SSSRIF
About SSSRIF
SSSRIF
paropkarartham idam shareeram
SSSRIF exists to prove that innovation and integrity are not opposing forces.
We are the official innovation and incubation foundation of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), established to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and meaningful impact. We support students, faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs who believe that technology must serve humanity not just markets.
If you're building something that matters, we're here to help you do it right.
Our Story
From Campus Labs to Community Impact.
SSSRIF was born from a simple observation: brilliant ideas were emerging from SSSIHL's classrooms and research labs, but too many stayed trapped in journals and theses. Students with prototypes that could transform rural healthcare. Faculty with breakthroughs in sustainable energy. Alumni with the expertise to scale grassroots solutions. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), established to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and meaningful impact. We support students, faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs who believe that technology must serve humanity not just markets. In 2025, SSSIHL established SSSRIF as a Section 8 company a non-profit entity designed to incubate ventures the way the university educates students: with rigor, values, and long-term commitment. We're not a typical accelerator chasing unicorns. We're an ecosystem builder cultivating impact that endures.
Rooted in a Legacy of Service.
Our work is inspired by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, whose life embodied selfless service and whose teachings guide millions worldwide. Swami taught us that education is for life, not for a living and that every innovation must ask not just "Does it work?" but "Whom does it serve?" This is our operating system. Every venture we support is evaluated through the lens of five universal human values: Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace), Prema (Love), and Ahimsa (Non-Violence). These are the foundation for solutions that scale responsibly and sustain authentically.
What Makes Us Different.
Accelerate and Anchor.
Most incubators optimize for speed and exits. We optimize for sustainability and integrity. Here's what that means:
Values Before Valuations
We don't ask, "How fast can you scale?" We ask, "What happens when you scale?" Every venture undergoes a values alignment assessment—not to gatekeep, but to ensure that growth doesn't come at the cost of communities, employees, or the environment.
Research-First Rigor
Rooted in SSSIHL's academic excellence, we hold ventures to high standards of evidence, testing, and validation. No hype. No shortcuts. If it doesn't work in controlled conditions, it won't scale responsibly in the real world. Our startups aren't just building products—they're building science-backed solutions.
Long-Term Partnership, Not Transactional Support
We don't graduate and ghost. Alumni ventures remain part of the SSSRIF ecosystem indefinitely—with continued access to mentors, resources, and community. Your success strengthens everyone. We're not a stepping stone; we're a permanent home base.
Open Ecosystem, Anchored Mission
While we're born from SSSIHL, we welcome innovators from any background, geography, or educational path. What unites us isn't pedigree, it's purpose. Our community includes IIT graduates, village entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, and self-taught builders. If your work serves, you belong here.
World-class Infrastructure
Access to SSSIHL's world-class labs, high-performance computing (6 GPUs, 195 teraflops scalable to 1500), biomedical equipment, and faculty expertise. Plus mentors from industry, investment networks, and legal/IP support. Most incubators offer a desk and Wi-Fi. We offer a rocket fuel station.
Our Approach
The SSSRIF Method
Phase 1: Explore & Validate
Phase 2: Build & Incubate
Phase 3: Scale & Sustain
Phase 1: Explore & Validate (Idea to Proof)
You have a hypothesis. We help you test it—rigorously and responsibly. Through programs like SparkLab, Research Commercialization Track, and Open Innovation Challenges, we help you validate that your solution works, people want it, and it aligns with values.
Phase 2: Build & Incubate (Proof to Product)
You have evidence. We help you structure it into a venture. This is where you get legal formation support, lab access, mentor matching, and milestone-based grants. We’re not just funding—we’re co-building with you.
Phase 3: Scale & Sustain (Product to Portfolio Company)
You’re ready to grow. We connect you with investors, facilitate partnerships, provide media visibility, and ensure you scale without losing your soul. This is where values-driven ventures become market leaders.
What We Don't Do
Our Approach
The SSSRIF Method
Phase 1: Explore & Validate
Phase 2: Build & Incubate
Phase 3: Scale & Sustain
Phase 1: Explore & Validate (Idea to Proof)
You have a hypothesis. We help you test it—rigorously and responsibly. Through programs like SparkLab, Research Commercialization Track, and Open Innovation Challenges, we help you validate that your solution works, people want it, and it aligns with values.
Phase 2: Build & Incubate (Proof to Product)
You have evidence. We help you structure it into a venture. This is where you get legal formation support, lab access, mentor matching, and milestone-based grants. We’re not just funding—we’re co-building with you.
Phase 3: Scale & Sustain (Product to Portfolio Company)
You’re ready to grow. We connect you with investors, facilitate partnerships, provide media visibility, and ensure you scale without losing your soul. This is where values-driven ventures become market leaders.
What We Don't Do
What Makes Us Different.
Our North Star
Vision:
A world where innovation serves humanity—where every breakthrough in labs and garages translates into solutions that uplift communities, restore ecosystems, and honor human dignity.
Mission:
To build an innovation ecosystem that:
Transforms research into real-world impact.
Supports entrepreneurs who prioritize purpose alongside profit.
Demonstrates that values-driven ventures can scale, sustain, and succeed.
Creates a global network of changemakers committed to responsible innovation.
