Silicon Valley often hosts world leaders, but rarely gives them the rock-star reception that it is planning for India prime minister Narendra Modi.  Seats for an 18,500-person event where he will be speaking, at the SAP Center in San Jose, disappeared within days, and tens of thousands more could have sold. The Indian community is abuzz with more excitement than when Bollywood troupes visit. Companies such as Google, Facebook, and Tesla are rolling out the red carpet.

Image: India prime minister Narendra Modi will be making the rounds in Silicon Valley. (Kamran Jebreili/AP)

Our politicians throw around metaphors of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’, while a significant percentage of government schools still doesn’t have a water connection. While programmes that help foster innovation in India are commendable, our policymakers and bureaucrats try to ape the most salient parts of the American innovation ecosystem without understanding its genesis or mechanics. As a US-educated researcher and engineer, I can perhaps comment on what lies beneath the tip of the innovation iceberg.

When things get tough, many people turn to a motivational quote for a bit of inspiration. Some of these pithy sayings have become celebrated parts of society’s lexicon. Some include:

"I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work." —Thomas Edison "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." —Eleanor Roosevelt "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." —Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change." Those were the words shared—on Twitter—by Pope Francis, Time's "Person of The Year" in 2013, who assumed the pontificate that year and has since projected a transformational leadership style.

The South African government has quietly been piloting a new seed-funding programme and has wisely teamed up with universities to do so. A new call closes on 2 October.

The programme, which the Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pando said in July was still in the pilot stage, was launched two years ago by the long embattled Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).

The seed fund is welcome news from an agency that has suffered from the departure of key staff and one having to deal with a recent budget cut.

It’s no secret the tech industry has a hand in propping up San Francisco’s crazy-high rents. But rental-listing company Zumper recently crunched the numbers to try to show just how much venture capital can be blamed for those increases. (Thanks, Marc.) In 2014, the average one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco went for $3,252 a month, making it the most expensive rental market in the country, according to the firm’s data.

Stories of entrepreneurs launching innovative ideas, raising millions in venture capital and turning startups such as Uber, Airbnb and Snapchat into multi-billion dollar companies has catapulted venture capital investments, setting record numbers since the dot-com era.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SCRA today announced Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 results for its Technology Ventures sector. This business sector executes SCRA’s high-tech economic development mission through its flagship SC Launch program, IP Commercialization initiatives and Stage 2 affiliate.

In FY15, the SC Launch program accepted 26 high-tech companies into the program, providing mentoring, support services and the potential for funding through investments or grant matches. Throughout the year, 21 SC Launch companies received matching grants and 14 received portfolio investments, with SC Launch companies attaining $59,960,000 in additional investments from outside venture and capital groups. The year also brought a major Stage 2 investment in Upstate-based Integrated Biometrics. SCRA’s Stage 2 sponsors larger investments, from $1-5 million, in more mature South Carolina-based technology companies, investing its capital together with outside, private co-investors.

Economic conditions across the country continue to improve, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) latest release of gross state product (GSP) data. GSP is derived as the sum of the gross domestic product originating in all the industries in a state. The period between 2008 and 2009, where the U.S. GDP decreased by 2 percent, marked a transition for many states, where their gross state product either decreased from the year before or where their growth rate was subdued. Since then, however, every state has experienced at least a 10 percent increase in gross state product from 2009 to 2014. During this time, the U.S. GDP has increased by 20.8 percent, roughly 3.8 percent per year.

Is there anything more frustrating than waiting for an answer and getting silence? Someone is holding onto your money, your idea, or your very future, and you need feedback before you can breathe (or just buy groceries).

Tactfulness and persistence are both important, but exactly how tactful and how persistent, and also, do phone calls work? We got the points of view from several authorities on the subject on what makes for successful pestering. (Results may vary.)

There's never a wrong time to say "I love you" — except when you're trying to round first base in a little league game.

This slugger just couldn't hold in his adoration for his dad, who also happens to be his team's first base coach, so he stopped to tell him how he felt on his way to second base.

From my perch at Harvard Business School, I can tell you one thing about the future of American business: it will be built by entrepreneurs with great visions and real grit, not just a fancy MBA. Before you change the world, though, there are a few things that you should do, which I have learned from my early career and the experiences of other dreamers and doers across America.

As the growing network of smart, connected devices starts to change our world, scientists are increasingly looking to technology for new applications — often in the most unexpected spheres. With global bee populations already declining significantly and under new pressure from disease, an innovative technology-based solution could provide a new source of hope for bee farmers across the world. Called “MiteNot”, the technology is currently being trialled in America, with connectivity being provided by Gemalto’s machine-to-machine (M2M) module. Should trials prove effective, the solution might hold new hope for South Africa’s own bee populations – currently under threat from American Foul Brood Disease.

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car fuses automobile and space technology and aims to travel faster than a bullet

A new rocket-powered car that aims to capture the land speed record by traveling at 1,000 m.p.h. made its debut appearance in London on Thursday.

Image: Alastair Grant—AP A technician places the cockpit cover on the British backed Bloodhound SSC streamliner car in London on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015

Over the past year, I worked with the researchers from the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2015 to find out which country leads the world in innovation.

Nobody should be too surprised about the results, published last week. Switzerland, the top-ranked country, is famous for its stability, excellent universities, first-rate infrastructure, low taxes, and flexible labor laws, and leads in knowledge and technology outputs such as international patent applications.

Talent search company Caliper estimates that hiring the wrong person could cost a company up to $20,000 a year. Some would put that estimate even higher. Increase your chances of making your next hire a great match for your small business, by avoiding these 25 hiring mistakes:

When it comes to small business startups, location is a key component of success. When choosing which town might be best for your business, factors like economic health, annual income, unemployment, and cost of living should be considered.

As it turns out, major cities like New York and San Francisco are not high on the list for reasons like high taxes and strict regulations that can hinder growth. Interestingly, small businesses actually tend to perform best in small towns.

Keeping your day job while starting a business has its advantages. Aside from the steady income and free coffee, reliable full-time work helps you flesh out your résumé and portfolio and extend your professional network. Even better, working for someone else gives you a front-row view of the best (and worst) ways to run a company, from managing time and money to handling customers and employees.

Image: Stephanie Gonot

What separates the super successful from everyone else? There are well-known factors such as work ethic, passion, intelligence and grit. But there are also less obvious habits that allow certain individuals to separate themselves from the pack and become truly great at what they do.

Below are five common behaviors of the super successful.

Any number of private equity transactions begin with the execution of a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”). Assume a venture capitalist is investing in the private equity of an early stage firm, or two venture-backed companies are discussing a merger. The usual protocol insists that, before due diligence commences, each of the parties (in the case of a merger, particularly if stock is the consideration) or the issuer (in the case of a venture investment) seek to protect their confidential information by requesting the other party to execute an NDA.