Plaksha

Reimagining Technology
Education & Research

FACULTY BOOKLET
We seek Founding Faculty who have:
1. Faculty who are inspired, creative and passionate about what and how they teach, who truly enjoy teaching
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and mentoring students, and are highly committed to student learning and success.

2. A willingness to embrace Plaksha’s vision of reimagining education by adopting new pedagogical methods,
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including in teacher training, education workflows, course formats, and the role of technology in teaching and
learning.

3. A strong commitment and track record in one or more of the following:

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a. Research framed by grand challenges of India and the world in the 21st century
b. Research with impact on industry, public policy, practice, sustainable development etc.
c. Making inventions/ commercializing technology/software or other entrepreneurial experience
d. Experience in leading companies, or other significant industrial/corporate experience
e. Innovative pedagogy and/or scholarship of education and/or interdisciplinary education

4. An interdisciplinary mindset, in the broadest sense, recognizing the need for partnerships between social
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sciences, humanities and STEM disciplines, and willingness to learn from colleagues with different perspectives.

5.
5 A passion for institution-building with a desire for continuous improvement, entrepreneurial mindset and a can-do
attitude.

6.
6 A willingness to work in a team, by accepting others’ ideas, partnering, leading or following, as needed to
accomplish team objectives.
 Why consider a career at Plaksha?

Join an institution Opportunity to build a Vibrant research, Great quality of life Attractive benefits &
with an inspiring greenfield institution entrepreneurial & for family and self package
vision innovation ecosystem
Join an institution with an inspiring vision
Plaksha is founded and envisioned by a community of
business leaders, entrepreneurs via a collective philanthropic
effort

Click to hear few

Founders describe
the vision
Guided by an eminent Academic Advisory Board
Dr. Abhijit Banerjee Dr. Bijendra Nath Jain Dr. Julia Ross Dr. Sharad Malik
Co-Founder, J-PAL; Former Vice Chancellor, Dean of Engineering, Chair, Department of
Professor of Economics, BITS Pilani; Former Deputy Virginia Tech Electrical Engineering,
MIT; Nobel Laureate Dean, IIT Delhi Princeton University

Dr. Anant Agarwal Dr. Frances Ligler Dr. Kaushik Basu Dr. Sriram Rajamani
CEO, edX; Professor of Professor, NC State and Professor of Economics Managing Director,
EECS, MIT UNC Chapel Hill & International Studies, Microsoft Research Labs,
Cornell University India

Dr. Arvind Raman Dr. James Holloway Dr. Pankaj Jalote Dr. Vijay Kumar
Senior Associate Dean for Provost and EVP for Founding Director, IIIT Dean of Penn Engineering,
Faculty; Purdue Academic Affairs, Delhi University of
University University of New Mexico Pennsylvania

Dr. Ashish Nanda Dr. Jennifer Cochran Dr. S. Shankar Sastry Dr. Yannis C Yortsos
Former Director of IIM Shriram Chair of the Dept. Former Dean of Dean of Viterbi School of
Ahmedabad; Senior of Bioengineering, Stanford Engineering, Professor of Engineering, University of
Lecturer, Harvard Business University EECS, UC Berkeley Southern California
School
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Our Advisors are actively engaged in academic strategy and
curriculum design

Online meeting (2020)

Academic Advisory
meeting at MIT
(2019)

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Three pillars of our vision

1 2 3
Reimagine engineering Enable industry Address Grand
education innovation & start-ups Challenges

Interdisciplinary Start-up mentorship Structured around problems

Experiential + blended Industry sponsored research Impact focused research

Self-development Academia-industry linkage 21st century technologies

Be agile and reinvent continuously

Reimagining technology education

Interdisciplinary Integrating the

engineering curriculum Liberal Arts, Design

• No Departments • Liberal art and design courses across

curriculum
• Dismantling the walls between
engineering disciplines • Engineering for people and society

Experiential and
Self and leadership
blended learning

• Learn by creating • Self-awareness and authentic

leadership at the core
• Flipped classrooms, online tools
• Communication, critical thinking,
• Industry projects, experiential learning collaboration

