Professor Kumar has over 16 years of experience in the industry, holding positions of CEO, President and Management Consultant in reputed organizations. He also started three companies before joining IIMB in 2001.
Shameen Prashantham and K Kumar. “Engaging with startups: MNC Perspectives” IIMB Management Review (Forthcoming)
Shameen Prashantham, K Kumar and Sumelika Bhattacharya. “International New Ventures from Emerging Economies: Network Connectivity and Legitimacy Building” Management and Organization Review 15.3, September 2019, 615-641
Shameen Prashantham Kothandaraman Kumar, Suresh Bhagavatula and Saras D Sarasvathy. “Effectuation, network-building and internationalisation speed” International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship 2019, Vol. 37(1) 3–21
Lea Zenner, Kothandaraman Kumar and Matthias Pilz. “Entrepreneurship Education at Indian Industrial Training Institutes - A Case Study of the Prescribed, Adopted and Enacted Curriculum in and around Bangalore” International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET) Vol. 4, Issue 1, April 2017, 69-94
Shameen Prashantham, Charles Dhanraj and K. Kumar. “Ties that Bind: Ethnic Ties and New Venture Internationalization” Long Range Planning 48 (2015) 317-333
Kumar. K “Reviving Business History in India- The Way Forward” IIMB Management Review. March 2014. Vol. 26, Issue 1. P 65-73
Sarasvathy, Saras; Kumar, K; York, Jeffrey G; Bhagavatula, Suresh. “An Effectual Approach to International Entrepreneurship” Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice. Jan 2014. Vol. 38, Issue 1. P 71-93.
Kumar. K “The Role of Local Entrepreneurship and Multinational Firms in the Growth of IT Sector: An Exploratory Study of Bangalore” South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 16.3 (2009) pp 24-42
Kumar. K “High Growth Businesses and Low Growth Environment in Bangalore: a Study of Firm Level Data for 1998-2003” Dharana, Bhavan’s International Journal of Business , Vol.3,1 (2009) pp3-11
Kumar. K and Mulchandani, Manohar “Getting an Innovation Initiative Off the Ground: The Experience of Wipro”, IIMB Management Review, Vol.17, No.3, September 2005, pp. 41-46
Sriram. M.S and Kumar. K “TVAHelp.com”, Asian Case Research Journal, Vol.8, Issue 1,(2004), pp. 79-106
BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS
K. Kumar, N. Bringi Dev and Usha. K. R. (ed) “The Evolution of IIMB: Directors’ Perspectives” Indian Institute of Management Bangalore 2019
K. Kumar “ITIs and ITCs in India” in “India: Preparation for the world of work – Education System and school to work transition”: Matthias Pilz (Ed) Springer VS (2016), p 65-80
Ravi Sarathy, K. Kumar and Kim Eddleston “Strategies and motives of family and non-family firms in India: Unexpected differences and similarities” in “Firms within Families: Enterprising in Diverse Country Contexts”, J. E. Jennings, K. J. Eddleston, P.D. Jennings and Ravi Sarathy (Eds) Edward Elgar (UK) 2015 Chapter5 p-95-116,
Ravi Sarathy, K. Kumar and Kim Eddleston. “Enterprising Families in India: are their businesses and families enemies?” in “Firms within Families: Enterprising in Diverse Country Contexts”, J. E. Jennings, K. J. Eddleston, P.D. Jennings and Ravi Sarathy (Eds) Edward Elgar (UK) 2015 Chapter 12 p 213-236
K. Kumar, “High Tech Dilemmas-India” in “Entrepreneurial women in Asia: Case Studies and perspectives” Edited by Richard G. Seymour, Myanmar Hertage Publications (2014) p 149-160
K. Kumar and Jarrod Ormiston “Bounding Research Settings” in ‘Handbook of Research Methods on Social Entrepreneurship” Edited by Richard G Seymour, Edward Elgar, UK. (2012) pp106-123.
