National Teachers’ Award 2025 conferred upon Professor Srivardhini K Jha of IIMB
Honoured by the President of India for her exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship education, research, outreach, and innovation
5 September, 2025, New Delhi: Earlier today, Professor Srivardhini K. Jha, faculty in the Entrepreneurship area at IIM Bangalore and Chairperson of NSRCEL, the Institute’s startup incubator, was conferred with the National Teachers’ Award 2025. Instituted by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, the award recognizes outstanding educators, including faculty members in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Polytechnics, who have exemplified excellence in teaching, research, outreach and innovation. This year, 21 faculty members across the country were selected for this distinction.
The National Teachers’ Award celebrates educators who have demonstrated sustained impact through Teaching-Learning Effectiveness, Outreach Activities, Research and Innovation, Sponsored Research, Faculty Development Programmes, and Consultancy. The award also seeks to honour those who, through their dedication, have elevated the quality of higher education while enriching the lives of their students.
As an educator, Prof. Jha is widely regarded by students across IIMB’s MBA, PhD, and online BBA programmes for her entrepreneurship-focused courses, which are distinguished by pedagogical innovation, experiential design, and an ability to apply academic concepts to real-world challenges.
Since 2022, Prof. Jha has chaired NSRCEL, which incubates and accelerates ventures across 25 states, supporting more than 1,000 startups annually. Under her stewardship, the Centre has expanded its focus on women entrepreneurs, climate action, and social innovation, and is currently on a pioneering mission to build capacity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 incubators across India.
The felicitation ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, and presided over by the Hon’ble President of India, who bestowed the awards. She congratulated the awardees, observing that “just as food, clothing, and shelter are essential for human development, education too is indispensable for the dignity, safety and progress of every individual”. She reflected on her own days as a teacher, noting that education makes individuals capable of transforming their lives, and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds can “touch the sky of progress” through learning.
She spoke of the role of “smart teachers”, those who attune themselves to the developmental needs of their students, underlining that such educators cultivate graduates who are prepared to serve both society and the nation. She emphasized a holistic approach towards primary, higher, and skill education, and reiterated the importance of educating the girl child as a vital investment in strengthening communities, society, and the fabric of the nation.
Beyond academia, Prof. Jha has played a significant role in shaping entrepreneurship policy in India. She served on the Startup20 task force under India’s G20 Presidency, contributed to the drafting of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020, and was part of the task force that developed Karnataka’s Research, Development and Innovation Policy. Earlier in her career, she held senior managerial roles at Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Infosys, bringing a strong industry orientation to her teaching and research. She holds an MS from Stanford University and a PhD in Corporate Strategy and Policy from IIM Bangalore.
National Teachers’ Award 2025 conferred upon Professor Srivardhini K Jha of IIMB
Honoured by the President of India for her exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship education, research, outreach, and innovation
5 September, 2025, New Delhi: Earlier today, Professor Srivardhini K. Jha, faculty in the Entrepreneurship area at IIM Bangalore and Chairperson of NSRCEL, the Institute’s startup incubator, was conferred with the National Teachers’ Award 2025. Instituted by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, the award recognizes outstanding educators, including faculty members in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Polytechnics, who have exemplified excellence in teaching, research, outreach and innovation. This year, 21 faculty members across the country were selected for this distinction.
The National Teachers’ Award celebrates educators who have demonstrated sustained impact through Teaching-Learning Effectiveness, Outreach Activities, Research and Innovation, Sponsored Research, Faculty Development Programmes, and Consultancy. The award also seeks to honour those who, through their dedication, have elevated the quality of higher education while enriching the lives of their students.
As an educator, Prof. Jha is widely regarded by students across IIMB’s MBA, PhD, and online BBA programmes for her entrepreneurship-focused courses, which are distinguished by pedagogical innovation, experiential design, and an ability to apply academic concepts to real-world challenges.
Since 2022, Prof. Jha has chaired NSRCEL, which incubates and accelerates ventures across 25 states, supporting more than 1,000 startups annually. Under her stewardship, the Centre has expanded its focus on women entrepreneurs, climate action, and social innovation, and is currently on a pioneering mission to build capacity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 incubators across India.
The felicitation ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, and presided over by the Hon’ble President of India, who bestowed the awards. She congratulated the awardees, observing that “just as food, clothing, and shelter are essential for human development, education too is indispensable for the dignity, safety and progress of every individual”. She reflected on her own days as a teacher, noting that education makes individuals capable of transforming their lives, and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds can “touch the sky of progress” through learning.
She spoke of the role of “smart teachers”, those who attune themselves to the developmental needs of their students, underlining that such educators cultivate graduates who are prepared to serve both society and the nation. She emphasized a holistic approach towards primary, higher, and skill education, and reiterated the importance of educating the girl child as a vital investment in strengthening communities, society, and the fabric of the nation.
Beyond academia, Prof. Jha has played a significant role in shaping entrepreneurship policy in India. She served on the Startup20 task force under India’s G20 Presidency, contributed to the drafting of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020, and was part of the task force that developed Karnataka’s Research, Development and Innovation Policy. Earlier in her career, she held senior managerial roles at Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Infosys, bringing a strong industry orientation to her teaching and research. She holds an MS from Stanford University and a PhD in Corporate Strategy and Policy from IIM Bangalore.