YourStory Welcomes Madanmohan Rao as Research Director

Madanmohan Rao Joins YourStory.in as Research Director To Drive Research Reports, Books and Publications on Startups and Investments in India

YourStory Media, India’s largest platform for entrepreneurs and startups, is pleased to announce that Dr Madanmohan Rao has joined the firm as Research Director. In his new role, Madan will manage the research track at YourStory, launching an authoritative series of reports on startups in India, investors, incubators and other aspects of the innovation ecosystem.

Shradha Sharma, CEO & Founder of YourStory Media said “We’re very thrilled to have Madan join us. He has been researching India’s Internet and mobile markets right from their onset. His experience in India and abroad will help take YourStory Media to new heights. Having a research scholar in digital media join our team is very exciting, and Madan will help YourStory build new research products and services to enrich the Indian innovation ecosystem.”

Madan was previously research director at the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) in Singapore, group consultant at Microland in Bangalore, vice president at IndiaWorld Communications in Mumbai, and communications director at the United Nations Inter Press Service bureau in New York. He is a prolific blogger and tweeter and can be followed at @madanrao.

Madan is the editor of five book series including “The Asia Pacific Internet Handbook” and “The Knowledge Management Chronicles.” He has co-authored the book “NetChakra: 15 Years of the Internet in India” and published annual research reports on mobile startups for MobileMonday (Africa,  Asia). He is also a juror for the World Summit Awards, Manthan Awards and mBillionth Awards for best digital and mobile content.Madan is member of CII’s Knowledge Council and co-founder of the Bangalore K-Community, a network of knowledge management professionals. He is the founder of the Indian Proverbs Project, world music and jazz editor at Jazzuality and World Music Central, and RJ/manager for jazz and world music channels at RadioWalla. Madan graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology at Bombay and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with an M.S. in computer science and a Ph.D. in communications. He is a frequent speaker on the international conference circuit, and has given talks and lectures in over 80 countries around the world.

“I’m delighted and honoured to join YourStory Media. Indian cities such as Bangalore are among the Top Five global hotspots for startups, and the entrepreneur buzz is spreading across India. We are witnessing the birth of a new generation of startups in India, and their story will be one of the most fascinating ones of the 21^st century with ripple effects across the globe. I look forward to being part of this story by publishing insightful reports and books for startups, investors, analysts, educators, NGOs and government,” says Madan.

Shradha Sharma goes on to say “Building an authoritative research track on startups is critical for not just us but for the entire entrepreneur ecosystem. World-class reports disseminated in India and abroad will create more thought leadership for YourStory and provide informative material for all those interested in creating or nurturing startups. We look forward to having Madan on our team to conceptualise and launch a range of research reports.”

The research track will include the annual India Startup Report, VC Report, Social Entrepreneurs Report, Mobile India Report, and a special book on ‘Startup India’ to be released on the 5^th anniversary of YourStory in 2013.