Innovating for every women, every child

The report, 'Innovating for Every Woman, Every Child', published  by The Lancet, highlights business models that could harness new infrastructure to improve the health of women, children and infants in low-income countries. Examples include LifeSpring Hospitals in India, a chain of low-cost hospitals that provide healthcare to urban women who earn roughly US$3–$6 a day; text message printers that connect African laboratories to community clinics via mobile phone networks; D-Tree International in Zanzibar, which provides health workers with easy-to-use mobile phones that guide them through the screening, examination, counselling and treatment of patients; and a safe, affordable and long-lasting meningitis vaccine called MenAfriVac, designed specifically for Africa.

Eureka! 2011

The Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Bombay presents Eureka! 2011- an International Business Plan Competition. With prizes in excess of INR 2.4 million (USD 52000).The participating teams get a chance to receive intensive mentoring, along with content-rich feedback from leading corporates & entrepreneurs, legal & financial consultancy, and extensive networking opportunities.
Major Incentives:

• Winners to get cash prize of INR 5,00,000 and Runner- Up of INR 3,00,000.
• Angel Funding: Chance to pitch in front of a panel of Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists.
• Consultancy opportunities: Seminars on Legal and Financial issues from the field experts like Nishith Desai and Associates.
• Flamingo Ventures:Chance to be a part of "Inception" program which provides start-up investment before the start. The teams will be provided with mentoring, seed funding and incubation opportunities if selected.
• Startup Paathshaala: A 12-hour extensive startup training program inclusive of a startup kit and certificates,

SANKHYA EMBEDDED SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE CONTEST 2011

The competition is open to all students doing their PG, PhD or Research Assistants in the following discipline:

• Computer Science
• Electronics
• Electrical
• Students of Physics, Mathematics or Statistics.

CHALLENGE: Design an (original) processor ISA that can solve a problem (kernel code) for a particular application category using either the most compact code or the least number of cycles or both. Grab the chance to architect a processor ISA that may power millions of embedded devices!

Categories

• a) Super Computing
• b) Audio / Video Processing
• c) Networking - Traffic Cryptography; Network Traffic Packet Inspection; Wireless(LTE)CODECs

Winner Awards

• First winners entries in each category will receive a cash prize of Rs.50,000 and a certificate.
• All winners and runners-up will receive pre-incubation support at SANKHYA Rishikonda Development Center in Vishakhapatnam (Vizag Bay), AP for 6 months.
• All teams submitting a completed project will receive a certificate of participation.
• Sponsors may offer necessary tools for design support during the pre-incubation stage at no cost or on a deferred cost model.
• Pre-incubatees will also receive guidance and mentoring during the pre-incubation stage as well as receive introductions to investors.

Shree Cement in WEF New Sustainability Champions

With the aim to identify, understand and relay unconventional sustainability business practices, in May 2010 the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Global Growth Companies initiated the “Sustainability through Innovation” project.This report presents the project’s key findings from the in-depth research and interviews conducted with experts and chief executive officers of emerging market corporations. It showcases 16 companies designated “New Sustainability Champions” and highlights their unique practices that offer new approaches, not only for doing business in resource-constrained and population-stressed environments but, more importantly, for shaping a positive vision for future growth.

Shree Cement, established in 1985, is today among the five largest cement manufacturers in 

India, with a capacity of 14 million tons in eight plants and four grinding units. Revenues reached US$ 800 million in 2009.When it comes to energy use, the company has introduced an intelligent system that not only protects its operations against the power interruptions that are common in areas of operation, but also ensures a higher level of energy efficiency. It was the first cement company in the world to be certified EN 16001, which is designed to continuously monitor and document energy use, identify action targets, and provide the necessary resources and employee training. The company uses biomass in captive power plants. It also reuses bed ash waste, which contains unburned particles of carbon, as a fuel in the production of the clinker material for Portland cement.It became the first company in the cement industry worldwide to register “Optimal Utilization of Clinker” by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), resulting in 0.45 million certified emission reduction units.

Jain Irrigation and Suzler are other Indian firms in the list.