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 Addressing Grand Challenges in industry and society
Illustrative
Research Centers

Digital Clean Future Cyber Learning &

Health-tech
Agriculture Energy Mobility Security Education

Computer Science &

Artificial Intelligence
Focus areas

Robotics & Cyber-

Physical Systems ion
pplicat
Biological Systems s c u tting a
Cros
Engineering

Data Science,
Economics & Business

Humanities Entrepreneurship Design

Interdisciplinary curriculum
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Four cutting-edge interdisciplinary undergraduate majors to
be launched in Fall 2021

1 Computer Science & Artificial 2 Robotics & Cyber-Physical Systems

Intelligence

Computer Science core + elements of AI, machine Electrical/computer engineering core +

learning, natural intelligence, human-computer elements of robotics, autonomous systems,
interfaces, neuro-linguistic programming internet of things, sensors, cyber-physical
systems

3 Biological Systems Engineering 4 Data Science, Economics & Business

Engineering principles + power of biology to Data science core interweaved with economics and
improve human health and planetary health. business. Paths in digital transformation, financial
Latest advances in computing sciences engineering, policy and development
combined with latest advances in life sciences.

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 2035 Vision

1 2 3

Multidisciplinary
Vibrant innovation & Distinctive Research
University; interdisciplinary
entrepreneurial ecosystem Centers to solve big
programs
problems
Engineering | Bioscience | Design
Social Sciences | Policy | Business
500+ faculty, researchers, practitioners
5-7 Research Centers on
8,000+ students on campus Grand Challenges
Undergrad, Masters', PhD and
lifelong education programs 50,000+ via blended learning e.g. Energy, Water, Health,
100+ CEOs, entrepreneurs, VCs Security, Education, Mobility,
Agriculture
Opportunity to
shape a new
University
Our programs will be launched in a phased manner

Phase 1 (2018-21) Phase 2 (2021-25)

Nano-degrees
PhD for lifelong
Research programs learners
Undergrad Fellowship
program (for Masters/ PhD)
Plaksha Tech
Leaders (4 years)
Young Tech Fellowship
Scholars
2021
Launched in
Launched in 2018 2019

Venue: Gurgaon Venue: Gurgaon Chandigarh campus

Opportunity to co-create a University

Be part of the Founding Co-create the institutional

Team culture
● Help establish the institution's vision ● Ideate and define the university’s values,
research areas and pedagogy
● Have a seat at the founding table - be a key ● Create a culture of openness and
member in shaping the academic and collaboration
administrative processes
● Explore avenues to make the university
● Influence the design of the centres, labs, accessible to all local and global
indoor/outdoor spaces of the campus communities
 A vibrant research,
entrepreneurial and innovation
ecosystem
Dynamic ecosystem of industry, academia and government

Deep industry and MoUs for partnerships with top

government collaborations global Universities

20+ academic & research

institutions in proximity Innovation Hub in Chandigarh
Plaksha is founded by 60+ business leaders in 6 countries
Arjun Bhagat Chairman & CEO Calibrated Group
Delhi Aakash Chaudhry Co-Promoter & CEO Aakash Institute West Coast,
Dr. Ashish Gupta Co-Founder & Senior MD Helion Ventures
NCR Alok Mittal Founder & CEO Indifi Technologies USA
Ambarish R Co-Founder & former CFO Info Edge Ltd Gagan Hasteer VP, Content Engineering Netflix
Ashish Gupta Founder & CEO Benori Knowledge Guru Pangal GM Storage, Google Cloud Google
Brijesh Agrawal Co-founder & Director IndiaMart Kapil Agarwal Founder & Chief Architect Upaya- The Solution Inc.
CP Gurnani MD & CEO Tech Mahindra Krish Mantripragada Former EVP & Chief Product Officer Medallia
Diwakar Nigam Chairman and MD Newgen Software Navin Chaddha Managing Director Mayfield Fund
Hitesh Oberoi Co-Promoter, MD & CEO Info Edge Ltd
Rishi Yadav Founder & CEO Zettabytes Inc.
Dr. Manas Fuloria Co-Founder & CEO Nagarro
Rosen Sharma President & CEO Bluestacks
Manmohan Gupta Co-Founder Vidya Mandir
Sunny Gupta Co-Founder & CEO Apptio
Mohit Thukral Founder & Managing Partner Vivtera
Sunny Singh Founder Roundglass
Neeraj Aggarwal Chairman, Asia Pacific Boston Consulting Group
Ursheet Parikh Partner Mayfield Fund
Pankaj Chaddah Co-Founder Zomato/ Mindhouse
Vikram Sehgal Co-Founder & COO Nagarro
Pramod Bhasin Founder/ Chairman Genpact/ Clix Capital
Vivek Vaidya Co-Founder & General Partner Super{set}
Rakesh Bharti Mittal Vice Chairman Bharti Enterprises
Sumant Kathpalia CEO IndusInd Bank East Coast, Gaurav Suri CEO Arcesium LLC

