Bengaluru, Sept 09: The Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) announced the adoption of a new governance and leadership model, with the appointment of Mr. Omprakash Subbarao as its Chief Executive Officer. The move marks a new phase in FSID’s journey to build a self-sustaining Section 8 company, anchored by two strong pillars—Innovation and Incubation.
Under the new model, FSID will be led by a full-time industry professional as CEO, with Mr. Subbarao reporting to the FSID Board. The CEO will have full operational autonomy and responsibility for the day-to-day management, external engagement and execution of FSID’s activities, within the governance framework approved by the Board.
To ensure a strong and effective linkage with IISc, Prof Suryasarthy Bose as Professor-in-Charge will provide institutional oversight and serve as the principal interface between FSID and IISc. This governance model is intended to bring together professional, industry-oriented executive leadership with strong institutional linkage and governance, enabling FSID to pursue opportunities more effectively and build the capabilities required for its next phase of growth.
An IISc alumnus, Omprakash Subbarao brings extensive experience spanning technology, industry, public digital infrastructure, and innovation. Prior to his appointment as CEO of FSID, he served as CEO of CORE Labs at FSID, where he led research and innovation collaborations with large corporates, bridging scientific expertise with industry needs.
Historically, FSID has been led by faculty members of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). With the appointment of Omprakash Subbarao as CEO, FSID is entering a new phase with its first industry leader at the helm. His appointment reflects FSID’s ambition to deepen engagement with corporates, strengthen industry partnerships, and expand the organisation’s reach and impact at the national and international levels.
Omprakash Subbarao, CEO of FSID said, “As the world of research, innovation and technology translation evolves rapidly, so too are the expectations of industry, government and other external stakeholders. To enable FSID to respond to these changing requirements with greater agility, professionalism and scale, we are strengthening its governance and leadership structure. For the first time, we are having an Industry leader as the CEO to drive this transformation.
Commenting on FSID’s vision, he said, “With a vision of ‘Built on Science, Scaled for the World,’ we are building FSID around two strong pillars: Innovation and Incubation. Our ambition is to deepen engagement with multinational corporations, Indian corporates and MSMEs, while creating stronger pathways for science and research to translate into real-world impact. By 2030, we aim to undertake 1000 industry projects and build a portfolio of 300 deep-tech startups. Through an open, domain-agnostic approach to incubation and stronger industry partnerships, we want to position FSID as a leading platform connecting science, industry and entrepreneurship, with an impact that extends well beyond India.
Over the past year, FSID has strengthened industry engagement through Innovation Hub (iHUB), its innovation and research facility that brings corporates and startups closer to IISc’s scientific ecosystem. iHUB provides R&D labs for corporate partners and dedicated infrastructure for incubated startups. BEML, Toyo Ink and Schaeffler, among others, have established research labs and workspaces at iHUB, creating opportunities for closer collaboration, technology development and industry-led innovation.
About FSID: The Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) is the single-window interface to the deep science and deep-tech capabilities of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). A Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013, promoted by IISc, FSID enables collaboration with industry, government, enterprises, and startups. It supports engagements across collaborative research, incubation, product development, and consulting. FSID also acts as the formal channel for receiving industry-funded research, providing administrative, financial, and contract management support.