A Product Nation Innovation Leap
We help building an innovative bridge between Industry & Academia
Overview
- Netra Accelerator Foundation is a Non-Profit organization founded in year 2020 in the city of Hubballi in Karnataka State.
- Objective of Netra has been to transform engineering campuses into Product Innovation Centers (EPIC) through industry partnerships.
- To drive this aim, Netra has created a thoughtful, proven execution model under “A Product Nation Innovation Leap” which has been branded as APNILeap.
- APNILeap helps build an ecosystem of academia, startups, and industries on campus using the APNILeap Playbook.
- Under APNILeap, there is another foundational program called VidyaLeap that helps establish initial engagements with engineering colleges and drive product/project activities on campus.
- APNILeap has been innovating this model continuously for several years and has now become an implementable and scalable model, gaining acceptance from academia and support from many industries.
Netra Accelerator Foundation
APNILeap
VidyaLeap
Beneficiaries / Stakeholders
Academia
Students + Faculties
Product Based Ecosystem
Quality Placements/ Startups Creation
Industries
Product Base
Product Development
Research Collaboration
Startups
Business
Business Support
Funding Support
Why
India needs a Product Nation Innovation Leap
Global pressures and local demands leave India with one choice: make the innovation leap
India’s Global Innovation (GIIN) Rankings
India ranks significantly low #39 on the Global Innovation Index (GIIN) despite being a top 5 economy, reflecting underperformance in innovation capability compared to peers.
Need for Transition to Product Nation mindset
India must shift from a service-oriented mindset to a product-mindset to develop indigenous products and sustainable innovation ecosystems.
Economic and Social Benefits of Innovation Leap
A product-driven innovation leap will create industry-ready talent, world-class products, strengthen the economy, and enhance global competitiveness.
What
Is The Missing Link - IAC
IAC : Industry–Academia Collaboration drives the Product Nation journey and boosts GIIN rankings
Driving Innovation through
Industry-Academia Collaboration
IAC is vital for national innovation, delivering industry-ready talent and world-class products by bridging the gaps between academia and industry including startups
Mutual Benefits for Industry and Academia
IAC fosters applied research and skilled graduates for academia, while providing industry access to cutting-edge technologies and accelerating innovation outcomes
Global Success Stories of IAC
Domestic examples like LABnin App, Snaptrude and global successes like Google, Lithium Batteries, Car Seatbelts, Hepatitis B vaccine – by products of applied academic research
Challenges in India
IAC Ecosystem Model
Note: In India there are very few role models for IAC – with some exceptions like leading Medical Colleges, IITM, IITB, KLE Tech
Challenges and Impact
Systemic issues: Lack of alignment, lack of knowledge transfer and Poor collaboration
Creating a Valley of Death of failed joint-research projects that hinder the nation’s goal to become a product-driven economy.
Impacting innovation output: India ranks 86th globally in Industry-Academia collaboration.
