Bio

Dr. Puran Singh is an accomplished academic and researcher specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at the School of Management in IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, where he has been actively contributing to the field since 2015. His research in financial inclusion focuses on exploring business correspondent model of banking. He has completed an extensive study of business correspondents in Himachal Pradesh. His research in the area of entrepreneurship focuses on new venture creation dynamics, student entrepreneurship, and incubation ecosystem. He has developed and taught courses in the areas of finance, accounting and entrepreneurship at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

Dr Puran has also made significant contributions beyond academia. He is the founding faculty in charge of IIT Mandi Catalyst, the first technology business incubator in Himachal Pradesh. He led the setting up and development of Catalyst since its establishment in 2016. He has acted as an enabler of the startup ecosystem in the state, powered new venture journeys over 375 startups, and brought tens of startup and industry experts /investors to the state. He has been working in tandem with the government agencies at the state and central government and the larger startup ecosystem in the country. He has served on the Governing Board of the Indian STEPS and Incubators’ Association (ISBA) during 2022-23. He serves as a member on the CII Northern Region Committee on Startup & Entrepreneurship, and as the Co-convener on the CII HP Panel on Education & Startups. He has been invited to speak about the state's startup ecosystem at various events and platforms. He has facilitated several capacity-building programs on entrepreneurship to startups, students and faculty.