Vineet Gupta Co-Founder & MD Jamboree Education Gayatri Sondhi Managing Director Mavian Labs LLC
USA
Vineet Nayyar Vice Chairman IL&FS Nitin Rakesh CEO & Executive Director Mphasis
Mumbai Ajay Arora Managing Director D’Décor Rakesh Jaggi SVP, Sales & Commercial Schlumberger
Ashish Kacholia Director Lucky Investment Dr. Ravi Jasuja Director, Translational R&D BWH, Harvard Medical School
Madhusudan Kela Founder MK Ventures London, Dalip Pathak Special Limited Partner Warburg Pincus
Mukul Agarwal Chairman Param Capital UK Devashish Chopra Global Industry Analyst Wellington Mgmt Int’l Ltd
Natasha Malpani Oswal Founder Boundless Media Divyata Ashiya COO, Merchant Banking Division International Goldman Sachs
Niten Malhan Founder & Managing Partner New Mark Advisors Ganesh Ramani Partner Goldman Sachs
Dr. Priya Jadhav Assistant Professor IIT Bombay Rohit Arora Founder & Chairman Silverskills
Srikanth V Co-founder & Group CEO Fractal Analytics Vikrant Bhargava Founder & Managing Partner Veddis

Chandigarh Pranav Gupta Founder & MD Parabolic Drugs Singapore Anil Chawla Director Clix Capital

Sameer Jain Founder & CEO Net Solutions Jai Rajpal Founder & CEO Crescent Asset Mgmt.

Alok Goyal Partner Stellaris Venture Partners Harish Bahl Founder & CEO Smile Group
Bangalore
Rajesh Sachdeva Founding Partner Flowering Tree Inv. Mgmt.
Rajiv Kuchhal General Partner Exfinity Venture Fund
Saurabh Mittal Chairman & Chief Investment Officer Mission Holdings
SK Jain Co-founder Westbridge Capital
Sumita Ambasta Co-founder & Executive Director Flowering Tree Inc.
Sudhir Jangir Founder & CTO Zettabytes Inc.
Corporate
Sujeet Kumar Co-founder Udaan
donors
Scope of deep industry partnerships with firms founded or
led by Plaksha founders
Non-exhaustive

Global organizations where our Companies founded by Plaksha PE/ VC firms led by
founders are CXOs founders our founders

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Plaksha has MoUs of partnership with top global
institutions
This creates opportunities for faculty collaboration & exchange

(erstwhile Stanford Research Institute)

MoU covering: Master Alliance Agreement MoU with the purpose of:
● Joint research projects & covering: ● Setting up joint R&D Center(s)
academic programs ● Curricular development to close gap between applied
● Exchange of faculty, ● Faculty & student exchange research and ready-for-market
students & postdocs ● Joint research innovations
● Other forms of cooperation ● Faculty capacity building
The Govt. of Punjab is building a ‘Global Innovation Hub’
and selected Plaksha as it’s Knowledge Partner

• MoU signed with Government of Punjab to help build

Global Innovation Hub

• Land earmarked by Government close to Plaksha

campus– for buildings, incubator, maker space etc;

