Anil Kumar Gupta is an Indian scholar in the area of grassrootsinnovations.[1] He is the founder of theHoney Bee Network. He retired as a full-time professor at theIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 2017, where he served for about 36 years.[2][3]
He was a member of the governing board at theNational Innovation Foundation.[4] He is also a fellow of theWorld Academy of Art and Science.[5] He was awarded thePadma Shri in 2004 for his contributions to management education.[6][7]
Gupta has developed courses for students at theIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. One of his most popular courses included Shodh Yatra, (meaning 'research walk'), under which he took management students to different parts of the country to learn from local communities and study their knowledge systems.[8] This course was derived from his larger concept of walking through the length and breadth of the country, interacting with farmers,traditional knowledge holders, grassroots innovators, innovative students, etc. It started in May 1998 in the western Indian province ofGujarat.[9]
Upon finishing his bachelor's degree (Hons) inAgriculture, he went on to complete his Masters in Sciences (Biochemical Genetics) fromHaryana Agricultural University in 1974. In 1986, he earned a Ph.D. in Management from theKurukshetra University.
He is a Co-Ordinator ofSRISTI (Society for Research and Initiative for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions).[10] He was a speaker atTED India in November 2009.[11] Since 2011, he is an advisor on issues pertaining to innovation, environment, and sustainability to Fair Observer, an online magazine coveringglobal issues.[12]
| Year of Award or Honor | Name of Award or Honor | Awarding Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Padma Shri National Award (management education) | Government of India |
| 2004 | Science-in-Society Award | Indian Science Congress Association |
| 2000 | Asian Innovation Award Gold | Far Eastern Economic Review |
| 1993 - 96 | Pew Conservation Scholar Award | University of Michigan, USA. |
