About

Dr. R. Hafeez Basha

B. Tech | M. Tech | Ph. D (Japan)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) Anantapur Spoke, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

Ex-Advisor, Photonics Valley Corporation (PVC),
Department of ITE&C, Government of Telangana

After a remarkable personal transformation, he embarked on his journey as a researcher, presenting papers during his B. Tech (EEE) and winning prizes in every symposium he attended. This early recognition led to a position as Research Engineer Trainee at Pentagram Research Centre (P) Ltd. His final year project on Waste-to-Energy at the Global Renewable Energy Research Institute, SELCO International Ltd., India’s first-of-its-kind thermal power plant, marked a turning point. He started his corporate career upon graduation as a Geographical Information System (GIS) Engineer at NIPUNA Services (Satyam Computers, now Tech Mahindra), working on NOKIA Corporation’s NAVTEQ projects. Later, as a Research Analyst at Thomson Reuters Scientific (now Clarivate Analytics) he was sponsored for higher education through their ‘Learn While You Earn’ program, earning his M. Tech (CSE). During this period, he was the recipient of ‘Young Scientist Award’ for his research outcomes and scientific literature.

Subsequently, he was awarded the prestigious
‘Monbukagakusho Scholarship’ by the Japanese Government to pursue his Ph. D at Kumamoto University, Japan where he was honored with the ‘Dean’s Award for Research Excellence’ at his convocation. He holds a remarkable track-record of receiving highest funding especially in the form of travel grants, thereby completing Summer School at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam and Winter School from Polytech Clermont-Ferrand, Blaise Pascal University, France. He visited 13+ countries without spending any money from his pocket within the first ten years of his illustrious career. Upon returning to India, he established himself as a Distinguished Academic Leader, serving as Dean / Director at various Engineering Colleges & Business Schools. His expertise led to an invitation from the esteemed Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to contribute to the preparation of prelims question papers for Civil Services Examinations.

In his second decade, he transitioned from R&D to playing a significant role in fostering innovation and promoting entrepreneurship. He championed the integration of startups & incubators within academic institutions to cultivate a nurturing environment, mentorship and resources for empowering students, faculty and alumni to become entrepreneurs and led the establishment of Business Incubators across 40+ colleges. He spearheaded as CEO for Incubation Centres of Osmania University and earlier Chandigarh University. Eventually, he succeeded as the CEO of Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) Anantapur Spoke, Government of Andhra Pradesh strengthening startup ecosystem at the districts of Anantapur, Sri Satya Sai, Nandyal and Kurnool. He also held Advisory roles at NITI-Aayog, Ministry of Education, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Photonics Valley Corporation (PVC), Department of ITE&C, Government of Telangana; TN-RISE, Government of Tamil Nadu, etc.


He was invited by 150+ reputed institutions in India and abroad for his advocacy on ‘Employability & Entrepreneurship,’ that has inspired 10,000+ students to choose right career paths. His work has garnered extensive press coverage, with over 350+ newspaper articles, television news channels and other media platforms highlighting his contributions to the society. His inspiring journey was documented in the biography: ‘CHASER – On a Journey of Transformation’, that was published in 2022 by uLektz Books with ISBN 978-81-954226-1-6. This inspiring story is now being adapted into a feature film by leading cinema industry. An extended biography, ‘CHASER 2 – On a Journey of Inspiration’ is currently being written and is expected to be launched by March 2026. This sequel will highlight the success stories of some of his mentees who have achieved early milestones under his guidance. This multi-starrer project is being planned to become web series on OTT platforms.

He is now in the third decade of his career, and his life story has already become a subject of ‘Personality Impact Studies’ at several renowned universities worldwide. Through modules such as Leadership through Personal Narratives and Biographies of Change-Makers, students in liberal studies programs research individuals whose influence creates a lasting impact, culminating in capstone projects on those who have transformed educational or innovation ecosystems.