Brain Gain: Promoting Research and

Innovation in India

Gokul CNirmal VKarthikeyan SDVarun Krishna RSunil Henry Roger SIndian Institute of Technology Madras

Realizing India’s human resource potential to its fullest in the field of Research with equity and inclusion

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Lack of awareness among students

No proper link between higher educational institutes and research institutes

Inventions don’t see the light of the day to become innovations

Fraction of competent students pursuing research is low

Brain Drain: 256% increase in students going abroad for higher studies, over the last decade

Problems2

Building skillsets in young minds for cutting-edge research and inculcating entrepreneurship skills

Encompassing Industries and the students in developing new technical solutions for meeting the market needs

Creating awareness regarding research in our country

Building a platform to pursue research in their field of interest

Creating a conducive environment for innovation to thrive

Forum for Academic and Industrial Research

(FAIR)Mission

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Chairman

North Zone

North-East Zone

East Zone

South Zone

West Zone

Central Zone

• Each Zonal center is housed in the respective IITs of the zone

• A representative from each Research Institute in the zone form the Technical Panel of the Zonal Center

• Director of Zonal Center is elected by the Panel for a tenure of 2 years

• Chairman is chosen by the Directors of the Zonal Centers

• Chairman is answerable to the Scientific Advisor of the Prime Minister of India

Structure4

Invention to Innovation

Research scholars will be offered skill enhancement sessions incorporating entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to transform their Inventions into Innovations

These sessions include lectures and workshops, by distinguished professors and successful entrepreneurs

Mentoring in framing a feasible Business plan

Researchers present business models and the best will be incubated into a Start Up

Functions5

Functions

Internships in SMEs and Research Institutes

Students pursuing Undergraduate degree all over the country are given an opportunity to intern at Research Institutes and Small & Medium Enterprises

Students shortlisted by the colleges will be screened by the Technical Panel

Students take up industrial challenges as internship projects in Research Institutes and SMEs

Scholarships will be awarded, based on their performance, to pursue a research career in India

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Functions

Innovation Expo

The Expo will be a platform for the Angel investors and incubators to

meet the most innovative minds of the nation

Awareness about Research and the importance of Patenting innovations

will be created

Competition

A Nationwide competition seeking solutions to the burning issues that

the nation is facing in the technological front

A competition in the lines of Solar Decathlon, conducted by the Department of Energy, USA

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Governing structure

Chairman

Zonal Director

Managerial Team

Strategy Public Relations

Industrial Relation Student Outreach

Student Representative

Research Institutes

IT Team Finance

Technical Team

From each college acting as point of contact

Coordinating with other directors

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Finance

• Construction and furnishing of the Zonal Centers – Rs. 5 Cr*

• Database creation and Web-Portal Development – Rs. 1 Cr*One-time Investment

• Chairman’s compensation – Rs. 10 lakhs pa

• Zonal Director’s compensation – Rs. 8 lakhs pa

• Technical committee comprising 20 members per zone – Rs. 60 lakhs pa

• Management Committee 18 members per zone – Rs. 42 lakhs pa

• Public awareness programme per zone - Rs. 1 Cr pa

• Innovation Expo – Rs. 3 Cr (Rs. 2 Cr from Sponsors)

• Annual Contest: 2 lakhs(Total)

Annual Funding

• Rs. 60000 pa for meritorious students pursuing research in India shortlisted from internship programme. Number of students picked is 100 per zone

Scholarships

*Cost / Zone

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Impact and Reach

Short Term

• Exposure to industrial problems through internships to more than 600 undergraduate students

• Supporting more than 100 SMEs per zone through technical consultancy

• Many ground-breaking invention are showcased through Innovation Expo

Long Term

• Indigenous brains will add to the research potential of our country thereby reducing Brain Drain

• Opening up research opportunities in varied fields on a single platform

• Increase in FDI because of incentivized technical support added to present tax benefits

Futuristic View

• Coordination with controller general of Patents, Designs and Trademarks under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

• Setting up research facilities by conglomerates to provide access to state-of-the-art technology to students

• Extending financial support to UG students with innovative ideas for business start-ups

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FAIR would emerge as the face of all Research and Innovation in India

Challenges

• Outreach about the internship program to large section of students

• Participation in Innovation Expos and Competition

• Outsourcing of problems by SME’s

• Formation of panel with a research cum managerial expertise

• Expansion of the Forum into varied fields like Medicine, Humanities, etc.

Mitigation

• Student ambassadors in each college to create awareness about the program

• Sponsorship for the events increases publicity and participation

• Creating a link with the SME organizations through Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and opportunity for all the best minds in the country to work on these projects

• Highly motivated professors willing to work for the country and creating job opportunities for techno-managerial team

• Based on the reception that this Forum gets, it can be expanded into other fields with the help of technical expertise of eminent people in those fields

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References

Dr. Kalyanaraman, Chairman, Programme Advisory Committee On Civil & Environmental Engineering, SERB

Dr. Sarit Kumar Das, Dean( Academic Research), IIT Madras

Dr. Narasimhan Swaminathan, Machine Design Section, IIT Madras

Dr. Sudhir Chella Rajan, Head of the Department, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT Madras

Dr. Jyothirmaya Tripathy, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT Madras

Models of DAAD and MITACS

http://www.11111011000.com/innovation-in-product-ideas-from-our-customers.html

http://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Nutrition/India-s-nutrition-boom-produces-contract-research-boon

http://careeringaheadncl.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/girl-thinking-at-crossroads-of-life/

www.sparity.com

symbological.deviantart.com

www.masskickers.org

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