'India Has All The Characteristics That Fuelled American Entrepreneurship'

Jonathan Levin, dean of Stanford Business School, says the country’s deep capital markets, pool of innovators and improving digital infrastructure make it a perfect breeding ground for great businesses

- Neeraj Gangal

t he Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) recently launched its Seed Transformation Program (STP) in Chennai. An initiative of the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, the yearlong programme led by Stanford GSB faculty includes eight months of immersive management training designed specifically for business owners which is supported by trained local facilitators. The STP aims to create and activate a detailed action plan to help entrepreneurs grow and scale their companies. In an interview to Forbes India, Jonathan Levin, 45, dean, Stanford GSB, speaks about the STP’s international impact and the rationale behind the entry into India. Edited excerpts:

Q Tell us about the Seed Transformation Program. How does it enable innovators to formulate, develop and commercialise their ideas?

The STP was developed for leaders of small- and medium-sized companies in emerging economies. The motivating idea is that economic development requires management expertise—in particular, the ability to scale small businesses into large companies, which in turn boosts employment and economic growth— and the Stanford GSB faculty has the expertise to impart these skills. The programme was launched in West Africa (Ghana) in 2013 and in East Africa (Kenya) in 2016. This year, the STP has expanded to India and we will move to firms in southern Africa in January 2018.