — and where venture capital and corporate investment is flowing. But amid all this excitement, one foundational area of technology has been largely ignored: operating systems. An operating system (OS) is the software that everything else runs on. Whether it is AI tools, e-commerce platforms, financial apps, or cybersecurity layers — all of them depend on the OS of the device. In this sense, OS software is as fundamental as semiconductors and data centres. Yet, India has had very little conversation, either in government circles or the news media, about building indigenous operating systems. The case for building Indian OS software India’s IT industry has historically bee...

One of the most reassuring signals for India’s economic and social future isn’t found in political commentary or international reports, but in something quieter: domestic venture funding. Each time successful entrepreneurs and institutions pool resources to fund and mentor smaller startups, they do more than provide capital—they create a culture of national reciprocity, empowerment, and resilience. Let's look at some notable trends. Founder-Led Funds: Giving Back to the Ecosystem Antler India: Antler India, co-founded by Rajiv Srivatsa and Nitin Sharma, closed its maiden INR 600 crore (~USD 75 million) pre-seed fund. This fund is one of the largest pools of venture capital dedicated to the company formation and pre-seed stage in India. Backed by over a dozen unicorn founders and institutional investors, Antler India has already committed to 45 investments across sectors like SaaS, FinTech, ConsumerTech, and emerging areas such as Generative AI and SpaceTech.   LC Nueva Inves...

When people around the world talk about e-commerce, they usually think of ordering goods, groceries, or food online. But Indian e-commerce companies are breaking that mold. They are innovating in ways not seen anywhere else, and their role is not just economic — it is social. The Trust Builder In the West, people often rely on directories or review-based platforms (like Yelp or Craigslist) to find services. But these depend heavily on self-reporting and user reviews, which can be unreliable. Indian e-commerce platforms go a step further — they aggregate, verify, and facilitate the entire transaction. Instead of just listing a service provider, they make the service trustworthy and deliverable. Empowering the Supply Side For years, local workers like electricians, tutors, car mechanics, and repair technicians were limited to word-of-mouth networks. E-commerce platforms now give them visibility and structured access to new markets. This doesn’t just increase their income; it raises the d...

Every summer, millions of Indian homes groan under the weight of both soaring temperatures and soaring electricity bills. Families switch on old ceiling fans, 15-year-old refrigerators, and outdated coolers — unaware that these appliances could be quietly draining thousands of rupees annually. In a country like India, where energy demand is rapidly rising and the middle class is growing aspirational but cost-conscious, there lies a powerful untapped solution — one that blends economic prudence, environmental logic, and social equity. It’s time India considered a National Electrical Appliance Exchange Scheme. The Problem We Don’t See India has made remarkable strides in renewable energy and lighting efficiency. The UJALA scheme, for instance, replaced hundreds of millions of incandescent and CFL bulbs with LED bulbs, saving households thousands of crores annually. But that’s low-hanging fruit. The real beast remains hidden in plain sight: our old household appliances. These include:- -R...

Across India’s business headlines in recent weeks, a clear pattern has emerged — and it’s not just economic, but sociological in nature. From real estate and automobiles to consumer durables and FMCG, there’s a surge in demand for premium and luxury products, while mass-market segments are either stagnating or in decline. This uneven pattern of consumption is not just a blip. It reveals a structural truth about the nature of India’s post-pandemic recovery: we are growing — but we are not growing equally. The biggest casualty of this divergence is not the very poor, as one might expect, but rather the lower middle class — a large and aspirational segment that is now economically squeezed, politically voiceless, and often policy-invisible. A K-Shaped Recovery in Plain Sight From multiple sectors, the signs are loud and consistent: -Luxury housing in metros is booming; affordable housing is seeing few new launches. -SUVs and premium cars are selling briskly; entry-level cars and two-wheel...