• Funding support from Government for initial capex

and opex

• Plaksha to help bring together 20+ academic

institutions and industry, entrepreneurs, investors

(L to R) Plaksha founders, Finance Minister of Punjab

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Plaksha has 20+ academic & research institutions in close
proximity
IIT Ropar

Opportunities to collaborate CSIR - IMTECH 20 min

with other institutions radius
PGIMER
● Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) NIPER
● Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) Chandigarh
● National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Int'l Airport
Research (NIPER)
● Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education &
90 min Plaksha
Research, Chandigarh (PGIMER) radius
ISB
University INST
● Institute of Nano Science & Technology (INST)
● Indian School of Business (ISB)
● Indian Institute of Science Education & Research Panjab IISER
(IISER) University
● Punjab Engineering College (PEC) PEC
● Panjab University 40 min
radius
● Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)

PAU
Non-exhaustive list
Enjoy a great
quality of life
Chandigarh Tricity has a very high quality of life (1 of 2)

What is Chandigarh tricity?

● Chandigarh is a Union Territory. Mohali and
Panchkula are its two satellite towns, and are
collectively called the Tricity.

Foothills of the Himalayas

● 2-hour drive from some of the most
emblematic hill stations in India

Driving distance to national capital

● 40 min flight/ 5 hour drive from Delhi NCR

India’s first ‘planned city’

● Designed by French Architect Le Corbusier
● Known as City Beautiful

(Clockwise from top left) 1. Open Hand Monument (symbolic structure of Le Corbusier) 2. Sukhna
Lake 3. Hill station near Chandigarh 4. Rock Garden
Chandigarh Tricity has a very high quality of life (2 of 2)

Modern infrastructure
● Modern airport terminal
● Good roads and connectivity. You can
get to most places within the tri-city
within a half hour drive.

Clean and green

● Top 5 cities in India in terms of Human
Development Index (HDI) and
cleanliness
● Flourishes with a number of famous
gardens and parks

Great schools & hospitals

● Top primary & secondary schools in
close proximity
● Quality hospitals in the neighbourhood
● Plenty of safe and comfortable housing
options
(Clockwise from top left) 1. Aerial view of Chandigarh 2. Rose Garden 3. Capitol Complex 4. Roadways
in Chandigarh 25
Plaksha has a world-class campus under construction in
Mohali, Chandigarh. Phase 1A will launch in 2021
Central location
• 10 mins from Chandigarh International Airport
• 15 mins from several academic institutions
• 30 min drive from Chandigarh city centre

Reputed architect
• Campus designed by Aaron Schwarz, Founder
of PlanA, Former Senior Principal at Perkins
Eastman, New York

World class campus

• Encouraging interaction & community
• Highly tech-enabled
• Energy efficient & sustainable
• Signature maker spaces & labs
Architect’s renderings of Plaksha campus Phase 1 26
Campus rendering of Phase 1A and 1B buildings

1 Recreation & Sports Centre

3

2 Dining Hall 4

3 2 5
Student Residences

4 Academic Blocks 2 and 3

1 8
5 Academic Blocks 1 and 4 6

6 Library

7 Auditorium 7

8 7
Tech Innovation Centre
Note: The faculty residence will be located towards the other side of the campus (not visible in this view)
Attractive
benefits &
packages
Flexible and liberal policies

Key benefits Additional Benefits

● Start-up Packages to help establish research ventures,
conference visits, kickstart entrepreneurial ideas, etc.
● Faculty-friendly Intellectual
● Opportunities for industry and research exposure Property Right policies
○ Spend some time over the summer / during a sabbatical,
to work in the industry or conduct research at another ● Dedicated Staff to help with
lab / university. Relocation and Housing

● Flexibility to choose and move between career tracks in ● Special consideration for dual
terms of: career couples
○ Function (Research, Teaching, Practice, etc.)
○ Type of contract (Joint-appointments, part-time industry ● Career mentoring and
appointments, etc.) guidance

● Competitive Salaries
Thank you
For more information and application
details, visit

Our website:
www.plaksha.org/faculty

Email us at [email protected]

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