GE Edison Challenge 2009

The Edison Challenge is to design an innovative technological solution to the energy requirements of a community of moderate or medium size. The energy requirements for households and institutions in rural or semi-urban communities are diverse - electrical, thermal, mechanical, etc. There are also several natural and other resources that are available as potential sources of energy. These may be underutilized or, at times, overexploited. The crucial need is for solutions that demonstrate their practical feasibility and ability to scale up to the required levels.

Challenge: Your task is to choose a rural community with about five hundred to one thousand houses near your home or college. Your challenge is to understand the community’s energy requirements, investigate the available resources, and then propose a novel technology/methodology that is sustainable and cost-effective to improve the energy scenario in the community. The baseline you are starting with and the improvement in energy availability you aim to achieve must be quantified clearly in your report. You could look at newer sources of energy or novel energy conversion technology. You could also explore making current processes more efficient. The solution should not only address the community’s current unmet needs but also improve the quality of life beyond what it currently is. You should test and validate your solution or concept. In addition, you are expected to provide a plan for spending up to Rs 20,000 for further testing and validation. This is a challenge India and all countries in the world see as critical today, and this is your chance to take it up! The links on this page can provide you useful information. You are, of course, encouraged and expected to go beyond and innovate on your own.
The Techno Entrepreneurial Promotion Program (TEPP) wing of the Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Govt. of India will recognize the 20 finalists of the GE EDison Challenge 2009 with seed money of Rs. 20,000 for "Proof of concept" .

Launch 29 June 2009

Last date for entries 31st August 2009

Announcement of Top 20 15th Sept. 2009

Finals at JFWTC 5th and 6th November 2009.

The Fifth International Fab Lab Forum and Symposium on Digital Fabrication

This event will gather both field practitioners and laboratory researchers for a week of hands-on workshops and a one day symposium on the principles and applications of digital fabrication. It is being hosted in Pune, India, from August 16-21, 2009, by a team including the College of Engineering, Pune, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Vigyan Ashram, the National Innovation Foundation, the Fab Foundation, the MIT-India Program, and MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms. The contact for registration (based on available space) and logistics (including lodging and visas) is fab5@fabfoundation.org.

FAB5 follows earlier events in the US, South Africa, and Norway; there's background on fab labs and digital fabrication here.

TePP plans to support TUCs in setting up Fab Labs.

The manthan awards

Nominations for 2009 are open.Last date July 31 2009. Awards are given for E Business, Community broadcasting, E Culture, E Education, E Enterprise etc.
Details:http://www.manthanaward.org/

I Create

I Create has developed a successful Skill Based Entrepreneurship Training Program in partnership with the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), New York, which has won several awards for its practical entrepreneurship curriculum. For the past seven years, I Create has trained disadvantaged women and youth to start their own micro and small businesses in India and provided employability skills to thousands of youth.
Details: http://www.icreateinc.org/about/program.html

Investment offer from iira

Varadarajan Krish, Co-Founder & President, Investment Innovation & Research Alliance, Bangalore offers to TePP innovators funds , mentoring , global connectivity & other value added services, in Phase-2 and in subsequent phases. See detail at: http://www.iira.in/
Contact: vkrishatiiradotin

Nokia Life Tools Agriculture services

Nokia Life Tools Agriculture services aim to plug the information gaps and needs of farmers, by providing information on seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, market prices, and weather (temperature, rainfall, wind conditions) via their mobile phones. Models Nokia 2330 and 2323 are compatible with this service.

Innovators meet at Hubli & Bangalore

Will be meeting innovators at Hubli on 17th June and at Bangalore on 18th June. Hubli meeting is coordinated by TUC, Suratkal and Bangalore meeting by TUC, Bangalore.