Venture Capital Assistance from SFAC India

Small Farmers Agri Business Consortium (SFAC) provides venture capital assistance in the form of equity to farmers subject to a cap of Rs 75 lakhs. The amount is disbursed thro banks and the equity gets converted into loan after paying term loan to the bank. See details at:
http://www.sfacindia.com/brief_of_the_scheme.asp

Self Check for TePP applicants

Before you apply, take a self check:

• What do users want?
• How to meet the need?
• Why is my concept better?
• Do I share my idea clearly?
• Why I need a prototype?

For more clues see
http://www.dsir.gov.in/tpdup/tepp/tepp_checklist.htm

India's first Open Innovation portal takes off

TePP started Open Innovation movement in India. Two requests for partnership with innovators (RPI) are posted on the TePP portal See:
http://oscar.iitb.ac.in/TEPP/UploadAnouncement/Requests%20for%20Partnership%20with%20Innovators.pdf

More on Open Innovation Network philosophy:
http://www.slideshare.net/asrao/te-pp-open-innovation-network-1319820

Use Innovation network- pose problems or offer to solve problems posted.

TePP invites proposals for 2009-2010 from innovators, start-ups,entrepreneurs

TePP invites proposals from Innovators , Start-ups and Entrepreneurs for funding in 2009-2010 as under:
Grants upto Rs 75,000 (TS category): For student innovator, house wife etc to communicate their novel ideas with drawing, models, simulations etc. This is the first stage on the long road converting `novel ideas' into `revenue streams'.

Grants upto Rs 15 lakhs (TPF category): The main product of TePP and critical phase in innovaton development , converting idea into function proving prototype. All independent innovators are eligible. There is a provision of giving supplementary grants (STF) upto Rs 7.50 lakhs after prototyping for those innovators transferring technology to entrepreneurs.

Grants upto Rs 45 lakhs (S3T): For innovators, start-ups and SSI units to take market acceptance activities like technology adaptation, patent protection, market seeding.

Grants to Entrepreneurs taking CSIR rural technologies to market: This type of entrepreneurs are now eligible for grants under S3T category.

Proposals are accepted all 365 days and support is given as grant without condition of repayment, equity dilution, sharing IP/Technology comercilaisation rights.
For details see: http://oscar.iitb.ac.in/TEPP/UploadAnouncement/TePP%20advt%202009.pdf

SRI - Achieving More with Less: A New Way of Rice Cultivation

The System of Rice Intensification, known as SRI, is a set of farming practices developed to increase the productivity of land and water, as well as other resources. WBI has produced a Multimedia Toolkit “SRI: Achieving More with Less – A new way of rice cultivation”, to help disseminate the information and bring awareness to people who may be interested in learning more about SRI. Thetoolkit is available on-line, linked above or here, while the CD-ROM and accompanying booklet are available on request.

Manipal- Philips BOP program

Over the past three years, Manipal University (MU), Karnataka, India and Philips having been working together to acquire a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of the “Emerging Consumer” or the “Base of the Pyramid”. Their ambition is to create an ecosystem built around “Open Innovation” that will ultimately meet the aspirations of the emerging consumers. A Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Chair was therefore setup at MU two and a half years back to promote idea generation, concept development, research, community development, rural linkages and student exchange programs. Read the article .
For further information:
Prof Harishchandra Hebbar
MU BOP Office
4th Floor, Innovation Center, MIT
Manipal 576104
harish.hebbar@manipal.edu

Innovators mentored at this center are eligible for TePP grants.

Techpedia

Techpedia is a portal of technology projects for students. Students can upload their project details on the portal. The portal is managed by Sristi.

TePP camp at JB Institute of Engineering

A two day” Technopreneur Promotion Programme 2009” was conducted on 4^th & 5^th of March at JBIET. The programme was sponsored by A P STATE COUNCIL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(APCOST) HYD. and Department of Science and Industrial Research , Govt. of India.

Inaugurating the Programme on 4^th March 2009, The Chief Guest Dr. Y. Venkata Rami Reddy, Chairman, AP Public Service Commission, advised the youth and participating technocrats to develop ideas to be successful entrepreneurs. The Guest of Honour of the Inaugural function Prof. Ch. Venkata Ramana Devi, Member Secretary APCOST, Govt. of AP. highlighted promotion programmes of APCOST for students and rural youth for developing self employable skills. In his presiding address Sri J. Bhaskar Rao Chairman JB educational society, who himself is a successful entrepreneur and promoter of JB group of institutions said that self confidence and commitment are basic skills for an entrepreneur.

In valedictory session on 5^th March 2009, The Chief Guest Sri AL Nageshwar Rao, General Manager, Andhra Bank said that present scenario is not bright for job market and the economy. He suggested students to pursue higher education for sometime and look for ventures with caution to start. The Secretary JB Educational Society, Shri J.V. Krishna Rao asked student to utilize knowledge and experience out of the TePP course in to practice. He congratulated organizers for successful completion of the programme.

The two-day session dealt various issues of entrepreneurship like generation of ideas, continuous creativity, investments opportunities, screening of TePP Films by APCOST with an open forum by the participants. At the end of programme the ideas and creativity to start ventures were consolidated and presented by the participants.

TePP e News Volume1

TePP e-NEWS
(Technopreneur Promotion Programme, an initiative of DSIR, Govt. of India)
Vol.1/Mar 09/Page 1

The first issue of TePP eNews can be downloaded from:
http://www.dsir.gov.in/pubs/tepp_enews/teppenews_0903.pdf

Obligation of TePP Innovators

One of the common question we face is -what are the conditions under TePP? Unbelievable to many but true is the fact that TePP imposes no (economic) conditions on the innovators. The entire amount ( max Rs 60 lakhs in phases) is given as grant and that means innovator is not required to return any amount nor he/she is required to part with equity in start-up venture. The IP rights ( Patents, designs, copyrigh etc) all belong to the innovator and government does not take away any of those rights. Further, innovator has all the rights over the technology, it can be sold, assigned, utilised by the innovator and neither innovator needs government permission nor required to pay any royalty.
The return to the government comes by way of taxes, duties etc from successful enterprises. Apart from that , there is a moral obligation on the part of the benificiary to pay back to the society. The best way of paying back the debt is talking about his/ her innovation, the government support that facilitated converting a dream into reality. The tipping point can be reached only when innovator communicates and uses every available platform to communicate- school, college, office, social network,public forum etc.
Among the three parts of communication, the first part from TePP to Network partners is structured, factual data, the second part from Network partners to innovator is less structured. The network partners , called TePP Outreach Centres , can adopt best practices from other vibrant networks to effectively communicate with innovators. The third part, the last mile, and the most important is communication by innovator with the society that relates to him/her. That is unstructured and voluntary and unless that takes place, the presumption of inspiring millions by supporting hundreds remain untested.

Innovators meet at ANU, Guntur

TePP sensitisation camp was held at ANU, Guntur on 9th & 10th March. About 200 students attended the sessions.