The Valley of Death
- The missing link isn’t talent or ideas
- It’s the culture and ability to collaborate within the ecosystem
- Without it, academic innovations stall before reaching industry or consumers
Valley of death reprinted and adapted from Chirazi, Wanieck, Fayemi, Zollfrank, & Jacobs, 2019, under CC By 4.0 license
Solution
The Bridge across Valley of Death
- ApniLeap fills the missing link
- Providing the strategy and operating model needed to move applied research from labs to industry
Valley of death reprinted and adapted from Chirazi, Wanieck, Fayemi, Zollfrank, & Jacobs, 2019, under CC By 4.0 license ApniLeap is a part of Netra Accelerator Foundation, a non-profit with 80G and other relevant certifications
ApniLeap Operating Model and Governance
Build shared goals, strategy and research collaboration through a Hub-and-Spoke operating model
Note: Off-campus Central Hub (not shown) managed by Netra Accelerator Foundation
- Support applied research and development by
- Fostering an innovation mindset in students
- While enabling scalable collaboration between academia & industry
- Align institutional strategy & goals with industry and startups
- Academic institutions, faculty, students, startups and industry partners have defined roles
- ApniLeap Campus Center governance by a Board comprising representatives from the Institution, Industry, Academia and ApniLeap
- Drive change from within – ApniLeap Centers on campuses
- Managed by PoPs: Professor of Practice and Students
- Supported by the ApniLeap Central-Hub providing IP, frameworks, and engagement models for effective collaboration
What we do (and don’t)
What we bring to the table
Experienced Hub Team, Subject Matter Experts
- Central Hub faculty for student Programs, Courses
- Research programs support, Monitoring reporting team
- CSR, Fundraising team
- Subject matter experts:Change mgmt., Techn,Industry
Programs, Workshops and Credit Courses
- VidyaLeap InternshipProgram
- Courses: Engineering Exploration, Social Innovation
- Change mgmt. workshops
- Vision, Strategy & Roadmap Workshops
Best Practices, Tools and Process Templates
- Industry Pilot Project SOWs
- Exec PhD template
- Faculty Industry internship approach
- Student Club –
Research and Mgmt - Impact assessment
and reporting
In Campus, Execution & Governance Support
- Help Joint Event Hosting, fundraising
- Industry/Startup Outreach
- ApniLeap Center PoP hiring, goals /incentives
- Ensuring research and reputation outcomes
- Share Best practices
Success Story & Inspiration
Built on two decades of KLE Tech–Sankalp collaboration, ApniLeap scales the IAC model for the next wave of innovation.
- 150+ Startups over last 20 years
- Deep partnerships with industry
- 2025: Top 2 awards in the National Chip Design Contest – Samsung (3ʳᵈ prize IITM)
- 2018: Only Indian College in MIT’s Top 5 colleges to watch for future leadership in Engineering
- First startup in BVB-KLE Tech 2006
- First to cross INR 100 Crore revenue
- Only semiconductor co. in India to receive Red Herring Top 100 in the world award
- Successful exit to HCL Tech in 2019
- Inspired multiple startups in KLE Tech/ Hubli
ApniLeap: Informed by global industry and institution partners
Our models, courses, and playbooks draw on partnerships with leading universities, industries,and startups worldwide, driving talent development and value creation
Purdue: Social Innovation course
VT: Engineering Exploration course
Olin: SOW, Use case framework
NVidia: Applied Research projects
Bosch: Exec MS Programs
How
We Make Change Happen
ApniLeap has distilled 20 years of KLE Tech–Sankalp success into a five-stage roadmap to help industry and academia accelerate their IAC model.
Time
1. Engage
2. Enable
3. Ecosystem
4. Integrate
5. Innovate
6. Invent
Contribution to Product Nation Mission →
Institution Stages
- BVB-KLE Tech Today
Note: Success Metrics include ApniLeap Center launch, student placements, patents filed, product market entries, and national recognition to track collaboration progress effectively.
How we help Industry & Startups to Engage
We help implement collaboration models for the industry and startups in four broad areas to develop innovative talent and accelerate research projects that create real business value
Revised / New Courses
Strong Vertical
Faculty Training / Workshops
Student Projects
- Minor Projects(VI SEM)
- Capstone Projects
Co-mentored
Internships
Faculty Capability building
Deeper Insight into / Technologies/ Industry practice
Collaborative Research Groups
Centre of Excellences
What we need from Industry and Academia
Expectations from Industry
- Make IAC a Top 3 R&D priority
- Identify 4-5 academic institutions
- Incentivize R&D team to participate
- Award joint-research patents, Phd’s
- Commit to deeper engagement with academia in curriculum and small, med.complex joint research projects
Expectations from Academia
- Make IAC a Top 3 institution priority
- Identify 2-3 joint-research priorities
- Create ApniLeap Center in Campus
- Incentivize Faculty for IAC
- Commit to deeper engagement with Industry and Startups through talent, infrastructure and leadership time
Strategic Partnerships
Academia
Industries
Associations
MCCIA, Pune
” It is often not possible to
have a loner as an innovator.”
“Most of the discoveries and innovaton are team efforts.”
“Education system should work towards team building.”
