When Naveen Tewari (MBA 2005) arrived on campus in 2003, his native India had not yet become the economic powerhouse it is today, a fact reflected in the limited number of HBS cases with Indian protagonists. In just over a decade, the School has developed 187 cases that explore a variety of issues related to business in South Asia, with 168 of them focusing specifically on India. Tewari hopes that his 10th Reunion gift in support of research in India will inspire even greater interest in and understanding of the region.

“There are many new businesses being created in India today that illustrate how rapidly things are changing,” says Tewari, counting among them InMobi, the company he founded, which has grown into the world’s largest independently owned mobile advertising company, with more than 1.4 billion unique users in 240 countries and territories. “What India is experiencing is phenomenal,” he adds. “Massive innovation is happening, and entrepreneurship is critical to the process.”

An engineer by training, Tewari says that HBS “played a huge role in shaping who I am today. The School enabled me to think globally and understand different cultures and environments.”

Tewari’s support will further the work of the India Research Center (IRC), one of nine Global Research Centers that broaden the School’s international reach. Since its opening in 2006, the IRC has assisted HBS faculty in research and case writing. It has also facilitated student and faculty immersions in the region and developed opportunities for engagement with alumni and the local community.

“There is great sharing of knowledge that can be done by the center,” says Tewari. “It can bring alive the extraordinary innovation that’s happening in India right now.”

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