Former TCS CEO Rajesh Gopinathan joins IIT Bombay as Head of Translational Research and Entrepreneurship

Rajesh Gopinathan, former CEO and MD of IT major Taya Consultancy Services (TCS)

IIT Bombay has announced the appointment of Rajesh Gopinathan, former CEO and MD of IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as Head of Translational Research and Entrepreneurship, and Professor of Practice.

IIT Bombay has been pioneering multiple initiatives to advance applied research and entrepreneurship, such as India’s first deep tech incubator, SINE, which has helped create multiple startups, the upcoming IITB research park, India’s first school on entrepreneurship, and multiple industry-specific applied research initiatives for e.g, in biotech, medical devices and AI. "A translational research centre to support the transition of IP from lab to industry has also been created recently," the institute said in a statement.

The new position of Head of Translational Research and Entrepreneurship has been created to accelerate these initiatives further.

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“We have a tradition of actively involving industry leaders in shaping our plans. As we look to advance our ambitious agenda of applied research and entrepreneurship, we are delighted to welcome Rajesh Gopinathan. His global exposure and experience in the rapid scaling up at TCS will play a pivotal role in taking our agenda to the next level,” said IIT Bombay's Director, Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri.

"I am very excited and happy with the opportunity to contribute to the growth of such an iconic national institution. IIT Bombay's research infrastructure and globally respected faculty and talent pool position it uniquely to play a leadership role in shaping the innovation agenda in India and globally. I look forward to working with the IIT Bombay team in charting the next leg of this journey together,” Gopinathan said.

The move comes a couple of months after Gopinathan ended his tenure with the country’s largest IT services firm, and a few days after the former TCS CEO was said to be joining Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a senior advisor in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) practice, according to media reports.

Interestingly, Gopinathan himself is an alumnus of NIT Trichy.

Before this, Gopinathan was with TCS for over 22 years. During his six-year stint as the company’s CEO, the software firm grew revenues by $10.4 billion and returned $27.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks.