Regional Reserach Labs renamed

The name of all the five RRLs in Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Bhopal, Johrhat and Trivendrum have been changed.

• RRL Bhubaneswar’s name has been changed to Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT).
• RRL Bhopal’s name has been changed to Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal.
• RRL Jammu’s name has been changed to Indian Institute of Integrated medicine (IIIM).
• RRL Trivendrum’s name has been changed to National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIST).
• RRL Johrhat’s name has been changed to North East Institute of Science and Technology.

Sensors Technology Private Limited

Sensors Technology Private Limited is promoted by Dr. Shyam Sunder Tiwari, research scientist from DAE, specializing in Sensors Technology products like Precision Delay Timers, Ion Beam Charge Amplifiers, water level meters, LPG/CNG leak arams.

Ten promising startt-ups from Business Today

Business Today (April 2007 edition) carried profiles ten start-ups.
24X7 Learning solutions - e-learning, -funding KITVEN and Anil Garg(angel investor-ex CTO, Sony)
Adventity -KPO, funding NVP
Drishtee Development & Communication Limited- ICT in rural India-Funding Acumen
Guruji.com- search engine-funding Sequoia
JiGrahak-M Commerce-funding Hellion Ventures
Asia Cryo-Cell - card blood-funding PS Pai(angel Wipro)
Nautanki.TV-online TV
Onyomo-P2A-funding Shailesh Mehta
Seventymm-movie rental-DFJ
UFO Moviez-digital cinema-3i

cost of patent litigation

Though it is well known patent litigation, specially for short life products benefits no one other than patent attorneys, there is little reporting on facts. This news item from EE Times gives clear picture of costs and lost opportunities. Read Magma Vs Synopsys case.

Creative future 2007 awards

Priya Patil , a fashion/accessory designer from Mumbai was announced Winner and India's Creative Future 2007. Aparna Rao, proprietor and senior designer of Applied Fiction, an interaction design studio based in Bangalore was awarded for the most Pioneering Vision and Sheetal Sudhir, Broadcast Designer and currently Head of on-air-promotions of Channel [V], Star India Pvt. Ltd was awarded for Outstanding Entrepreneurship.Creative Future is a joint program of Creative Future School at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore and British Council. Further details at:

http://creativefuture.britishcouncil.org.in/home.htm

UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI)

UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) was announced by the Prime Minister Tony Blair during his visit to India in September 2005, and launched by him in April 2006. Under the initiative, United Kingdom has pledged ₤12 million through contributions by DfES, FCO, DTI and the British Council and the private sector has added ₤4 million through the 4 corporate champions BAE, BP, GSK and Shell to this fund. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India has pledged matching funding for science related collaboration under the initiative.Under UKIERI upto 10 Scholarships will be available over the period 2007-2008 for Indians who have excellent academic background to carry out doctoral research leading to PhD, DPhil degrees in UK institutions. Closing date: 15 May 2007.

Erasmic Venture Fund

Most VC funds are too big for start-ups. Filling the gap for small fund is Erasmic Venture fund. Small Device Technologies is one such supported start-up. More information on Indian entrepreneurial eco system is available in article on Sai Gundavelli in Business Week.

Proto-in

For technology startups to showcase their products / technologies and attract VC capital Proto-in is emerging as an important event. The next gathering is scheduled on July 21st & 22nd at Chennai. For details see http://www.proto.in/.

Annual research awards from Ranbaxy Science Foundation

Ranbaxy Science Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, today announced its Annual Research Awards for the year 2005 to 6 scientists as listed below:
Dr. Sankar Ghosh, Professor, Section of Immunology and Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, USA, received the award in Basic Research for his several ground-breaking discoveries in the broad field of cell signaling in immunology.

Dr. Nirbhay Kumar, Professor, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA, and Dr. B.C. Das, Director of Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), India, jointly shared the award in the field of Medical Research.Dr. Nirbhay Kumar also received the award for his outstanding research in malaria that have led to novel approaches to the prevention of transmission of this important human infection.

Dr. B.C. Das was selected for the award for his original contributions in the early detection and control of cervical cancer which is a major cancer among Indian women and a public health problem.

Dr. Inderjit Singh Anand, Professor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Surendra K. Sharma, Professor & Head, Chief, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, were jointly conferred with the award in the field of Clinical Research.

Dr. Anand got the award for his contributions in the field of High Altitude Medicine and Biology and Dr. Sharma will receive the award for his outstanding contributions in the field of tuberculosis, HIV and interstitial lung disease.

Dr. Ahmed Kamal, Scientist, Biotransformation Laboratory, Division of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India, received the award in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences for his innovative contribution in designing the new molecules based on the receptor-fit mechanism particularly for DNA minor groove binding and DNA topoisomerase II inhibition.

American innovation proclamation

U.S. business and higher education leaders unveiled "The American Innovation Proclamation," urging Congress to move forward on critical legislation that promotes U.S. competitiveness and sustains U.S. innovation leadership. The proclamation is signed by more than 270 business and higher education leaders. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman, House Science and Technology Committee and a Bipartisan Group of House and Senate Members received the proclamation at a well attended press event March 13 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC.
(source: Calesteous Juma)

Maketics Technologies

Maketics Technologies is a start-up , converting data into information, promoted by Sreenivasan Ramakrishnan, a product of SPJIMR. Read the fascinating story covered in rediffnews.

Torque Technology Solution

Torque a pioneering technology incubated business venture started by aspiring entrepreneurs came into existence on 3 August, 2005. The first technology incubated company at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, a vibrant startup by engineering students and a complete student initiative, Torque has forayed and made its presence felt in the wireless sphere as a complete solutions provider - integrating innovative technologies into the corporate sector, the end user market and the community at large. Established its role as a mobile content aggregator and provider, provided short-code back-end solutions (SMS gateways) to interactive television campaigns, a community initiative reiterating our commitment to the society, hosted star portals and successfully forayed into the realm of M-Commerce.

The greatest innovations of all times

Business Week carries Greatest Innovations of all times nominated by Larry Keeley of Doblin Inc. Very interesting perspective. Take a look.

Small car from Lokesh Machines

Before Indica, all cars were of imported design. Tata Motors built on years of learning accrued from truck manufacturing. MLR motors promoted by Lokesh Machines does not fit in any accepted business model. He is a successful machine tool designer, who left HMT and started his own for the better in 1983. His machine tools are exported to many countries and most automobile firms are his users. He will have savings in capital costs with in-house supply and marketing front is covered by B V R Subbu (former president of Hyundai Motors India). What about the design? Tie-up with design houses is not revealed nor he exhibited any concept model. Success of his diesel Teja 3 wheeler can be an indication of functional, low cost car in offing.

Faculty innovations from IIT Mumbai

Path breaker Prof Jhunjhunwala gets international coverage. Read the article in Seattle Post Intelligencer .

Impact of budget on innovations

The budget anounced on 28th evoked mixed responses from the innovator community.
Extending fiscal incentives for 5 years: Biotech,Pharma and automobile are beneficiaries. This facilities investment on long term basis.
Clinical reserach: gets a boost with service tax ecemption for testing of new drugs, including vaccines and herbal remedies as well as on human trials.
Incubators: They get recognition for the first time with service tax exemptions. See CNN video for SINE views.
VCs: Indian VCs are unhappy with passthrough benefits restricted to selected few sectors. They feel it is unwarranted as passthrough is not an incentive.
ITI: Skill set gets a boost with ITIs getting investment to update their facilities. This is probably the best news but least covered. Any reason?