TechnoFIRST March 2010 Issue

Page 53

and delivering innovation continuously thus creating an innovation enabled region. TREC-STEP has also worked with a number of international developmental organizations in innovation development projects, such as UNDP, UNIDO, European Commission, the World Bank infoDev, British Council Division, IDRC etc.

Funding support Our TUC has funded many companies under the TePP funding. They can be classified as: a. MicroTEPP Funding b. Phase 1 Funding c. Phase 2 Funding

3 20 4

The Projects that have been completed so far TREC-STEP has supported the following innovators to successfully develop the prototypes of their innovations. Following major start-up companies have already been promoted with TREC-STEP Incubation Support:

    

M/S Glo Tech.Organics M/S Pure Tech India M/S Adhithya Medicals Birmaha Machine Tools Bharat Agro Products

What are the other supports provided to the Innovator

TREC-STEP provides a rich mix of software and hardware development package for creating successful innovative ventures. In the soft side, synergizing the Innovation Support TePP Scheme of DSIR helps in attracting innovative individuals and realize their dream products in to prototypes and working models. A Technology Angel Network of nearly 25 academicians from various engineering departments of NIT Trichy provide the guidance, evaluation and innovation development support for innovators. TREC-STEP has not only planned and implemented special events for popularizing Tepp Programme, but also put in focused efforts to integrate and

disseminate the DSIR supported TePP Programme to a wider section of the Community by integrating it into all its interaction programmes apart from several Innovation camps organized. It has also built partnerships with several reputed institutions in the region to attract more innovators into the TePP fold and help them to overcome their Innovation challenges successfully by facilitating them to access and fruitfully utilize the vital Funding support provided by DSIR. All innovations are expected to flower into start-up ventures through TREC-STEP mentoring and incubation process and support. In addition to this a plethora of business incubation hardware support is also provided to these budding ventures. TREC-STEP has a built up space of 40,000 sq.ft. of 25 Nursery Incubation modules. These incubation modules with Central common product development and production facilities established provide invaluable assistance for startup companies and reduce their risk initially. Facilities such as internet, power, water and library etc are provided for budding entrepreneurs on chargeable basis. These focused facilities have been instrumental in promoting nearly 186 new ventures, the highest number of ventures promoted by

any incubator in India.

How do you spot the Innovators TREC-STEP regularly organizes various programs to publicize the TEPP scheme and attract the innovators to benefit by this novel initiative. Regular advertisements are placed in leading news papers/ magazines both in English and Tamil for wide reach(5 Times a year). Seminars are conducted in industrial associations and technical institution to attract entrepreneurs and students to avail the schemes of DSIR through the TUC. New innovators approach TUC through the referral of successful innovators who were benefited from the DSIR schemes. TREC-STEP has also held a series of meetings with E-Cell of National Institute of Technology in order to take-up an Innovation Mining Project to unearth latent innovation potential of students for creating commercially viable products and processes. This would not only be the first stage towards strengthening venture incubation among NIT students but also motivate students to think more innovatively in the future even if they do not take up entrepreneurship as a career. This project is also seen as the one-stepforward-on-the-ground initiative compared to standard business

TF March 2010 53


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.