Phanindra Sama, who co-founded online ticket booking service RedBus, has been appointed Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of Telangana. IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao handed over the appointment letter to him at the Secretariat here on Friday. Mr.Sama, who hails from Nizamabad and currently a patron in Kakatiya SandBox, an experimentation lab for people to work on solutions to local problems, said it was “big responsibility” reposed on him.
Innovation, the serial entrepreneur, said was necessary in every space and for everyone, from school children to IT professionals and even in government. Highlighting the significance of innovation in propelling development, he said he was happy to contribute to the Initiative of the government.
The release said the State government has established Telangana State Innovation Cell to promote innovation at the grass root level – in Schools and other educational Institutions, in rural areas, and in the government. The focus of the Cell is focus on bringing the start-up ecosystem closer by promoting a "State as a whole approach" as opposed to concentrating start-up activity in one location by enabling co-working spaces and incubators across the State to upgrade themselves.
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Mr.Sama co-founded RedBus in 2006 and was its CEO for eight years. Naspers, a South African investment firm had acquired RedBus for Rs.780 crores, the release said.