Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Programme

Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Programme, is a joint initiative of
IIT-Madras and Rural Innovations Network. This programme seeks to recognise
grass-root innovators and their supporters. For more on this programme, pl
visit www.lramp.org.

One group of supporters is "Investors" and "Enterprises". Many investors
have funded innovators and related enterprises, while entrepreneurs have
helped them scale-up. L-RAMP believe of the need to recognise these
efforts and instituted awards and invites nominations from such investors and entrepreneurs ( from Tamilnadu).

The award comprises of a certificate, cash award of Rs 20,000/- and a
trophy. The awards will be distributed at a glittering ceremony which will
be held later this year.Last date for receiving nominations is the 31st July 2006.

Contact : "PAUL"

VC confort zone

Tradionally research findings always found that VCs are more comfortable in investing in nearbu ventures.Paper by Miruchi & Stearns 2002) says the probability that a VC will invest in a target venture is reduced sharply as distance to the target increases.

Now, the 2006 global survey, released Wednesday (July 12) by Deloitte & Touche and the National Venture Capital Association, found that China and India remain the top overseas targets for U.S. venture capitalists. While many investors continue to focus on the U.S. market, the survey also found that 53 percent of U.S. respondents want to expand overseas.The survey found that China (30 percent) and India (25 percent) topped respondents' list of targets for global investments. U.S. investors picked India as the top country outside the U.S. with "access to quality entrepreneurs." China topped the list of countries offering the best access to foreign markets.
Source : http://www.eet.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=190302497

Workshop On "Cluster Development"

UNIDO Cluster Development Programme has promoted the cluster development concept during the last ten years in India, through a range of cluster initiatives. While the initial set of initiatives focused on economic growth through collective efficiency, of late UNIDO has taken up two action research projects, each of 3 years’ duration, with emphasis on two critical areas – clusters and poverty alleviation, and secondly, clusters and social responsibility of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Both subjects are of immense significance, especially with respect to the social dimensions of economic growth.

While the project on poverty & clusters will be concluded in June 2006, the one on social responsibility of SMEs is planned for completion in May 2008. Both Projects are funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with the objective of exploring the changes required in standard cluster development approach that will then help addressing these social issues more effectively and efficiently.

In order to share and validate the learning that emerged during project implementation and also to explore new dimensions not covered in the project by UNIDO, but that can enrich growth with social development, UNIDO and SDC has organised a 2-day Workshop on “Cluster Development and Social Issues: Preliminary Findings and Way Forward”. The workshop was held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on the 10th and 11th May, 2006.

The minutes and some of the key presentations made during the workshop can be downloaded from http://www.smeclusters.org/workshop.htm

Ekta Incubation Centre

Ekta Incubation Centre, located in St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. supports incubation in this region comprising of the states of West Bengal (7 Universities), Orissa, Bihar, Tripura, Assam & The North Eastern States.

For details click on http://www.wbutekta.org/about_us.htm

Innovations from Brazil

Fabiano Gallindo in this blog http://inovelab.blogspot.com/
covers extensively Barzilian innovations. Check out now.

Best of Amul

Amul is the best brand in India.Cola firms may spend millions on advertisement but they pale into insignificance in comparision with Amul advts on simplicity and creativity.
Take a look at the best of Amul, the best of advertsing in the world at:
http://www.amul.com/hits.html

Accessing Early-Stage Risk Capital in India

See report of Rafiq Dossani, Stanford University & Asawari Desai, TiE Inc at
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21184/Risk_Capital_India_June_2006.pdf
The study reviewed the private risk capital industry in India, covering angel investments, venture capital, private equity and other funding sources1 available for early-stage firms. 175 capital providers, venture-funded firms, regulators and policymakers were interviewed and 42 respondents completed questionnaires

