At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to bring you inspiring and impactful stories from the world of entrepreneurship, leadership, and social change. As part of this endeavour, we invited Dr. Teena Kapoor for an exclusive interview with BrilliantRead Media.
Dr. Teena is a TEDx Speaker, Author, Public Policy Expert, Jury Member for the National Teachers Awards and Founder at Janki India. With over two decades of experience across public policy, government affairs, financial inclusion, and social impact, she has worked extensively towards empowering communities and fostering inclusive growth.
Through Janki India, she is also championing India’s rich cultural heritage and artisan communities, combining luxury with cultural integrity and social responsibility. Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, experiences, vision, and valuable insights for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Dr. Teena:
You have held leadership roles across public policy, government affairs, and industry bodies. What inspired your journey into policymaking and nation-building?
My journey into policymaking and nation-building wasn’t sparked by a single moment, but rather by a deep-seated realization: true, scalable impact happens at the intersection of systemic policy and grassroots empowerment.
Throughout my work across government affairs, industry bodies like ASSOCHAM, and the central government, I have always been driven by the desire to bridge the gap between economic growth and social equity.
When you witness firsthand how a well-crafted policy can unlock entrepreneurial potential, particularly for women and marginalised communities or how systemic reform can safeguard the vulnerable, it transforms from a profession into a lifelong calling.
For me, nation-building is about creating an inclusive ecosystem where enterprise, education, and governance work in harmony to elevate society as a whole.
As National Advisor for Public Policy & Financial Inclusion, what policy interventions do you believe have had the most significant impact on empowering underserved communities in India?
During my stint with the government, my focus was on empowering underserved communities and strengthening grassroots entrepreneurship in India. Two flagship policy interventions stand out for their transformative structural impact: Stand-Up India and Startup India.
Stand-Up India has been a vital catalyst for financial inclusion and social equity by facilitating bank loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore to eligible SC/ST and women entrepreneurs. By lowering barriers to institutional credit for historically marginalised groups, it actively fosters entrepreneurship at the grassroots level and creates new avenues for self-reliance.
Startup India, meanwhile, has championed a culture of innovation and ease of doing business. It has helped broaden the entrepreneurial ecosystem beyond major metropolitan hubs through initiatives around simplified compliance, funding support, and a stronger environment for innovation.
Together, these frameworks represent a powerful shift toward inclusive growth, ensuring that capital and opportunity are accessible to wider sections of society.
You have been actively involved in advancing India’s semiconductor ecosystem. How do you see the India Semiconductor Mission shaping the country’s technological future?
The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) represents a defining pillar in our journey toward technological sovereignty and economic resilience.
By creating a comprehensive framework for fabrication, advanced packaging, and design-led manufacturing, ISM has the potential to strengthen India’s position in the global semiconductor ecosystem.
Looking ahead, I see the mission shaping our technological future in three critical ways.
First, securing technological resilience. Semiconductors power everything from smartphones and automobiles to sophisticated industrial and strategic systems. Strengthening domestic capabilities can help India build greater resilience against global supply-chain disruptions.
Second, fostering innovation and fabless leadership. Through initiatives such as the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, Indian startups, researchers, and engineering talent can contribute to indigenous semiconductor design and intellectual property.
Third, creating a high-value knowledge economy. The semiconductor ecosystem can generate high-skilled employment and strengthen collaboration between academia and industry in areas such as VLSI design, nanoelectronics, chip design, and advanced manufacturing.
Ultimately, ISM is not simply about manufacturing silicon chips. It is about establishing India as an important participant in the global high-technology architecture.
During your decade-long association with ASSOCHAM, you worked closely on initiatives like Startup India and Stand-Up India. What lessons have you learned about fostering entrepreneurship at scale?
My association with ASSOCHAM and my work around initiatives such as Startup India and Stand-Up India provided profound insights into what it takes to foster entrepreneurship at scale across a diverse nation like India.
There are four key lessons I have taken away.
Simplification is the ultimate enabler. For grassroots and early-stage entrepreneurs, compliance burdens can become significant barriers. Simplifying regulations, reducing unnecessary red tape, and enabling greater ease of doing business can be just as important as access to capital.
Access to credit must be equitable. Stand-Up India demonstrated the importance of intentionally directing institutional credit toward women and marginalised communities, including SC/ST entrepreneurs, who may traditionally face greater barriers to financing.
Mentorship and networking matter. Capital alone is never enough. A thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem requires incubators, accelerators, industry associations, mentors, and institutions that can guide founders through market complexities.
And finally, innovation must be decentralised. True scalability happens when entrepreneurship moves beyond Tier-1 metropolitan hubs. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities possess enormous talent and local problem-solving capabilities that can become significant drivers of national economic growth.
Ultimately, fostering entrepreneurship at scale is about moving from a culture dominated by job-seeking toward an ecosystem where more individuals have the opportunity to become job creators and value creators.
In your experience, how can stronger collaboration between government, industry, and academia accelerate innovation and economic growth in India?
Drawing from my experience across public policy, industry bodies such as ASSOCHAM, and governance frameworks, I believe stronger collaboration between government, industry, and academia can become a powerful catalyst for India’s next phase of innovation and economic growth.
