ICRISAT Agro Business Incubator joins TePP Network

Agriculture innovations get a boost with ICRISAT Agro Business incubator joining TePP Network as TePP Out reach center.
For range of service offered by ICRISAT :
http://www.agri-sciencepark.icrisat.org/agri-business-incubator.html

CSIR engineering Labs join TePP Network

TePP Network is strengthened with several engineering labs of CSIR joining TePP Network as TePP Outreach Centers. They are:
Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur
Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh
Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur
North - East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat
Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata

The networking with CSIR labs adds to the techological depth and innovators needing support from any these labs can contact TePP.

Sciforum

We receive many queries from students about some basics on science and engineering. This reflects on the poor quality of teaching science & engineering and probably inaccessibility of teachers. But this is a gap TePP cannot substitute. One useful resource is Sciforum, where students post their queries. Link: http://www.sciforum.indianscience.in/

Arvind Narayan bags Best Success Story award

TePP Innovator Arvind A Narayan has been selected as one of the Best Success Stories promoted by Trec Step, Trichy by Euro Office Services, a business network of Business incubators across Europe. He collected the award from them on 23 October in Lyon, France.

Rural technologies from Bhinge Brothers

Bhinge Brothers offers a complete irrigation package to farmers.This package consist of simple and low cost pond liners for collection and storage of water during rains , low cost flexi storage tanks with simple gravity microirrigation kits of various types and Ecoflo Pump.

This Ecoflo Pump weighs just 12 kgs such that even a child can carry it to any place and by simple stepping action can pump upto 5000ltrs of water from a depth of upto 7mtrs to a height of upto 15 mtrs. The Ecoflo pump's piston cylinder and manifold assembly is made in reinforced plastic which makes it very smooth to operate and also gives very long operating life. The use of special microirrigation kits for vegetable and horticulture plants further ensures the best yield with minimum water.

The products include:

• Plastic sheets -pond liners for rain water harvesting
• Ecoflo Treadle pump
• Micro irrigation kits for growing vegetables, horticulture crops

Contact:

Naren Bhinge

Bhinge Brothers,

Nasik, India

Mobile- +919823067081

solar-powered refrigeration system

Promethean Power Systems is developing a solar-powered refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries. Their refrigeration technology will enable food suppliers to store and preserve perishable food items—such as milk, fruits and vegetables—without the need for expensive diesel-powered generators. The refrigeration technology is works with thermoelectric cooling based on the Peltier effect discovered by Jean Peltier in 1834. When a current is passed through a circuit of two dissimilar conductors, there will be a rise or fall in temperature at the junction depending on the direction of the current flow.

Will thermoelectric cooling emerge as a disruptive technology that will some day displace conventional, vapor-compressor refrigeration in consumer and commercial applications throughout the world.

13th International Human Genome Meeting

TePP Innovators Dr Arup Dutta and Dr G.Prakash participated in the Exhibition held during HUGO's 13th International Human Genome Meeting, September 27th - 30th, 2008 at Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad. TePP participation is coordinated by TUC, ANU, Guntur.

"Solekshaw”, the solar-electric rickshaw

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Sheila Dikshit, launched “Solekshaw”, the solar-electric rickshaw for eco-friendly urban transport, at a function organized on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti near the Chandni Chowk Metro Station on 2nd October in the august presence of Shri Kapil Sibal, the Vice-President, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR and Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, the Director General, CSIR was among the other dignitaries who were present on the occasion. This innovation has come from CMERI, Durgapur, the lab that has given indegeneous tractors.

2008 Global Development Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development Competition

TREC-STEP has been awarded a prestigious World Bank grant at the 2008 Global Development Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development Competition, at Washington DC on the 26^th September 2008. Mr. R.M.P. Jawahar, received the Award. The Project titled, ‘Mini Cold Storage Ventures’, aims to establish a cold chain of PPP enterprises among our trained youth (from SKILLS), using the latest technology in refrigeration, adapted to the needs of small farmers.They are ranked 4th among the 22 winners, from out of 1800 applicants.

award for Navaraj Yadav

The tamilnadu government awarded the Best scholor award to Dr.P.S.Navaraj, Reader in Zoology , Yadava college, Madurai for his outstanding contribution to teaching and research.He is TePP innovator too.

TePP in Biotech news

Biotech news of August 2008 carried an article on TePP. Download from
http://www.biotechnews.in/

CSIR Award for S&T Innovations for Rural Development (CAIRD) - 2008

Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, DG, CSIR on the occasion of CSIR Foundation day, announced bestowing of CSIR Award for S&T Innovations for Rural Development (CAIRD) - 2008 jointly upon Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow for “Biovillage strategy for agri-business of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants” and Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar for “Innovations in the area of salt for rural development”.