Innovation goes East

Innovation has become increasingly global, and over 75% of new research and development (R&D) sites planned over the next three years will be established in China and India, according to a recent survey on global R&D networks jointly conducted by INSEAD, a leading business school, and management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. Traditionally R&D by MNCs in India was for technology adaptation to meet local conditions.Now it is going to be different-it will be for dev of global products & services. Still there is long way to catch with advanced countries, no one is planning to set up R&D in India to access knowledge in local clusters, the attraction is low cost of highly qualified engineers and scientists.
For full story: http://www.boozallen.com/home/services/services_article/3220998?lpid=66005

NASA space settlement design contest

This year 2006 NASA received 96 submissions from 547 students sponsored by 33 teachers. Entries came from Belgium, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, The United Kingdom and 17 states of US.Winners include students from India:
Tejas ,Ryan International School, New Delhi, India. Literary Merit
EDEN, Ispat English Medium School, Rourkel, Orissa, India. 10-12 Team
Kalpana-2, Delhi, India. 10-12 Team (tie)
Khalsa, Amritsa, Punjab, India. 10-12 Team
Ankit Sharma, N.K. Bagrodia School, New Delhi, India. Artistic Merit
See : http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/Contest/Results/2006/index.html

VC circle

The weblog is written by Sahad P.V., a business journalist based in New Delhi, India. He was an assistant editor with Business Today, India's leading business magazine, and had also previously worked with Business Standard and India Today Group Online. For those seeking information on VC funding this site is a virtual treasure house. Click at http://www.vccircle.com/blog

eKALAVYA eguru scheme

The e-GURU scheme is designed to help the students of BE/MCA programs in carrying out their final year/semester projects. Such help will be made available by expert volunteers who are willing to offer about two hours per week of their free time. These volunteers will be working professionals, teachers from academic institutes and post graduate students including Scholars pursuing their Ph.D level research.
This service is provided by IIT Bombay, an initiative by Prof. Deepak B Phatak of KReSIT.
see: http://ekalavya.iitb.ac.in/index.jsp

GLOBAL INDUS TECHNOVATORS AWARDS

The Indian Business Club @ MIT invites nominations for the GLOBAL INDUS TECHNOVATORS AWARDS, 2006.The Global Indus Technovators Awards have been instituted by the Indian Business Club at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, to recognize and encourage the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of talented and enterprising young South Asians.

Nominations are invited for people of Indian / Pakistani / Sri Lankan / Nepali / Bangladeshi origin who have made significant contribution, in either research or entrepreneurial capacity, to the advancement of technology in areas including, but not limited to, information technology, biotechnology, materials and devices, healthcare and medicine, developmental work, and energy.

Eminent personalities on previous awards judging panels have included Gururaj Deshpande (Sycamore Networks), Prof. Robert Langer (Institute Professor, MIT), Meyya Meyyappan (Director of the Centre for Nanotechnology, NASA's Ames Research Center), N.R. Narayana Murthy (Infosys Technologies), Prof. Alex (Sandy) Pentland (Media Labs, MIT), and Prof. Phillip Sharp (1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine), Prof. Subra Suresh (Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, MIT) and Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala (Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras).

Nominees must be of Indus (Indian/Pakistani/Sri Lankan/Nepali/Bangladeshi) origin, that is, they or their ancestors should be (or should have been) citizens of one of the aforementioned countries. Nominees must be born no earlier than 1st January 1966.
The nominations webpage is available at: http://technovators.mit.edu/info_nom.php
The call for nominations is open until midnight (EST), May 31, 2006.
For more details, please visit the awards website at:
http://technovators.mit.edu

Technology day awards 2006

Technology Day awards were bestowed upon the following on 10th May 2006, celebrated in India as Tecnology Day.

