Project 1: Enhancing Agribusiness and Strategic Policy Dialogue between Australia and India. Funding: Australian Government’s Centre for Australia India Relations Maitri Research Grant.
Dr Vanita Yadav
Senior Research Fellow/ Senior Lecturer · Western Sydney University
- Western Sydney University
- Australia
- Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
Areas of interest
Business Strategy, Innovation Management, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Adoption, Sustainability, Nature Positive and Regenerative Innovation.
Biography
Dr Vanita Yadav is an international research and innovation leader specialising in agribusiness, entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation, and Australia–India collaboration. She is a Senior Researcher at Western Sydney University’s Urban Transformations Research Centre, where she leads transdisciplinary research and industry engagement initiatives that bring together government, industry, researchers, and communities to address complex challenges in food systems, climate governance, sustainable development, and economic growth. With over 15 years of international experience across Australia, the United States, and India, Dr Vanita has led and contributed to major interdisciplinary projects spanning innovation, trade, governance, and sustainability. She is a Fulbright postdoctoral alumna of MIT and a former Research Affiliate at Harvard University’s South Asia Institute. She has authored over 50 scholarly publications, supervises doctoral researchers, and serves as keynote speaker and expert panelist at international forums. Dr Yadav leads the AgriMaitri initiative, supported through a Maitri Grant from the Australian Government's Centre for Australia India Relations, strengthening agribusiness partnerships, knowledge exchange, and strategic policy dialogue between Australia and India.
Research Project
Project 2: Women Entrepreneurs in the New Indian Middle Class: Macro and Micro Perspectives, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), 2015-2018.
Project 3: Sustainability-driven Entrepreneurship. Funding: United States India Education Foundation and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, USA.
Key Publications/Reports
1. Yadav, Vanita, Bhattacharya, S., Morrison, N., Maheshwari, B., Varua, M.E., Tissue, D., Singh, B. and Narula, S. (2026) Australia–India Agribusiness: Strategic Pathways for Shared Value. Urban Transformations Research Centre Report, Parramatta: Western Sydney University. https://doi.org/10.26183/50k8-kz75
2. Yadav, Vanita & Yadav, N. (2024). Beyond Sustainability, towards Resilience and Regeneration: Archetypes of Regenerative Innovation. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-024-00418-8 (open access).
3. Yadav, Vanita, Adya, M., Unni, J. & Morrison, N. (2023, Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management, Best Paper Award). What is your true entrepreneurial identity? The conundrum of Femininity and Identity in female entrepreneurs.
4. Yadav, Vanita (2023). SME sustainability in turbulent times: A Review of Literature and Future Directions. In: Adapa, S., McKeown, T., Lazaris, M., Jurado, T. (eds) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and Business Uncertainty. Palgrave Studies in Global Entrepreneurship. Palgrave Macmillan.
5. Yadav, Vanita & Goyal, P (2015). User Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Case studies from Rural India. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 4(1), 1-20.
6. Yadav, Vanita (2014). Unique Identification Project for 1.2 billion People in India: Can it fill Institutional Voids and enable ‘Inclusive’ Innovation? Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 6(1), 2014.