1. Manthan Theme – Brain Gain : Promoting Research and Innovation
Research Commercialization Centers
for synergistic confluence of policies
Team Details :
Uday Bhardwaj
Pooja Singh
Kapil Suyal
Renu Dahiya
Tanuj Agrawal
(IIT Roorkee )
2. In India, majority of the research expenditure is spent by
Academic Institutes (nearly 70 %). Thus the pivotal
position of Research in India is in the Academic Institutes.
Indian Scientists in Academic Institutes value blue‐sky research
over application‐oriented research, they value publishing in a
respected journal to patenting and commercializing their
research.
Scientists are evaluated based on the number of journal papers
they publish, number of PhD students they supervise and amount
of external funding they bring in.
Thus, it is difficult to convince a scientist to dedicate his/her time
to a risky technology‐based project that would take large chunks
of their time and might or might not lead to commercialization.
Lack of transparent intra‐institutional policies on protection of
intellectual property, technology transfer and commercialization
do not encourage filing of patents and hinder commercialization
efforts.
Problem Statement
The major challenges faced by India Research Community has been narrowed down in the flowchart below :
3. Proposed Solutions
• Commercialization of research which could lead to parallel incentivizing structure of
Entrepreneurial Activities, which will attract talent in the domain of research and will also prevent
the migration of talented researchers to foreign lands. This incentivizing will add to the overall
income which along with the interest of a person is a major determinant of career option.
• Strengthening university-industry programs by means of matching grants and other initiatives,
including encouraging academics to spend sabbaticals in relevant industries so that their research
meets the needs of the productive sector.
• Allowing national research institutes to collaborate with domestic and foreign firms to forge closer
links with industry. One way of encouraging scientists to work closely with industry and in so doing
improving linkages between technology development and application would be to provide
incentives such as bonuses and a share of royalties from products created through their research.
• Developing entrepreneurial skills and management training for S&T professionals to encourage
them to undertake business activities.
• Encouraging venture capital, which can also be used as an incentive for commercialization of
research.
• Effective enforcement and implementation of IPR to build confidence in domestic and foreign
innovators on protection of their innovations in the country.
• Motivating scientists and engineers from India, working in the United States and other developed
countries to enter into alliances with multinational companies and establish firms or labs to
undertake R&D on a contract basis in India.
4. • The action plan focuses on creating a
Research Commercialization Centre,
under National Science and Technology
Entrepreneurship Development Board.
• The RCC is a model to restructure STEP
(Science and Technology
Entrepreneurs Park), Technology
Business Incubators and Innovation
and Entrepreneurship Development
Centre.
• It also includes creation of Students’
Technology Entrepreneurship Cell.
• The body encompasses the functions
as discussed below :
Model
RCC
STEP
TBI
IEDC
STEC
• Creating a body to implement above suggestion and synergize the existing
infrastructure, policies and institutional efforts.
• Giving the body flexibility, freedom of operation, and financial autonomy. The body is
expected to leverage from the existing policies.
• The proposed model synergizes the existing polices and build on the institutions and
infrastructure present in the Research Campuses
Fig. 1 – Synergistic Framework
5. NSTEDB
Alumni
Network
Professors
and
Students
Institute
Implementation of Solution
Fig. 1 – Stakeholders Involved
• Institute – The institute will provide the
infrastructural facilities, viz. Office Space, Electricity
and other operational amenities.
• NSTEDB – It provides for training and recruitment of
middle and junior level employees. Their salaries
and other benefits are also provided by them.
• Alumni Network - The network of the alumni from
the IIT’s includes Industry Heads, Venture Capitalists
and eminent researchers.
The industry heads are in a constant look for
research which could be commercialized and
converted to market ready products.
The VC’s and other successful entrepreneurs will get
a once stop repository of promising research which
could be commercialized.
• Professors and Students – They will provide the
research which could be commercialized.
The students will also be involved in Students’
Technology Entrepreneurship Cell for promoting
research in India among the undergraduates and will
involve them in existing start-ups of the professors.
RCC will be headed by 6 member
board, including Dean Sponsored
Research and Industrial
Consultancy of Parent Institute,
Innovation Pocket representative
from NSTEDB. Other members
include a senior Professor, Alumni
Board Representative, Managing
Director of the RCC and student
Secretary of STEC
6. • 7 Innovation Pockets led by 7 old IIT’s
• The Scientific Institutes in an Innovation
Pocket enjoys the services provided by
the RCC of that respective IIT
• Pockets designated on the basis of ease
in reach and demographic similarity.
• The RCC caters the need of innovations
in all the fields including Agriculture,
Grass root Innovations which have an
oprospect for commercialization.
IIT Delhi
IIT Mumbai
IIT Kharagpur
IIT Guwahati
IIT Roorkee
IIT Chennai
IIT Kanpur
7 Innovation Pockets
Why IIT’s ?
• IIT’s play a leading role in research
domain of India.
