From a humble household in South Kolkata to pioneering deep-tech innovation, Dr. Neelanjan Manna’s journey reflects a powerful commitment to building world-class technology from India, for India and the world.
Kolkata: Dr. Neelanjan Manna represents a new generation of Indian innovators who combine technological expertise with resilience, entrepreneurship and a strong commitment to national self-reliance. Born on August 3, 1997, his journey from a humble household in South Kolkata to becoming a technology leader and innovator is a story of perseverance, curiosity and an unwavering belief in building from the ground up.
His childhood was deeply influenced by the contrasting legacies of his two grandfathers. One, a freedom fighter, instilled in him a rebellious spirit and the courage to challenge established norms, while the other, a businessman, taught him practical wisdom and an understanding of commerce. These influences, combined with financial constraints during his early years, shaped a personality determined not to simply accept existing systems but to understand, challenge and reinvent them.
As a young boy, Manna would often dismantle household electronics to understand how they worked. This curiosity eventually evolved into a deep fascination with programming, cryptography and the fundamental architecture of technology.
During his engineering years at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), he developed a strong focus on cryptography, programming and the mathematical foundations of computer science. His academic journey involved countless hours of experimentation, coding and exploring new approaches to solving complex technological problems.
This period of intense research led to one of his early breakthroughs—the development of the “Manna Cipher,” a mathematical ciphering model published in 2020. The model introduced a sophisticated numbering system for ciphertext and was designed to explore new approaches to cryptographic complexity beyond conventional alphanumeric systems.
However, like millions of young professionals around the world, Manna faced significant uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of allowing the crisis to limit his ambitions, he transformed adversity into an opportunity for entrepreneurship and technological reinvention.
This led to the establishment of his first startup, SciFii Inc, which he began operating from a modest garage-sized room at his family home in Kolkata. Working with limited resources but strong determination, he focused on developing technology solutions centred around offline functionality, data sovereignty and cryptographic security.
The experience became an important foundation for his future work in India’s rapidly evolving deep-tech ecosystem.
Dr. Manna later took on the role of Chief Innovation Officer at Swastikk AITech, where he has been involved in deep-tech initiatives spanning areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, indigenous cryptographic research and digital security.
His work has also explored technologies related to AI-powered systems, deepfake detection, forensic tools and advanced computational solutions. Through these initiatives, he has consistently advocated for the development of transparent, auditable and indigenous technology platforms that can contribute to India’s growing digital capabilities. Dr. Manna has also consistently championed technological self-reliance. He believes that India’s startups and enterprises should invest more deeply in developing proprietary technologies, indigenous intellectual property and systems capable of functioning independently when required.
This philosophy also shaped one of the most important decisions of his life His decision was driven by his strong opposition to the growing phenomenon of brain drain. While many talented Indian students and professionals build successful careers abroad, Manna believed that India’s technological future required more innovators to build, research and create products within the country.
Rather than pursuing opportunities overseas, he chose to remain committed to developing Indian technology and contributing to the vision of Make in India.
For him, the objective was not simply to work for global technology companies but to create globally competitive products that originate in India.
“India has extraordinary talent. What we need is greater confidence in our ability to build foundational technologies ourselves. We should not only consume technology created elsewhere—we should build the technologies that the world uses,” reflects the philosophy behind his work.
Beyond his corporate and entrepreneurial pursuits, Dr. Manna has emerged as a mentor and advocate for grassroots innovation. He has dedicated significant effort to conducting workshops and participating in innovation initiatives and hackathons, particularly focusing on students and professionals from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
He believes that talent exists across the country, but access to opportunities remains uneven. Through hands-on learning and practical experimentation, he encourages aspiring innovators to build from scratch, make mistakes and develop a deeper understanding of technology.
His work and contributions have earned recognition, including being named among the Most Inspiring AI Leaders and Leading CXOs in India in 2025.
His interests also extend to areas such as low-power computing, blockchain-verified IoT communications, cybersecurity and sustainable technology infrastructure. Across these fields, his broader objective remains consistent—making advanced technology more accessible while strengthening India’s technological independence. Inspired by innovators such as Nikola Tesla and Elon Musk, Dr. Manna has always been drawn to ambitious ideas and the willingness to challenge conventional thinking. His autobiography, “Reinventing the Wheel,” reflects this philosophy and chronicles the failures, rejections, experiments and breakthroughs that have shaped his personal and professional journey.
The title itself represents a deliberate challenge to the belief that everything worth creating has already been created. For Manna, revisiting first principles and rebuilding from the ground up is often where genuine innovation begins.
His work with Swastikk AITech, including initiatives such as Project XEUS involving advanced AI applications and digital forensic technologies, represents his broader belief that technology should serve society, protect information and strengthen institutions against emerging digital threats.
From dismantling household gadgets as a curious child in South Kolkata to working on complex systems involving cryptography, distributed computing and artificial intelligence, Dr. Neelanjan Manna’s journey demonstrates the power of resilience and reinvention.
More importantly, his decision to remain in India despite opportunities abroad reflects a powerful message for the country’s next generation of innovators.
At a time when India’s technology ecosystem is rapidly expanding, Dr. Neelanjan Manna continues to advocate for a future where Indian talent does not merely participate in the global technology revolution but leads it by creating world-class products, intellectual property and innovations from Indian soil.
His journey stands as a reminder that true innovation is not always about following established paths. Sometimes, it is about having the courage to build a new one—from scratch, in India, and for the world.
For more information please visit: https://neelanjanmanna.com/
