Renowned academic and author Soumitra Dutta is the founder of Portulans Institute, a US-based non-profit and research organization that produces actionable research on how technology, people and innovation contribute to sustainable economic growth in a country. Soumitra Dutta is a co-creator of two major global benchmarks: GII (Global Innovation Index) and Network Readiness Index (NRI). NRI measures 133 economies on their readiness to leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact.
GII assesses the innovation performance of 130-140 countries annually on around 80 parameters across seven pillars (Institutions, Human Capital & Research, Infrastructure, Market Sophistication, Business Sophistication, Knowledge & Technology Outputs, Creative Outputs). GII is published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD. It helps policymakers identify and address innovation bottlenecks. Soumitra Dutta has enjoyed an illustrious educational career. An alumnus of IIT-Delhi, he holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Soumitra Dutta was a doctoral student of the legendary Lotfi A. Zadeh, the founder of fuzzy logic. Soumitra Dutta’s career as an academic includes leadership positions at some of the world’s most prestigious colleges and universities. Dutta began at INSEAD, France, in 1989 as an Assistant Professor in Information Systems and Technology Management. Later he would serve as Dean of Technology and E-learning, Dean of Executive Education, and Dean of External Relations.In 2012, Soumitra Dutta became the 11th Dean of Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. He then led as Founding Dean of the SC Johnson College of Business from 2016 to 2018, securing a record$150 million naming gift, and launching initiatives such as Cornell Tech in NYC and the Cornell-Tsinghua dual MBA, the only Ivy League MBA in mainland China.
From June 2022 to September 2025, Soumitra Dutta was Dean at Oxford’s Said Business School. During his tenure at the renowned institution, he emphasized building social capital, cultural immersion for students, and mindful decision-making in AI-driven economies.Soumitra Dutta is also an entrepreneur who has founded two technological startups: Fisheye Analytics, a social media analytics firm that was sold to the WPP Communications Group in 2013, and Igesia, an edutech firm started in 2019. He's also author/co-author of interesting books such as Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World, Innovating at the Top : Global Innovation Leaders: CEO Perspectives on Innovation for Growth and Profit (International Management Knowledge), and The Bright Stuff: How Innovative People and Technology Can Make the Old Economy New. Soumitra Dutta is a prolific researcher and writer. His ResearchGate profile lists 87 publications.