• IIT’s have already established
infrastructure for establishment of RCC.
• IIT’s have Operational Centres of other
government schemes like TIFAC, Patent
Facilitating Centre, TIASN, TePP Outreach
Centres and other policies.
• Active Student and Alumni Community
7. Identification
Submission of Research
Achievements by Professors,
students and independent
innovators alike.
The submission will be selected
by the expert panel comprising
the Senior professor, VC
representative, market analysts
in a fortnightly meeting.
Development
Developing the selected
research into a prototype.
The capital for development of
the prototype will either be
raised from various
government schemes like TePP
or will be provided from the
NSTEDB fund.
Action Plan and monitoring will
be done by middle
management of RCC.
Pitch
Making the Business Plan with
the assistance from Expert
Panel and the resources of
existing TBI.
Pitching the idea to the
prospective VC’s among the
alumni network and other
invited VC’s or
Pitching the idea to Industries
for sell out of the research.
Start up
If successful, the institute will
provide the initial
infrastructure for establishing
the start – up including the
office space.
RCC will provide the utilities
for Business Management
including legal and clerical staff.
Functional Framework
Seed Fund
NSTEDB
Parent Institute
Industry or VC
Promoters Capital
The seed fund for the start up will be generated
from:
• NSTEDB – 20 %
• Parent Institute – 10 %
• Industry or VC – 40 % or above
• Promoters Capital – 10 to 30 %
*The Industry and Promoters Capital is subject to
the mutual agreement.
8. Equity in Start-ups
Parent Institute
Equity
5 %
The Parent Institute receives 5 %
of the capital generated in the sell
out of research to an Industry.
In a start – up, 5 % of the equity.
The revenue generated from the
Equity will be utilized in the
establishment and maintenance
of the proposed Technology
Entrepreneurship Park in the long
run.
NSTEDB VC and Researcher
Equity
10 %
The NSTEDB receives 10 % of
the capital generated in the
sell out of research to an
Industry.
In a start – up, 10 % of the
equity.
The revenue generated from
the Equity will be utilized in
sustaining the operations of
RCC.
Equity
85%
This will be distributed as per
the mutual agreement which
was forged in consultation of
the expert panel and mutual
consent .
9. RCC
Dean
SRIC
Technology
Entrepreneurship
Park
Innovation Pocket
Representative
NSTEDB
Managing Director
Middle
Management
Employees, Clerks
and Junior Staff
Expert Panel of
current TBI
Alumni Board
Representative
VC and Industry
Network
Senior Professor
Student Secretary,
STEC
STEC Team
Functional Hierarchy of RCC and
Operational Cost
Operational Cost
NSTEDB
Parent Institute - Kick
Backs from Start-ups
• Annual Cost involved in
establishment of one RCC = 1.56
Crore
• Establishment of 7 such RCC
requires 10.92 crores
• The break up of the cost has been
shown in next slide
10. TeamFundingRequired
Organizational Cost
Managing Director = 12
Lakhs p/a
Middle Management = 8*6
Lakhs p/a
Employees, Junior Staff and
Clerk = 16 *4 Lakhs p/a
Infrastructure and Logistics
Transport = 168 man visits *
6000 = 100800 p/a
Infrastructure Maintenance
and Utility = 15 Lakhs p/a
Miscellaneous Expenditure=
2 Lakhs p/a
Remuneration to Expert
Panel
7 Expert Committee
24 meetings =
168 man days * 3ooo = 5,0400
p/a
Operational Cost Details
* All amounts in Indian Rupees
11. Impacts
• Creation of self sustaining Research
Commercialization Centres with the
help of the equity from the established
start – ups.
• Strengthening Industry – Academia
Linkages.
• Growth in investments from Alumnis,
Venture Capitalists in Technology Start
–ups.
• Promoting Research culture in the
students via STEC.
• Accountability to the Model due to
participation of student member in the
functioning of the board.
• On successful operation of proposed
model, more Innovation Pockets under
the leadership of other premier
institutes can be initiated.
Challenges
• Creation of synergistic framework for
implementation of RCC is difficult to
achieve.
• Difficulty in receiving the capital
investment from Venture Capitalists and
Industries.
• Involvement of multiple stakeholders in a
single body.
Mitigation Factors
• Majorly, the policies to be synergized are
operational under Department of Science
and Technology.
Thus, STEP, TBI and IEDC can be brought
together by intervention by a single
Government arm.
• The Alumni network in IIT’s is strong,
more incentives can be given to
strengthen these bonds using Conferences
like PanIIT.
• Giving the body flexibility, freedom of
operation, and financial autonomy can
make the body functional.
Impact, Challenges and Mitigating
Factors
12. • National Science & Technology
Entrepreneurship Development Board
(NSTEDB).
• India Year Book 2013
• UNESCO Institute of Statistics
• Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
2013 (India)
• EFY Report
• Research Report on “Five keys to improving
research costing in low- and middle income
countries”
References