When these three pillars operate in silos, ideas often struggle to move from research and policy into implementation. When they work together, they can create an ecosystem capable of converting knowledge into real-world impact.
Academia and industry must strengthen the research-to-market bridge. India produces world-class scientific and engineering talent, but academic research needs stronger pathways toward commercialisation. This is particularly relevant in areas such as deep-tech, semiconductor design, advanced materials, and sustainability.
Government and industry must maintain continuous dialogue. Industry associations can provide policymakers with valuable ground-level insights. Such engagement can help create policies that are responsive to market realities while supporting ease of doing business and innovation.
Workforce development must also become a shared responsibility. Rapid technological change requires curricula and training systems to evolve continuously. Aligning academia, industry requirements, and national skilling initiatives can help prepare young Indians for emerging sectors.
Ultimately, accelerating India’s growth requires dismantling traditional boundaries. Government can provide policy direction, industry can drive market execution, and academia can fuel innovation. Together, they can create a self-sustaining ecosystem for inclusive and resilient economic development.
As a TEDx Speaker, author, and public policy expert, what key message would you like young professionals and aspiring leaders to embrace in today’s rapidly changing world?
If there is one core message I would like young professionals and aspiring leaders to embrace, it is this:
True leadership is measured not simply by how fast you climb, but by how many doors you open for others along the way.
In an era defined by technological disruption, artificial intelligence, and rapidly changing economic landscapes, it is easy to become obsessed with individual measures of success. However, the most enduring leaders are those who combine ambition with purpose and empathy.
I encourage aspiring leaders to embrace three principles.
Embrace relentless adaptability. The skills that get you into the room may not necessarily keep you there. Develop a mindset of continuous learning, curiosity, and comfort with ambiguity. In a world where change is constant, the ability to unlearn and relearn is one of our greatest assets.
Design for inclusivity. Whether you are building a startup, shaping corporate strategy, or contributing to public policy, always ask: Who is missing from this table? Innovation becomes more meaningful when we solve problems not only for the mainstream but also for those at the margins.
Anchor your work in empathy and nation-building. Career milestones matter, but legacy is ultimately built through impact. Align professional pursuits with a deeper sense of social responsibility and use your skills, voice, and influence to create meaningful change.
Your journey is not just about building a successful career. It is about helping build a resilient, compassionate, and inclusive future.
Having served as a Jury Member for the National Teachers Awards, what role do you believe education and educators play in shaping India’s future leadership?
Serving as a member of the jury for the National Teachers Awards offered me a profound glimpse into the strength and diversity of India’s educational landscape.
It reinforced a fundamental truth: educators are the architects of India’s future leadership.
Long before a student enters a boardroom, legislative assembly, research laboratory, or entrepreneurial ecosystem, their foundation is often shaped in the classroom.
I believe education and educators influence India’s trajectory in three particularly important ways.
First, by cultivating critical thinking rather than rote learning. True leadership begins with the ability to question, analyse, innovate, and solve complex problems. Great educators go beyond textbooks and encourage students to think independently.
Second, by instilling values and empathy. Academic excellence without character is incomplete. Educators play a vital role in developing qualities such as integrity, resilience, empathy, inclusivity, and social responsibility.
Third, by unlocking grassroots potential. Teachers in rural, Tier-2, and Tier-3 regions can become powerful catalysts for social mobility. By identifying and nurturing talent beyond traditional centres of opportunity, they help ensure that India’s future leadership reflects the country’s extraordinary diversity.
Educators do not merely prepare students for the economy of today. They help inspire the visionaries, policymakers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and changemakers of tomorrow.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for India’s growth in areas such as financial inclusion, technology, public policy, and global competitiveness over the next decade?
Looking ahead to the next decade, my vision for India is anchored in a powerful synthesis of inclusive growth, technological self-reliance, and visionary policymaking.
India has an unprecedented opportunity to transition from being a fast-growing economy to becoming a significant global economic and technological force.
I see this transformation unfolding across four critical pillars.
Deepening financial inclusion into economic agency: We must move beyond basic access to financial services toward financial resilience and wealth creation. The next decade should see deeper integration of micro-credit, digital insurance, savings, investment, and other financial tools so that women, rural entrepreneurs, and underserved communities become active wealth creators.
Technological sovereignty and sunrise sectors: With growing focus on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, deep-tech, and other emerging technologies, India can strengthen its position in global technology value chains. Building indigenous intellectual property and resilient supply chains will be critical.
Agile and citizen-centric public policy: Future policymaking must be increasingly proactive, data-driven, and responsive to stakeholders. Strong public-private partnerships and reduced regulatory friction can unlock the potential of MSMEs, startups, and India’s human capital.
Global competitiveness through sustainability: India’s global growth story must also be sustainable and inclusive. We have an opportunity to combine our traditional knowledge and cultural strengths with modern economic and technological frameworks.
Ultimately, my vision is of an Atmanirbhar Bharat that grows inclusively, creates opportunity at scale, and contributes meaningfully to the global economy.
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