1. Brain Gain : Promoting Research and
Innovation
An effective Industry Academia Interface
model to bridge the gap
Team Detail : Shyam SundEr PRASAD, IITB
Prudhvi Tej Immadi, IITB
Rahul Prajapat, IITB
Sagar Sharma, IITB
DEEPAK MALANI, IITB
2. Two outcomes of good
education
Enabling to migrate to a
better attractive society
âConveyanceâ
Following the first world
countries and delivering
their needs
Betterment in situ
elevation
Interpreting societal
needs and translating to
application
The dormant potential of 54% youth in the 130 crore
population
⢠âDrinking water Problemâ is not really a technical problem. Even though it is, it is a
research problem for âlowerâ Indian Institutions to address.
Great deficit of courses
in societal modeling.
Inverted incentive
structure in socio-
economically important
engineering job market.
Separated R&D and
curricular teaching.
Research of relevance to
state and society of
developed world and not
ours.
Poor skillset in
undergraduate students.
3. Addressing societal needs through engineering college
students
⢠Creating an ecosystem among students enabling research aptitude
towards socio economic issues
⢠Building Industry- Academia Interface
⢠Creating a conducive environment for new industries to flourish
Vision
Industry Academia
Filling this gap
by Government
intervention
How ?
By setting set up âEducational Institutes Innovation Cell
(EIIC)â in every higher educational institutes
Primary Objectives
⢠Taking up projects from local PSUs, regional
SMEs, NGOs, Cooperatives and including
the same in regular curriculum
⢠Joint Curriculum programs : Internships
and apprenticeships from various
industries and various bodies
⢠Setting up research labs
Further Roles
⢠Celebrating Innovation : awards and
distinctions to successful projects
⢠Central database : making the solution
accessible to all
4. Organization of âEducational Instituteâs Innovation Cell (EIIC)â
Setting up of innovation cells at institute level
NiNC
⢠Central Body
⢠Source for leveraging funding
⢠Organizing rational conventions and
conferences
SiNC
⢠State level Body
⢠Responsible for maintaining state
database
⢠Organizing State level conventions
EIIC
⢠Educational Institute Innovation Cell
set up at institute level
⢠Consists of 4-5 enthusiasts professors,
representation from each discipline
Further Tasks, Structure and Organization of EIIC :
Course Development
Team
⢠Discuss and approve
problems jointly with
MSMEs, PSUs and
NGOs
⢠Design course projects
structures and float for
students
⢠Identify relevant
personnel from each
stakeholder
Organizing Team
â˘Brainstorming
sessions especially
for freshmen.
â˘Conduct seminars ,
talks by practicing
professionals.
â˘Orientation
sessions for
faculties.
Apprenticeship /
Training Team
⢠Nodal point for
contacting PSUâs,
industries and leverage
them.
⢠Internships 3/6/12
months long
⢠Practical training
before becoming a
professional
Media / Publicity
Team
⢠Ensure coverage of
everything in leading
newspapers
Infrastructure Team
⢠Provide lab facilities to
projects and funding
⢠Developing new
infrastructure
⢠Helping teams in
taking prototype to
product phase
⢠Examples : B.E.S.T.
buses tracking /
monitoring system,
Rain water harvesting
systems
5. Working of EIIC
Societal Projects : from Industries to academia
Government
Undertakings
⢠Like PSUs(BSNL),
Railways, PWDs,
Electricity boards,
Services
⢠Eg: Redesigning of
Public Transport system
MSMEs
⢠Local MSMEâs get
broken down due to
simple and sheer
engineering troubles.
⢠Eg: Electric motors
remain unrepaired and
hand pumps broken
NGOs, Cooperatives and
Local bodies
⢠Their surveys reveal a
lot of problems which
can be addressed.
⢠Eg: Much water is
carried by little girls on
head, which when
improved will have
great implications
PVT LTDs
⢠Connect large industries
with students providing
required tool kits to
stay abreast with
engineering community.
⢠More initiatives like TI-
University Program.
