Quick facts
Prof. Ismail Akbani is an Assistant Professor at Mahindra University, a design‑thinking‑driven entrepreneurship educator with 13+ years’ experience and deep engagement with the Indian startup ecosystem, backed by multiple Government of India grants for entrepreneurship promotion. He is pursuing a Ph.D. at IIT Delhi on business model innovation for Khadi enterprises using design thinking, and holds an M.Tech (CAD‑CAM, VNIT Nagpur), MBA (Business Analytics, IMT Ghaziabad), BE (Mechanical), Diploma in Entrepreneurship (EDII) plus credentials as NIESBUD‑accredited Master Trainer, Six Sigma Black Belt, Design Thinking Master Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner. Starting as a product design engineer, he moved to academics at Symbiosis in 2011, serving as Head – Innovation & Linkages at Symbiosis Technology Business Incubator, establishing and leading the Entrepreneurship Promotion & Innovation Cell (EPIC) at Symbiosis Institute of Technology (2013–2022), mentoring 100+ startups, and winning national‑level “Best Entrepreneurship Cell” awards from IIT Bombay and NEN. He frequently delivers keynotes, workshops and juries at IITs, startup festivals and innovation bodies, and his research interests include business model innovation, impact of business incubators, design thinking for artisanal sectors, storytelling in innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership.
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Ismail Akbani
Assistant Professor
A staunch advocate of design thinking in all walks of life, and coming from a business background, Prof. Ismail Akbani is passionate about promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among the youth. With over 13 years of professional experience, he has actively engaged with the startup ecosystem for over a decade. He has received multiple grants from the Govt. of India for entrepreneurship promotion initiatives.
He has had the honor of delivering keynote talks/workshops and being a jury member at prestigious organizations such as IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, Rotary Club, AICTE, AWS Community, Hongkong Startup Fest, Wadhwani Entrepreneurship Network, IIT Goa, and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, among others. Ismail has designed and delivered mentoring, training, and consulting interventions for corporate innovation centers, startups, as well as academic institutes and he also serves as a mentor at a few incubators across the country.
- PhD – Business Model Innovation for Khadi Enterprises Using Design Thinking (Pursuing), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
- M.Tech. (CAD-CAM), Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur
- MBA (Business Analytics), Institute for Management Technology, Ghaziabad
- BE (Mechanical Engg.), North Maharashtra University
- Diploma in Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad
- Accredited Master Trainer – Entrepreneurship Development, NIESBUD, Ministry of Skill Dev. & Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India
- Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, MSME Tech. Dev. Centre, Agra
- Master Certificate in CAD/CAM/CAE, Central Institute of Tool Design, Hyderabad
- Design Thinking Master Practitioner, Society of Design Thinking Professionals, UK
- Certified Entrepreneurship Trainer, EDII Ahmedabad
- Certified Neurolinguistic Programming Master Practitioner
- International Journals: 04
- International Conferences: 04
- He is currently Assistant Professor at Mahindra University, Prof. Ismail started his career as a product design engineer and later shifted to academics at Symbiosis, Pune in 2011.
- He was the Head – Innovation & Linkages at Symbiosis Technology Business Incubator (SCEI) where he has worked closely with over hundred startups. He established and headed the Entrepreneurship Promotion & Innovation Cell [EPIC] at Symbiosis Institute of Technology (2013-2022) and guided the team to win accolades as Best Entrepreneurship Cell at national level including awards from IIT Bombay and National Entrepreneurship Network.
- Ismail has also been associated as a consultant with National Entrepreneurship Network.
Areas of Research Interest:
- Business Model Innovation
- Impact of Business Incubators
- Design Thinking Applications for Artisanal Sector
- Storytelling in Innovation
- Entrepreneurial Leadership
