DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH YEAR END REVIEW - 2009

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) is a part of the Ministry of Science and Technology with the mandate for indigenous technology promotion, development, utilization and transfer. The primary endeavour of DSIR is to encourage industry to increase their share in country’s R&D expenditure, support small and medium industrial units to develop state-of-the art globally competitive technologies of high commercial potential, catalyze faster commercialization of lab-scale R&D, enhance the share of technology intensive exports, strengthen industrial consultancy & technology management capabilities and establish user friendly information network to facilitate scientific & industrial research in the country.

DSIR implements the Plan scheme “Technology Promotion, Development and Utilization (TPDU) Programme” apart from coordinating the activities of two autonomous bodies, namely Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Consultancy Development Centre (CDC) and two public sector undertakings, National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and Central Electronics Limited (CEL).

1.                   Technology Promotion, Development and Utilization (TPDU) Programme

The specific components of the scheme are:

Ø                   Industrial R&D Promotion Programme

Ø                   Technology Development and Demonstration Programme

Ø                   Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP)

Ø                   Technology Management Programme

Ø                   International Technology Transfer Programme

Ø                   Consultancy Promotion Programme

Ø                   Technology Information Facilitation Programme

           

1.1               Industrial R&D Promotion Programme

Around 80 new in-house R&D units and Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIROs) were recognized during 2009. Incentives and support measures provided under the scheme contributed a great deal in enhancing the R&D expenditure by recognized in-house R&D units of industry. The fiscal incentives for promotion of industrial R&D were continued during the year.

1.2               Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (TDDP)

The programme aims at catalyzing and supporting activities relating to technology absorption, adaptation and demonstration including capital goods development, involving industry and R&D organizations. Under the scheme, projects for absorption and up-gradation of imported technology as well as development and demonstration of new and improved technologies are supported.

Another programme is envisaged to promote social/scientific entrepreneurs; to promote technology based start-ups, to build eco-system towards sustainable living and to create new jobs in manufacturing sector in the area of waste to wealth.

1.3               The Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP)

The programme aims to tap the vast innovative potential of the citizens of India. The activities under TePP include providing financial support to individual innovators having original ideas and convert them into working models, prototypes, etc. The TePP network has been strengthened with establishment of 28 TePP Out Reach Centers (TUC). Around 80 new projects of independent innovators were supported under TePP scheme during the year 2009.

1.4        Technology Management  Programme

The programme aims to enhance knowledge and skills in the efficient management and transfer of technology. Its activities effectively supplement other programmes/activities of the Department in the attainment of technological excellence. Specific programmes have been targeted towards enhancing technology management capability in industry, R&D institutions, academic institutes and other establishments. This is helping the promotion and effective utilization of emerging technology management methodologies, and in bringing about better industry-institute inter-linkages through networking of industrial units with different academic institutions and State bodies in various States.

 

1.5        International Technology Transfer Programme

The Programme aims to promote international technology transfer and trade including exports of technologies, projects, services and hi-tech products. A variety of activities have been undertaken under the Programme to catalyze technology transfer and trade, involving Indian industries, R&D establishments, institutions and consultancy organisations. These have ranged from Reports, Compendiums and Newsletters on technology export potential, Workshops and Awareness-cum-Training Programmes, Technology Exhibitions, etc.

1.6        Consultancy Promotion Programme

The main objective of Consultancy Promotion Programme is to promote and strengthen consultancy capabilities for domestic use and export requirements. It also aims to develop sector specific consultancy capabilities and provide door step consultancy services to SMEs by setting up consultancy clinics in various SME clusters.

1.7        Technology Information Facilitation Programme

The TPDU Programmes need a strong back up support of information services. Recognizing this, a component on “Technology Information Facilitation Programme (TIFP)” has been included in the TPDU Programmes.  The projects under TIFP aim at developing appropriate endogenous information capacities to support R&D activities, production of local content and capture of indigenous knowledge base, promotion of information and knowledge networking thus facilitating flow and sharing of information resources.

2.         E-Governance in DSIR

Under the e-Governance initiative of Government of India, a cell has been created in the Department to implement a comprehensive programme to accelerate e-Governance through Information Technology at all levels of Government to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability. Under the programme, Computers with online connectivity are provided to all the officers for automating various activities and Department’s website: http://www.dsir.gov.in is continuously updated.

3.                   National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)

The Corporation was established in December 1953 as a company, under Section 25 of the Companies Act to commercialise the Research and Development outputs of publicly funded R&D institutions as well as to promote the growth of indigenous technology.

NRDC has signed more than 350 technology transfer license agreements in the last 10 years, resulting in premia and royalty earnings of Rs 30 Crores. It has a database of over 2,000 technologies and it is in contact with more than 1,000 active licensees. It provides value addition to technologies through angel funding / consultancy / market survey / filing patents / basic engineering design package / feasibility reports. It has signed a number of MoUs with African and South East Asian countries for technology co-operation and transfer of technology. It has recently set up a Centre for Demonstration and Promotion of Technologies in Cote d’Ivoire.

During 2009, NRDC organized 3 women entrepreneurship programmes, 3 entrepreneurship development programmes in the North-East and 10 IP awareness programmes. It carried out upgradation of technology for 3 rural clusters viz. sericulture, coir and milk dairy cluster. Further, NRDC developed basic engineering design packages for 14 technologies. NRDC was also involved in development of economic activities for anganwadi centers in Madhya Pradesh.

4.                   Central Electronics Limited (CEL)

CEL’s operations can be broadly grouped into three areas, viz.  solar photovoltaics (SPV), strategic electronics and railway electronics.  CEL is the pioneer and a leading manufacturer of SPV cells, modules and systems and Railway Safety Signaling Equipment. In the field of strategic electronics, CEL is the only indigenous manufacturer of phase control modules, which is a key element of phased array radars.

CEL has signed agreements with Mali for supply of solar equipment and with Sudan for solar cell manufacturing line. It has commissioned a facility for manufacture of SPV modules up to 250 Wp. It has developed 40 deflection point multi-section digital axle counter. It obtained type approval of piezo generator for heat fuse 551 from Sweden and subsequently executed a order from ordnance factory. Activities carried out by CEL during 2009 include: Development of Solid State Block equipment; Development of Automatic Equipment Identification System; Creation of infrastructure for Technology Absorption and Commercialization of Security System; and Expansion of manufacturing capacity of Phase Control Modules (PCMs) to produce 30,000 to 40,000 Nos. per year.

5.                   Consultancy Development Centre (CDC)

The CDC was approved as Autonomous institution of Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) in December 2004. Over the years, CDC has concentrated mainly on development of human resources, providing computerized data/information services, and strengthening of technological and managerial consultancy capabilities including promoting consultancy exports. CDC is also Secretariat of the Technical Consultancy Development Programme of Asia and the Pacific, (TCDPAP), a programme supported by DSIR for promoting consulting capabilities including consultancy and service exports in the Asia Pacific.

Recently, CDC launched e-coaching mode for MS programme. It held discussions on model accreditation grading and ranking system for consultants in India and took new initiatives in the area of safe drinking water.  Activities proposed by CDC during 2009 include: Establishment of CDC-TCO consortium; Technology Consultancy Centers for CSIR rural technologies; Education / training/ capacity building of consultancy capabilities; and Course development for institute of consultancy management.