Our Values Framework
Every decision at SSSRIF from whom we accept to how we deploy funds is guided by five timeless principles:
Sathya (Truth)
What it means: Transparency in purpose, process, and progress. No inflated claims, no hidden agendas. In practice: We require honest reporting from ventures. We share our learnings—successes and failures—publicly. We don't sugarcoat challenges.
Dharma (Righteousness)
What it means: Ethical operations, fair treatment of all stakeholders, and integrity in every transaction. In practice: We vet ventures for labor practices, supplier relationships, and data ethics. We don't fund solutions built on exploitation.
Shanti (Peace)
What it means: Building solutions that promote stability, reduce conflict, and foster harmony. In practice: We avoid funding technologies designed for surveillance, manipulation, or division. We support ventures that bring people together.
Prema (Love)
What it means: Human-centered design with deep empathy for users, employees, and communities. In practice: We prioritize ventures that listen to beneficiaries, co-create solutions, and design for inclusion—not just monetization.
Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
What it means: Sustainable practices that minimize harm to people, animals, and the planet. In practice: We evaluate environmental impact, avoid dual-use technologies, and support circular economy models. These aren't checkboxes. They're a compass. We assess ventures directionally—seeking alignment and growth, not perfection. The goal is to ensure ventures are moving toward greater integrity over time.
Leadership & Governance.
Who Steers This Ship
Board of Directors
SSSRIF operates under a Board comprising SSSCT leadership, SSSIHL leadership, industry veterans, and ethical oversight members. They provide strategic direction and fiduciary responsibility while ensuring compliance with Section 8 regulations.
Chief Executive Officer: Pavan Kumar T
Pavan leads SSSRIF's day-to-day operations, bringing [add relevant experience—e.g., "15 years of experience in technology entrepreneurship, social innovation, and academic research commercialization"]. His mandate: build an incubator that SSSIHL alumni are proud of and founders trust implicitly.
Core Team
- Incubation Programs: Application screening, mentor matching, milestone tracking
- Investment & Funding:Due diligence, investor relations, grant facilitation
- Infrastructure & Operations: Lab access, event management, community building
- Impact Measurement:ESG tracking, reporting, continuous improvement
Advisory Network
200+ mentors spanning healthcare, sustainability, AI, finance, legal, and manufacturing. They're advisors and active contributors who roll up their sleeves to help ventures succeed.
Transparent Governance
As a Section 8 company, SSSRIF operates with:
- Annual financial audits (publicly available)
- Board-approved governance framework
- Conflict-of-interest policies for all decision-makers
- Quarterly impact reports to stakeholders
- Open feedback mechanisms for incubatees
Our Ecosystem
Partners & Collaborators
We Don't Build Alone.
Academic Partnerships
Collaborations with IITs, IIMs, and international research institutions for joint cohorts, knowledge exchange, and cross-pollination of ideas.
Industry Partners
Corporates providing pilot opportunities, market access, and CSR funding for impact ventures. Current partners include [add if available, or state "growing network across healthcare, energy, and agriculture sectors"].
Investor Network
Curated group of angels, impact VCs, and family offices who share our values-first approach. We don't just make intros—we ensure founders meet capital that respects their mission.
Government & Policy Engagement
Active participants in DPIIT's startup ecosystem, BIRAC for biotech ventures, and state-level innovation schemes. We help founders navigate bureaucracy so they can focus on building
Global Alumni Network
SSSIHL alumni in 50+ countries serve as mentors, angel investors, and ambassadors. They open doors, share learnings, and give back because they believe in the mission.
Who Should Work With Us?
- You're solving a meaningful problem—not just chasing a market opportunity.
- You're open to mentorship and feedback, even when it's hard to hear.
- You believe values and viability can coexist.
- You're willing to build slowly and sustainably rather than burn fast and pivot.
- You want a long-term partner, not just a 6-month accelerator badge.
- You're committed to transparent reporting and honest communication.
- Your work aligns (or can grow to align) with at least 3 of the 5 human values
- You're optimizing purely for valuation and exit speed.
- Your business model requires exploitation (labor, data, environment).
- You're not willing to share progress (good and bad) openly.
- You see values as "nice to have" but not core to your identity.
- You're building in sectors we explicitly don't support (alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons).
Our Focus Areas
Domains Where We Excel.
Affordable diagnostics, rural healthcare delivery, telemedicine, wellness technologies. Access to biomedical labs, clinical trial partnerships, and regulatory support.
Clean energy systems, sustainable materials, water solutions, circular economy models. Materials testing labs, environmental impact assessment tools, and pilot manufacturing support.
Digital platforms for social good, nutrition science, rural technology, grassroots innovation. Field testing networks, user research partnerships, and vernacular content support.
EdTech for underserved communities, vocational training platforms, teacher enablement tools.
Farmer-facing technology, supply chain optimization, food safety, nutrition.
Join Us
Multiple Ways to Engage
For Founders & Innovators
For Mentors & Advisors
For Investors & Funders
For Corporates & Institutions
For SSSIHL Alumni
For Media & Researchers
Our Commitment to You.
- Honesty: We'll tell you if your idea needs work. We'll celebrate wins and dissect failures together.
- Availability: Our team responds within 24 hours to urgent requests. You're never navigating crises alone.
- Respect: We respect your time, your vision, and your autonomy. We advise; you decide
- Integrity: We'll never ask you to compromise your values for faster growth.
- Partnership: Your success is our success. We're in this for the long haul.