Manager — Industry Partnerships

ACSEL Technology Forum (ACSEL); Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

ACSEL is seeking a seasoned partnerships leader to open doors, build institutional trust, and convert conversations into signed MoUs. This role drives data partnerships for the D.A.T.A. Catalogue, secures ecosystem tie-ups for the Avinya Accelerator, and deepens ACSEL’s footprint across 23 IITs.

The candidate should be a relationship builder with a proven track record in industry, academia, and startups, and be willing to travel across India to advance conversations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, ecosystem building, or corporate/institutional relations.
• Proven track record of independently closing MoUs, partnership agreements, or institutional collaborations.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders — CXOs, Deans, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Drive MoU negotiations with organisations across Healthcare, Pharma, Climate, and Agritech to onboard datasets into ACSEL’s D.A.T.A. Catalogue Server.
• Target 25 signed dataset partnerships by end of FY 2026-27, building an AI-ready central data index.
• Engage with government bodies, research institutions, and private sector data holders to formalise data-sharing and governance agreements.
• Define onboarding requirements, access protocols, and revenue-sharing frameworks with the tech team.
• Identify and formalise partnerships with infrastructure providers (AWS, Yotta, NextGen) to benefit Avinya cohort startups.
• Negotiate in-kind support, credits, mentorship access, and co-branding opportunities for the Avinya value pipeline.
• Drive 10 corporate MoUs in Healthcare, Fintech, Agritech, and Manufacturing for data access.
• Organise bi-annual Industry-Startup Connect events.
• Build relationships with all 23 IITs — faculty, heads, alumni, placement offices.
• Support the Mentor Panel governance structure anchored by IIT faculty and industry veterans.
• Coordinate IIT involvement in ACSEL’s modular curriculum for capacity building workshops.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Persuasive communication

Organization

Travel readiness

Job description

This is a rare opportunity to be part of an institution that is being built from the ground up — with the full backing of IIT alumni networks, the Government of Karnataka, and a growing roster of India’s leading AI thinkers and practitioners.

You will have a direct line to leadership, a clear mandate, and the scope to build something that matters. ACSEL’s 2026-27 roadmap is ambitious — 25 funded AI startups, 25 data partnerships, 23 IIT relationships, and a global conference on the calendar. The partnerships function is not a support role here; it is one of the four pillars the entire scale-up rests on.

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Manager — Industry Partnerships

Location

Experience

10+ Years

Compensation

18 LPA

Role Overview

ACSEL is looking for a seasoned partnerships leader who can open doors, build institutional trust, and convert conversations into signed MoUs. This role sits at the heart of ACSEL’s 2026-27 scale-up — driving data partnerships for the D.A.T.A. Catalogue, securing ecosystem tie-ups for the Avinya Accelerator, and deepening ACSEL’s footprint across all 23 IITs.

The right candidate is a relationship builder with a track record spanning industry, academia, and the startup ecosystem. They are equally comfortable pitching to a Chief Data Officer, a Dean of Research, or a Head of Corporate Innovation — and are willing to travel to make those conversations happen.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive MoU negotiations with organisations across Healthcare, Pharma, Climate, and Agritech to onboard their datasets into ACSEL’s D.A.T.A. Catalogue Server.
• Target 25 signed dataset partnerships by end of FY 2026-27, working toward an AI-ready, central data index.
• Engage with organisations including government bodies, research institutions, and private sector data holders to formalise data-sharing and governance agreements.
• Work with the technology team to define onboarding requirements, access protocols, and revenue-sharing frameworks.
• Identify, approach, and formalise partnerships with infrastructure and ecosystem players (e.g. AWS, Yotta, NextGen, and similar cloud, compute, and platform providers) to bring tangible value to Avinya cohort startups.
• Negotiate in-kind support, credits, mentorship access, and co-branding opportunities that strengthen the Avinya value pipeline.
• Drive 10 corporate MoUs in Healthcare, Fintech, Agritech, and Manufacturing for data access,
• Organise and host bi-annual Industry-Startup Connect matchmaking events.
• Build and maintain active, structured relationships with all 23 IITs — engaging faculty, department heads, alumni networks, and placement offices.
• Support the Mentor Panel governance structure, which is anchored by a 5-7 member committee of IIT faculty and industry veterans.
• Facilitate IIT involvement in ACSEL’s modular curriculum (Awareness, Practitioner, and Advanced tracks) for capacity building workshops.
• Coordinate the sourcing of 150+ vetted mentors from IIT alumni networks to support Avinya cohort startups.
• Develop and manage a structured CRM pipeline of partners, tracking engagement status, outcomes, and renewal cycles.
• Represent ACSEL at industry events, conferences, and networking forums — building ACSEL’s presence as the definitive AI CoE in Karnataka.
• Work closely with the leadership team to identify sponsorship, co-branding, and revenue-generating partnership opportunities.
• Support the design and execution of ACSEL Talks, AIPodcasts, and flagship events such as the annual ACSEL Investor Day and Reimagining AI Conference.

Experience & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, ecosystem building, or corporate/institutional relations.
  Demonstrated track record of independently closing MoUs, partnership agreements, or institutional collaborations.
• Prior exposure to the startup ecosystem, accelerators, innovation programmes, or technology-led organisations.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders — CXOs, Heads of Research, Dean-level faculty, or equivalent.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across India for relationship-building engagements.
• Experience in or adjacent to AI, deep tech, data, or emerging technology sectors.
• Prior work with academic institutions, research organisations, or IITs.
• Familiarity with cloud/infrastructure ecosystems (AWS, Azure, GCP) and the value they offer startups.
• Understanding of data governance, data licensing, or open data frameworks.
• Entrepreneurial: comfortable operating in a lean, fast-moving organisation with high ownership.
• Networked: brings an existing book of relationships in industry, tech, or academia.
• Persuasive: can articulate ACSEL’s mission compellingly and convert sceptics into champions.
• Organised: able to manage a large portfolio of relationships with discipline and follow-through.

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