IIIT Hyderabad council chief Ashok Jhunjhunwala shares journey in new biography

Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, the chairman of the governing council at IIIT Hyderabad, has reflected on his decades-long career in shaping India's telecom and deep-tech incubation ecosystem following the release of his biography, 'Roots & Wings'. Authored by Saloni Malhotra, the book traces Jhunjhunwala's journey from a researcher to an institution builder who helped develop affordable technologies in telecom, banking, and electric mobility.

The biography highlights Jhunjhunwala's work in creating India's first deep-tech incubation model and building the IITM Research Park, which he led for 18 years before handing over charge. Speaking about the book's release, Jhunjhunwala noted that India has reached a stage where deep-tech incubation is widely recognized as the way forward.

According to Jhunjhunwala, developing domestic technology is critical for India's 1.5 billion people. He stated that the country cannot depend on other nations for critical technologies, especially given recent global developments. He returned to India with the goal of solving acute national problems, such as ending long telephone waiting lists and making technology affordable.

To achieve these goals, Jhunjhunwala relied on India's R&D scientists and young engineering graduates. He emphasized that researchers, startups, and institutions must work together to translate research into practical technology.

Throughout his career, Jhunjhunwala faced significant challenges, including finding people to pursue difficult tasks and managing resistance to change. He recalled that when wireless technology was first introduced, bureaucrats opposed installing towers across cities due to a fear of change. Additionally, multinational companies resisted inexpensive Indian technologies that threatened to disrupt their businesses.

Jhunjhunwala explained that he is drawn to problems that appear impossible, such as expensive ATMs or urban waterlogging. He remarked that while failures are common and can be devastating, the key is to get up and start again.