The Tech Awards 2011 Laureates

Since the inception of The Tech Awards program in 2000, 245 laureates around the world have been recognized for their work to change lives for the better .The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials in association with the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University, is a signature program of The Tech Museum. The international program recognizes laureates in five categories: Environment, Economic Development, Education, Equality, and Health.
The Tech Awards laureates 2011 represent regions as diverse as India, South Africa, Philippines, Honduras and the United States. Their work impacts people in many more countries worldwide. The projects represented this year include innovations to procure safe drinking water, the development of socially conscious digital games to engage young people in social issues and civic participation and an innovative solution to the inaccessibility of financial services in India.
winners from India: Awaaz.De 
[Hindi: “give your voice”], E Healthpoint
, Sarvajal, Eko India Financial Services,  Nano Ganesh, Rickshaw Bank Project

NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT)

Several technologies in Medical Devices are on offer for license from NIH.

Some of them can be manufactured by SME units.

One example is Hand Puncture Protector for Nurses.

NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) Abstract Search

PDMA-NATIONAL LEVEL ENGINEERING STUDENTS DESIGN CONTEST: 2011 - 2012.

To encourage creativity and to show-case innovative ideas among under-graduate students in Engineering the PDMA India organizes a national level design contest. The competition is open to all students currently pursuing their B.E/B.Tech. programmes in any branch of engineering and technology in approved engineering institutions in the country. The contest requires the students to conceptualize innovative solutions to any engineering problem of interest to the industries or R&D organizations or those that demonstrate some technological advancement. They should develop such concepts into working prototypes and demonstrate their applications.


Top  3 winners will be reimbursed prototyping costs to the extent of Rs 25,000/-. In addition first one gets Lukas TVS  Innovation award @30,000/- while 2 73 rd gets RMK Engineering College award @20,000/ and @15,000/-
Last date: 22/10/2011.

Conference on “Agglomeration, Technology Clusters and Networks”. Goa

Sixth Annual Conference of the Knowledge Forum will be held on November 25-26 (Friday and Saturday) 2011 at the University of Goa. The theme of the conference will be “Agglomeration, Technology Clusters and Networks”. 
My paper `White spaces in building innovation clusters' and other papers are available for download at FGKS.

INTELLI-IDEAS : Open innovation platform of Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson Consumer & Personal Products Worldwide,  invites innovators to submit their  patented/patent pending ideas on INTELLI-IDEAS .  Some suggested areas:

GENERAL TARGETS

• Biodegradable "green" materials
• Plant-derived ingredients
• Taste masking ingredients
• Aqueous based bitter taste modifiers
• Mucoadhesive formulations
• Ingredients with pleasant/ highly perceptible sensations on skin and/or mucosa
• Consumer friendly fine mist delivery devices
• Consumer friendly routes of administration (other than oral)
• Unit-dose packaging
• One-handed dispensing
• Easy open child-resistant closures

SKINCARE

• Immediate wrinkle removal by topical products
• Oral compounds for acne rosacea
• Skin cancer (actinic keratosis)
• Skin lightening (fairness)

DENTAL

• Novel oral rinses
• Periodontal disease treatments
• Products for treatment and prevention of plaque and gingivitis

PAIN AND ITCH RELIEF

• Consumer-friendly devices for pain relief
• Products for itch relief

NUTRITIONAL

• Nutritional ingredients/products for glucose, fat control and lactose intolerance

UPPER RESPIRATORY

• Sore throat symptom relief
• Common cold prevention
• Allergy management

TECHNOLOGY SALE: Ganapati brand patented Seed cum Fertiliser Drill innovated by Gopal Dave

A Seed cum Fertiliser Drill innovated by Gopal Dave based near Jodhpur (Rajasthan) which has been supported by the Incubator at Banaras Hindu University; Varanasi has an innovative metering system whereby the implement is able to handle seeds of any size and type. The tractor implement has sold more than 500 units and has a waiting period of upto 3 months.


Gopal Dave who is a Grass Root Innovator has a vision whereby every Farmer should start using Seed Drill across the length & breadth of India for which he is looking to get into a business partnership with like minded people to realise the full potential of the product.