OTHER JOURNAL PAPERS AND WORKING PAPERS
Prashantham. S and Kumar. K How do new ventures in MNC ecosystems proactively overcome interfirm asymmetries? IIMB Management Review Round Table Vol. 23 ,2011 pp 177-188
Kumar. K; Ramya T. V; Vijay, Devi; Sharma, Deepali; Srivardhini. K; Tumbe, Chinmay. ‘Research on Business and Entrepreneurship History of India- Reflections on the State of the Art and Future Directions” Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, 2011, Working Paper #329
Kumar. K Leveraging Context-specific Innovation for growth – Context of Interview with Manoj Upadhyay, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 20, No2, June 2008, pp 158-161
Kumar. K Leveraging Context-specific Innovation for growth – In Conversation with Manoj Upadhyay, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 20, No2, June 2008, pp 162-171
Kumar. K Driven by Quality: Backward and Forward Integration at Sobha Developers – In Conversation with P. N. C. Menon, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 19, No3, September 2007, pp 223-229
Kumar. K Interview “Creating IP Based Business Out of India” In conversation with Mr.Srini Rajam, Chairman and CEO, Ittiam Systems, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 19,No.2, June 2007, pp 111-118
Kumar. K and Mahadevan B Interview: “Evolution of Business Models in B2C E-Commerce: The Case of Fabmall”, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 15, No.4, December 2003, pp.23-30
Krishnan, Rishikesha T, and K Kumar “Emerging Market Companies Ascending the Value Curve: Rationale, Motivation and Strategies”, IIM Bangalore Working Paper No.213, September 2003
Kumar. K “Growth Issues of Small and Medium Enterprises in the IT Sector (SMITs): An Overview”, IIMB Management Review, Vol.15,No.1, March 2003, pp.70-72
Kumar. K “Growth Issues of SMITS: Discussion”, IIMB Management Review, Vol.15,No.1, March 2003, pp. 99-111
Kumar. K and Rishikesha T Krishnan “Growth Challenges of Software SMITs: A Strategic Analysis”, IIMB Management Review, Vol.15,No.1, March 2003, pp.112-118
Managing New Ventures
Corporate Entrepreneurship and Venturing
Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation
Entrepreneurial Management
Corporate Growth in Entrepreneurial Environment
New Venture Planning for Technology Businesses
Strategic Management
Entrepreneurship in Action
Entrepreneurial Mindset and Action
SERVICE
Associate Editor, IIMB Management Review, (2015-)
Member, Editorial Review Board, Management and Organization Review, (2015 onwards)
MEMBERSHIP IN COMMITTEES (RECENT)
Member EPGP committee (2013 onwards)
Member, Academic Advisory Committee, NSRCEL (2012 onwards)
Member, Incubation Screening Committee (2012 onwards)
Member, SEP Review Committee (2012-2013)
Member, PGSEM Review Committee (2012-2013)
Chairperson, NSRCEL (April 2008 –March 2012)
Member, PGP Committee (April 2008-March 2010)
Member of the EEP Committee ( May 2008-April 2010)
Member, NSRCEL Academic Advisory Committee (2003-2005)
Member, PGP Review Committee (2010-2011)
Member EPGP Review Committee (2016-2017)
Member, Committee for award of Institute Chairs (2015-2016)
Chairperson, Committee on Service Rules (2016-2017)
Chairperson (academic activities), NSRCEL (2016-2018)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Independent Director (as well as the Chairman of the Audit Committee and Remuneration committee) on the board of Expleo Solutions (formerly known as SQS India BFSI Limited, Chennai and as Thinksoft Global Solutions Limited), a company listed in NSE and BSE, since September 2008
Member of the Program Steering Committee (PSC) of Technology Refinement and Marketing Program (TREMAP) of TIFAC, Government of India (2008-2014)
Member of the Steering Committee, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), TIFAC, Government of India, (2009-2014)
Director on the Board of IIMB Innovations, a section 25 company promoted by IIMB to manage its incubation activities (2011-2017)
Independent Director on the Board of IIITB Innovation Centre, a section 25 company promoted by IIITB to promote its innovations, since 2013
Trustee of the Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha, Bangalore, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Indian Classical Music since 1999
CORPORATE EXPERIENCE
Trigent Software Limited
CEO (April 1995-April2001)
President (July 2005-December 2006)
Tata Consultancy Services (Jan 1991 to March 1995)
Management Consultant
Computer Point (I) Limited (June 1986 to June1987)
Product manager
Polykorp Private Limited (June 1983 to May 1986)
Prabhu Surveyors Private Limited
Director (Own Business)
Crompton Greaves Limited (June 1981 to April 1983)
Marketing officer
Professor Kumar was nominated in 2010 to serve as the ICCR short-term Chair Visiting Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He is a member of the National Steering Committee of the Technology Refinement and Marketing Programme and the MSME programme of TIFAC, Government of India. He also serves as an independent director on the board of a publicly-listed company and consults with corporate organizations in the areas of business growth strategies and implementation.
Degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University (1974-1979)
Postgraduate diploma in management from IIM-B (1979-1981)
Fellow of the IIM-B (equivalent of a PhD) (1987-1992)
Awarded the Apeejay Surrendra Chair in Family Business and Entrepreneurship by IIMB during (2013-2016)