Providing details on the innovations made by both the institutions, Prof. Brahmachari mentioned that shrinking land holdings, decreasing productivity of Indian soils and increasing input costs to agriculture are resulting into diminished returns from conventionally grown crops. The backbone of Indian economy, the traditional agriculture is gradually proving to be uneconomical. There is a felt need thus to improve strategically the agri-economics for rural farmer. This is possible only by augmenting and introducing some economically viable specialty crops along with the traditional agricultural crops. CIMAP has gainfully utilized Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) for this purpose by conceptualizing “Biovillage Mechanism” and operationalizing it strategically. Varieties and agrotechnologies of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) have been developed and disseminated, aiming at sustainable production and commercialization of these plants in rural areas. This has helped in economic upliftment of farmers in a big way.

CIMAP has backed the concept of Biovillages by developing several new cultivars of mint, artemisia, geranium, patchouli and khus suiting to diverse agro-climates. Linkages with industry have also been established for necessary buy back of the produce from farm itself thus benefiting farmers directly. A dependable complete package for managing distillation waste, farm waste, weed waste etc. has also been developed and integrated to generate biofertilizer. CIMAP’s Biovillage Concept has inputs of end-to-end innovation for benefit of rural farmers.

Explaining CSMCRI innovation, Prof. Brahmachari further added that out of the total 20 million tons salt produced in the country annually, about 6 million tons is produced in the rural sector by the marginal salt producers. The salt produced by marginal salt manufacturers is of inferior quality due to the presence of higher amounts of certain ionic impurities and other insolubles. The rural manufacturers also lack scientific knowledge of salt manufacturing. Thus, this type of salt fetches very low price.

CSMCRI has developed various processes for the recovery of high purity salt by rural salt producers addressing the problems faced by the rural salt manufacturers. Processes for removal of impurities through heap washing and desulphatation, utilizing distiller waste liquor of soda ash plants which otherwise poses the problem of disposal and creates environmental pollution have been developed. CSMCRI has specifically seen that no additional time or infrastructure is required to implement the processes developed and significant improvements in salt purity and whiteness are brought about. With CSMCRI’s innovation, even rural salt producers are producing salt of purity >99.5% and whiteness index of 87–91. Rural salt producers of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Orissa have greatly benefited from these efforts. Further, CSMCRI innovations have enabled the rural salt producers to enhance their income by many folds. Being easy to adopt, eco friendly and cost effective, these innovations can be implemented without any risk in any rural salt works irrespective of the source of brine and the type of salt works.

Smokeless Chula

The challenge of improving chula (stove) attracted many designers. Karma Lendup Bhutia is designer from Philips team that came out with `Sampoorna' and `Saral'. A new concept was also born `Philionthrophy by Design'. Indeed, MNCs like Philips can contribute more to society by improving common designs rather than any amount of charity under CSR.

TePP innovator becomes IIPC Champion of Champion

TePP innovator Kranti Kiran Vistakula, promoter of start-up Dhama Apparel Innovations was declared IIPC (India Innovation Pioneers Challenge 2008) Champion of Champion. Also in India Innovation Pioneers Challenge 2008 scholar sparks , TePP innovator Hamsa Nandini bagged 2nd prize where as another TePP innovator Tapendu Mandal received 3rd prize. The prizes were distributed on 18th by Hon.Minister Kapil Sibal.

TePP innovators at IIT Mumbai

Innovator Murugan of Banana Fiber machine sent me this photo taken in IIT, Mumbai. All the 40 participants of TePP Training program stayed in IIT guest house from 2nd to 6th Sept. This was possible courtesy, Prof Amarnath. He also organised lectures by SINE incubatees and faculty.

Laser basics

TePP receives many proposals on Laser applications. DRDO scientists are maintaining a web site , a rich resource in Laser. Visit:
http://www.worldoflasers.com/

Turn ideas into products

A tool for all creative people. Ponoko provides you tools to create designs and sell them too on internet. See: http://www.ponoko.com/

Enviro energy systems

Enviro Energy Systems is a specialist Process & Environmental Consulting organization started 18 years ago by Dr.V.Ravichandran Ph.D.(USA). Dr.V.Ravichandran was associated with Ford Motor Co.USA, Univ. of Notre Dame USA, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras. Has 8 inventions in the area of pollution control and process engineering to his credit.. The main purpose of this organization is design, operations and management of technologically challenging chemical and environmental projects. Automatic Effluent Dispenser system is one of their R&D product. Dr Ravichandran authored `Compost Technology' a practical guide on Compost- yard design,operation and marketing.

Training program at SPJIMR

The 5 day training program from 2nd to 6th Sept was attended by TePP innovators , Network partners and innovation managers, numbering about 40. The senior faculty had prepared their lectures keeping in mind the background of the participtants. The take home for innovators was - taking innovation to market requires a combination of Technology potency and Business advantage.

Biocontrol Strategies for Eco-Friendly Pest Management

Department of Biotechnology in association with the National Informatics Centre has now designed and developed a comprehensive web site on Biocontrol Strategies for Eco-Friendly Pest Management (http://www.dbtbiopesticides.nic.in). The site was inaugurated by the Secretary, Department of Biotechnology on 23^rd June, 2008.

The site provides the information on :

Biocontrol Agents

Botanical and Novel Biopesticides

Research Achievements

Upcoming events

Resource Directory of Scientists, Manufactures, Company List

Ongoing and completed projects so far

Referral Laboratories

Guidelines for Registering Biopesticides