Courses
â˘Compulsory introductory course for freshmen involving their thinking ability with proper guidance
â˘Floating of 2-3 societal projects each semester supported by proper funding
â˘Credit system for courses, certification and ensuring implementation of successful projects
Sessions
â˘Motivation session for freshmen, sensitizing them and making them aware of Indian needs and
problems
â˘Sessions for professors for improvement in their deliverance
â˘Conduct seminars, talks and events on periodic basis by eminent industrial personalities and
researchers
6. Further roles of EIIC
Accentuating the tasks taken up
⢠National and State level awards and distinctions for successful
projects.
⢠Conventions and conferences calling out for the active professor
and students and the presentation of their work.
⢠Coverage of all events and seminars in media, thereby giving the
students and professors a sense of recognition.
Celebrating
Innovation
⢠EIIC helps in setting up student bodies which aim to increase the
reach of projects and technical activities.
⢠This body also can take care of proper funding and accountability
of EIIC in the institute.
Student
Bodies
⢠All projects offered by EIICâs and their solutions compiled.
⢠Compiled data sent to respective SInC for maintaining central
database
⢠Aimed to strengthen national knowledge network
Central
Database
7. Building Industry Academia Interface
â˘Wide spread apathy towards
applied, interdisciplinary
research and industrial needs
â˘Lack of proper infrastructure,
R&D labs
â˘Lower confidence in academia
â˘Dependent on foreign
technologies
Academia Industries
Need of
Hour
Bridging the
gap
8. Promoting Innovation in India
Establishing new Industries, How ?
⢠EIIC projects addressing societal issues should be encouraged towards
Entrepreneurship.
⢠Source of skilled manpower available to industries
Through EIICs
⢠51% of manufacturing start-ups are closed before 4 years of operation.
⢠This can be changed by giving them proper insurance and security policies,
especially for manufacturing start-ups
Entrepreneurship
friendly policies
⢠Their aim of maximizing revenue is to be addressed, simultaneously encouraging
them to research.
⢠Strengthening of IPR policies and incentivizing those industries that carry on
research.
Through Existing
Industries
â˘Incubating those independent researchers like those under Honey bee
network by promoting the commercialization of their products
Through Independent
Researchers
â˘Coordinating between EIIC and CSIR labs and thereby driving national
research towards translational research.
Setting up
manufacturing Labs
9. Impact of the model
New Innovative India
⢠Indian industries satisfying Indian demand
⢠Boosting economy by decreasing import dependency
⢠Innovation reaching to all levels of society through EIICs people
⢠Increased applied research
aptitude
⢠Students empowered,
skillsets enhanced
⢠Increased social
consciousness
⢠Many new innovations
centric industries
⢠Incubation of start ups into
enterprises
⢠Increased use of indigenous
technology
⢠Development of
manufacturing industries
Academia Industry
ďź EIIC projects
ďź Skilled manpower
ďź Innovative ideas
ďź Training / apprenticeship
ďź Infrastructure
ďź Entrepreneurial skills
11. Challenges involved and Risk factors
Challenges :
⢠Institution to institution Non-uniformity
of infrastructure and facilities
⢠Ensuring Industrial involvement
⢠Finding enthusiastic professors
Risks :
⢠Accountability of funds
⢠Replication of same problem
⢠Complacency from students
Mitigation factors :
⢠EIIC is having the same unique and fresh
architecture all over the country
⢠Liberal policies for participating industries
and special award for academia-industry
research
⢠Incentives and awards
Mitigation factors :
⢠A constant vigilance from student
bodies
⢠Central database
⢠Brainstorming sessions
12. Appendix
References
⢠Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013, Government of India.
⢠Engineering R&D at the IITs and its impact on India, appeared in Current Science,
June 2012 â Milind Sohoni.
⢠Towards An Integrated Model for Academia-Industry Interface in India,Vinay K.
Nangia, Cashmira Pramanik, World Academy of Sciences.
⢠Innovation in India, National Knowledge Commission, 2007.
⢠Chapter-7 Innovation Cluster Initiative, Samir Mitra, Office of Advisor to Prime
Minister of India.
⢠Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.-mospi.nic.in
⢠www.innovationcouncil.gov.in â National Innovation council