Dr. Akash Sondhi, PhD | Campus Engagement, IHFC

Dr. Akash Sondhi, PhD
Ph.D., University of Delaware, USA
M.Tech., IIT Kanpur | B.E., BIT
Certified EIT, Maryland, USA

Dr. Akash Sondhi is the GM (Head) of Campus Engagement at IHFC, the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi. With over 14 years of experience across academia and industry—including leadership roles at IHFC, TERI School of Advanced Studies, and Wipro Ltd. (Mission10X)—he specializes in process innovation, translational research, research management for startups, innovation ecosystems, and new-age training through action research.

At IHFC, Dr. Sondhi leads strategic campus engagement initiatives that strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, startups, and government. He oversees flagship programs such as the IHFC Co-Innovation Center Initiative and the READY Entrepreneurship Program, which promote innovation, co-creation, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurial capacity building across higher education institutions.

Throughout his career, he has worked extensively at the intersection of engineering, education, and innovation, enabling organizations, students, researchers, and entrepreneurs to develop impactful solutions through interdisciplinary collaboration.

14+ Years in Academia & Industry

8 Peer-Reviewed Publications (36 Citations)

3 Commercialized Products Contributed

13 Scholars Supervised (1 PhD, 12 M.Tech)

Build

Translational Innovation & Systems

Translating laboratory research into scalable products, regional co-innovation hubs, and high-efficiency operational processes.

01 / Products

Commercialized Products

Contributed to the development, validation, and commercialization of 3 new products bridging rigorous engineering research with practical market utility.

02 / Infrastructure

Co-Innovation Centers

Directing the IHFC Co-Innovation Center Initiative across higher education institutions to build collaborative physical and digital R&D infrastructure nationwide.

03 / Process

LEAN & IoT Process Design

Designing systems using LEAN methodologies, consulting frameworks, and IoT-driven problem solving to optimize processes and eliminate operational waste.

Connect

Collaboration & Inquiries

Open to academic-industry partnerships, campus co-innovation centers, keynote speaking, and startup advisory roles.

Office Location

IHFC - Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India

Primary Domains

Process Innovation • Research Management for Startups • Action Research • Design Thinking & Sustainability

Professional Memberships

TiE Pune • American Water Works Association (AWWA) • Association of Environmental Engineering Science Professors (AEESP)

Discover

Scholarly Publications & Research

8 peer-reviewed journal papers, 1 authored book, 36 citations, and contributions to US national water quality standards.

Water Standards • AWWA

Fluoride Water Quality Criteria & Health Guidelines

American Water Works Association (AWWA) Standards Criteria Document

Contributed to the development of national fluoride water quality criteria for AWWA, establishing evidence-based benchmarks for community water systems and risk evaluations.

Authored Book • Academic Monograph

Environmental Systems, Process Design & Sustainability Practices

Scholarly Academic Book Publication

Authored a comprehensive academic book integrating environmental engineering principles with process optimization, LEAN workflows, and sustainable technologies.

Peer-Reviewed Research • 36 Citations

Translational Frameworks for Deep-Tech Startups in University Ecosystems

Engineering Education & Applied Systems Research

Methodological approaches for bridging scientific laboratory breakthroughs with market-ready products and startup incubation pathways.

International Initiative • Global R&D

Global Classroom Initiative with Drexel University (USA)

Cross-Border Collaborative Engineering Education

International educational initiative promoting global perspectives on engineering innovation, environmental systems, and interdisciplinary problem solving.

Engage

Strategic Campus Engagement

Cultivating partnerships across academia, industry, startups, and government to build scalable innovation ecosystems.

Flagship Program • IHFC IIT Delhi

IHFC Co-Innovation Center Initiative

Oversees the establishment and strategic growth of Co-Innovation Centers across partner higher education institutions, creating regional hubs for co-creation, applied R&D, and technology commercialization.

Venture Acceleration • Capacity Building

READY Entrepreneurship Program

Leads this flagship initiative promoting entrepreneurial capacity building, translational research mentorship, and venture readiness among university students and researchers.

Academic Transformation • Wipro Ltd.

Wipro Mission10X & Talent Transformation

Led initiatives in Design Thinking, academic transformation, leadership development, sustainability, and experiential learning across higher education faculties nationwide.

Institutional Innovation • TERI SAS

TERI SAS Innovation Cell & Efficiency for Access

Served on the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Cell (EDIC) and mentored teams competing internationally in the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge.

Fun & Reflection

The Innovation Mindset

A quick reflection on research translation, design thinking, and Dr. Sondhi’s interdisciplinary journey.

What is the primary catalyst for successfully converting laboratory research into a commercial venture?

Select your perspective below:

Mentors & Supervision

Guiding Researchers & Founders

Track record of mentoring doctoral scholars, master's researchers, and early-stage entrepreneurs.

Supervision

1 Ph.D. Scholar

Supervised doctoral research in applied environmental systems, microbial risk assessment, and sustainable engineering frameworks.

Postgraduate

12 M.Tech. Students

Guided 12 master's thesis researchers at leading engineering institutions in environmental management, modeling, and process design.

Advisory

3 Startups Mentored

Active startup advisor through TiE Pune and IHFC incubation pipelines, focusing on customer validation and translational research.

Mentorship Philosophy

"Translational mentorship is about helping researchers step out of comfort zones—connecting theoretical excellence with empathetic, user-driven design thinking to solve tangible human problems."

Honors, Credentials & Affiliations

Professional awards, US engineering credentials, executive certifications, and organizational memberships.

Awards • Wipro Ltd.

Two Nyla Awards

Recognized with two prestigious Nyla Awards for exceptional achievements in innovation and talent transformation at Wipro Ltd.

Awards • Mission10X

Talent Transformation Awards

Honored for excellence in academic program management, faculty enablement, and experiential technical training.

Professional Licensure • State of Maryland, USA

Certified Engineer-in-Training (EIT)

Official US engineering licensure certification credential.

Certifications

Professional Executive Certifications

Design Thinking • Consulting Engagement • LEAN Methodologies • Leadership Development • Project Management • Microbial Risk Assessment.

Affiliations

Professional Society Memberships

Active Member, TiE Pune • Member, American Water Works Association (AWWA) • Member, Association of Environmental Engineering Science Professors (AEESP).