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...