Sales Price of Seed cum Fertiliser implement with Cultivator: Rs 31,000/-

Sales Price of Seed cum Fertiliser implement without Cultivator: Rs 17,000/-
Demo & User feedback available on: www.youtube.com/bencilideas
Business partnership Options: Technology Sale (One time) or Technology Licensing (On going)
Deal timeline: 30-Nov-2011
Contact details: Rajeev Surana, M: 91-9819660525, E: Rajeev@scinnovation.in

Mahindra Rise contest generates many sparks

The first round is now open for voting and I can see many sparks flying around. Money matters - as the saying goes , you through peanuts and you attract only monkeys. This contest   gives away Rs 292 lakhs as awards, the lowest is Rs 4 lakhs and highest Rs 40 lakhs. 


We can say innovation competitions in India have come of age. Ignite your spark at :http://www.sparktherise.com/

ISA Technovation Awards 2012

Nominations are open, closing date October 15, 2011. Categories:

• Intellectual Property Awards
• Eco System Awards
• Individual Awards
• Technovisionary Award
• Sarbhai Award

Details : http://isaonline.org/Technovation_december_2011/Technovation.pdf

MakerBot TV Launch Episode!

Ennovent-Sustainable Enterprise Fund

Ennovent offers complementary solutions to advance for-profit innovations in energy, water, food, health and education that have a sustainable impact at the BoP in India. They assist clients to:

• Spot the best innovations globally,
• Invest financial capital in innovations,
• Support innovations to maximize impact.

Contact: Digbijoy Shukla, Director Services, +91- 9818422682| digbijoy.shukla@ennovent.com

I'm a VC

Sahajanand Laser Technology SUSHRUTA Innovation Award (SIA) 2012

The Sahajanand Laser Technology SUSHRUTA Innovation Award (SIA) is a nationwide competition in India  for the most innovative Medical Device Idea / Prototype. The competition is open for groups of students  pursuing degree (Bachelors / Master Level / Ph.D) under Biomedical Engineering, Medical Technology or related subjects from a recognized Indian University / Institution. The project / idea should be related to Medical Devices / Technology. 

The unique feature of the competition is that students need not come out with new ideas, they can build on the prior work done in the institute. 14 teams get 3 months time and grant of Rs 40,000/-  for each team to improve the existing and all invited to participate in an international exhibition on Medical Technology and Equipment.

Last date 15th October. Contact:  DL Pandya, dlpandya@gmail.com

Overseas Research Advancement Programme for India (ORAP-IN)

The objective of this programme is to create an opportunity for graduate students in India to receive funding in the form of fellowship towards partial fulfillment of the students' graduate program. The mentee, if selected would travel overseas and join a scientific research group in a reputed academic or research institution under the mentorship for a period ranging from four months to twelve months, to gain experience and exposure to bioinformatics research, and then to return to India to initiate research collaboration amongst his/her mentors at the host and the school the student has come from India.
Last date : 9th October 2011

National Mega Meet on Technology Commercialization, Hyderabad, Sept 29

The National Mega Meet on Technology Commercialization is a unique meet crafted by 
GISPL along with leading Technology Commercialization Specialists in India. The meet is 
inviting 100 patent holders and another 100 captains of industry, investors & technology 
commercialization experts to review all the 100 patents and choose 5 most promising technologies for commercialization. The subsidized fee for the 3 Days National Mega Meet (Sept 29th to 1st October 2011) inclusive of Kit, Boarding & Lodging for Outstation Participants with stay in NAARM Guest Houses is fixed at Rs.13,000/.
Contact:  Ms. K.Archana, Phone: +91-40-24581380, Email: archana@gyantechinfo.com

NASSCOM Social Innovation Honours 2012

The awards aim to showcase projects that demonstrate best practices in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for social transformation. Organizations/ Departments of Government / Individuals/ Students applying for the NASSCOM Social Innovation Honours should satisfy the following basic criteria:

• They should be registered Indian entities, or foreign entities with a registered presence in India. The innovation must benefit India, or a community in India
• The organization should be in existence in India for a minimum of one year
• The Project / Initiative should have been in existence at least for one year
• Students can apply as a concept or an idea 

The application form can be filled online on the Honours website: www.nsih.in

Last Date 12/9/2011

Contact: Sneha on sneha@nasscomfoundation.org or call on 022 28328518/19

The story behind Solyndra’s rise and fall

The National Solar Mission is a major initiative of Government of India. Are we ready to face the rough and tumble of solar market? This story of Solyndra  by Ucilia Wang  is a must read.