About

Rama Iyer is an accomplished innovation thought leader and author, currently serving as Head of Innovation for GMR Group, a leading infrastructure development company in India. In his current role, Rama is responsible for building the entire innovation culture and charter for GMR Airports, with a focus on supporting airport adjacencies and other group businesses like MRO, Cargo/Logistics, and IT Infra. He is passionate about envisioning the airport of the future and building innovative products and solutions in partnership with startups, to offer a range of offerings for airport consumption and beyond. Prior to joining GMR Group, Rama served as Chief Innovation Officer for T-Hub Hyderabad, where he led the innovation charter to reposition T-Hub and craft T-Hub 2.0 as the world's largest incubator and startup ecosystem engine. He also worked to stitch a global innovation alliance with other large ecosystem outposts and reimagine corporate innovation working with existing and new partners, building strategic programs for various Ministries and Government Departments. Rama has also served as Chief Technology Officer for Eleven01 Foundation, a global high-performance protocol with a focus on India, where he oversaw the complete ecosystem, including Eleven01 Protocol, Eleven01 Labs, Eleven01 Exchange, Eleven01 Advisory, and Eleven01 Media. Rama has a diverse educational background, including a degree in Electronics from National Education Society, Bhandup, and a recent certification in Design Thinking for Innovation from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. With 18.36 years of relevant experience, Rama is a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of innovation, technology, and infrastructure development.