India has no shortage of talent or academic research. But how much of that research actually becomes a usable solution, a scalable product, or a real-world breakthrough? That’s the gap we need to bridge — the critical transition from lab to market.
At Wadhwani Foundation, we believe the future of India’s innovation lies not just in producing more research, but in ensuring that research translates into impact.
Why the Lab-to-Market Gap Exists
Across India’s universities and research institutions, thousands of promising ideas are developed every year. However, many remain unpublished or under-utilized because of:
- Lack of commercialization pathways
- Limited exposure to industry collaboration
- Weak IP awareness or support
- Gaps in early-stage funding and mentorship
The result? Innovations get stuck on paper — or worse, abandoned.
The WIN Approach to Bridging the Gap
Wadhwani Foundation’s Innovation & Research initiative powers the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) — a program built to help institutions navigate the full lab-to-market journey.
WIN works closely with academia, R&D bodies, and incubators to:
- Identify promising research early
- Provide IP and tech transfer support
- Connect innovators with market mentors and funding
- Facilitate prototypes, validation, and early adoption
Through WIN, we’re making it possible for research to evolve beyond its academic confines — into products, ventures, and job creators.
Supporting Institutions Through WIN Centers of Excellence
We’ve established WIN Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in leading institutions across India — each designed to be an ecosystem enabler.
These CoEs serve as on-ground platforms that:
- Help researchers design commercialization roadmaps
- Provide hands-on mentoring and access to experts
- Bridge collaborations with industries and government bodies
- Strengthen the research-to-innovation pipeline at an institutional level
The result? Research isn’t just measured in citations — but in startups launched, products deployed, and impact created.
Spotlight: National Vision Shared at YUGM 2025
This mission received national spotlight during YUGM 2025, co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and Wadhwani Foundation.
One of the key discussions — “Translating Research into Products, Companies and Jobs” — echoed the exact challenges and opportunities WIN is solving for. With Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chief Guest and leaders across government, academia, and industry present, YUGM reaffirmed the urgency to turn India’s research excellence into commercial, industrial, and societal growth.
It isn’t just about publishing innovation. It’s about applying it.
The Way Forward
India doesn’t lack innovation. What it needs is structure, support, and systems to turn academic breakthroughs into applied impact. That’s what the Wadhwani Innovation Network is enabling — and that’s how we build a self-reliant, research-driven, future-ready nation.
If you’re part of an institution or innovation cell and want to explore how WIN can support your journey, we’d love to collaborate.
Let’s move from ideas to implementation. From research to real-world impact.