Bharat Biotech International limited, Hyderabad and Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi received the Nation award for the succesful commercialisation of indigenous technology , for manufacture of human Epidermal Growth Factor (rhEGF) under the brand name REGEN-D 150 for diabetic foot ulcers and REGEN_D 60 for burns and skin grafts.SEC industries Private ltd, Hyderabad and Eagle Engineering Works, Chennai received awards under SSI for successful development of Stretch Forming Machine and for development of Custom Mega Prosthesis respectively.

universal solar earth lunar (USEL) watch

A new watch is invented by Dr. M.L. Agrawalof Jaipur with a different concept altogether . This internationally patented watch denotes :-
1. Rotation of Earth on its own axis in 24 hours (a Solar day)
2. Revolution of Earth around Sun in 365'242190 days(a Solar year)
3. Revolution of Moon around Earth in 29.530589 days(a lunar month)
4. Revolution of Moon around Sun in 354.367055 days (a lunar year)
and manay more.

See : http://www.uselwatch.com/index.htm

Creative Future programme

Creative? Got a great business idea? Want to know how to develop it into a real business proposition? Then apply today to take part in the Creative Future programme.

Twenty young people with a business idea in the creative sector will be selected to take part in the Creative Future School at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore in August. There they’ll learn how to structure their business proposition, develop their networking skills, understand what an investor is looking for and hear from successful creative entrepreneurs about how they have built their businesses. The faculty will include senior academics from IIMB, leading figures from creative businesses in India and the UK and other experts.

In October 2006 three lucky finalists will visit the UK and meet with leading industry figures from within their sector. Whilst in London they will have the chance to pitch their business idea to a group of potential investors.In January 2007, the three finalists will have a chance to reprise their London experience in Mumbai, this time pitching to potential Indian investors. At the end of this process, our panel of expert judges will also decide which one of them should be declared our overall winner - India’s Creative Future 2007.If you have the right idea then it could be you. Being creative and being an entrepreneur have one thing in common - understanding when to take a risk. If you take one risk today, download the application form (MS Word 180 KB) - it’s a potential passport to success, a life changing experience - you just have to apply.

http://www.britishcouncil.org.in/creativefuture/

Romeo and Juliet

Modern Romeo and Juliet are far from the romantic characters of Rome & Hollywood. Romeo is a RFID reader held by farmer to read data stored in electronic tags of particular cow. This data from Romeo is transferred to Juliet, a desk top device. Patni developed this RFID based solution for the traceability of meat from the farm to the plate. For details see:
http://patni.com/downloads/RFID_Animal_Traceability.pdf

eGranary Digital Library

The eGranary Digital Library provides millions of digital educational resources to institutions lacking adequate Internet access. Through a process of garnering permissions, copying Web sites, and delivering them to intranet Web servers INSIDE our partner institutions in developing countries, we deliver millions of multimedia documents that can be instantly accessed by patrons over their local area networks at no cost.

In India the service is provided by RMK Engineering college.Cost is Rs 10,000/-per year.
Web page: http://www.widernet.org/digitallibrary/

contact person in India, Dr A. Jagadeesh at :a_jagadeesh2@yahoo.com

Chinnamma

Chinnamma, a dalit women from Karnataka was on front pages, when she received Citigroup Micro Entrepreneur national Award 2005.Read her story at:
http://www.indianngos.com/issue/microcredit/award/chinamma.htm

Maleehabad’s Kaleemullah Khan

How many varieties of mangoes can be grown on single tree- 315. Meet the record holder- Maleehabad’s Kaleemullah Khan and he is not a trained horticulturist.Read his story:
http://www.islamicvoice.com/august.2000/features.htm

private IIT in A.P

AP state govt wanted an IIT in the state as nearly one third of the IIT qualifiers are from that state (perhaps this claim includes post graduate students). It passed a resolution in the assembly, acquired over 1000 acres and approached the centre. With the centre turning down the proposal, now it is planning to launch the same with support from private industries. Dr Reddy Labs was the first to chip in with support.
Will it exceed? Naidu brought ISB in competition with govt owned IIMs. Can Reddy bring a privately funded IIT in competition with IITs?