Idea to Innovation

The implementing institutes propose to implement formal certification that will maximize its value for the students / trainees. The following options thereof will be studied within the first year.

• First, certification under the National Skills Qualification Framework will be explored through the relevant agencies.
• Second, given the implementing institutes’ standing as Institutes of National Importance in the field of HRD with the mandate of floating certified courses and programs, it is also proposed to explore formal certification through internal IISc/IIT channels.

In addition to support for training and exploratory research, INUP-i2i will incorporate focused support for translational research addressing Grand Challenges of our nation and society. This will comprise the following:

• Identifying promising nanoengineering solutions through Hackathons
• Supporting innovative R&D projects
• Facilitating incubation
• Incorporating support to start-ups - including, but not limited to, those incubated out of the nanocenters at these six institutes by subsidizing their facility usage and providing them networking opportunities with incubators and prototyping centres.

It is proposed that in this initial phase of the ‘unified’ program, IISc and IITB would focus more on supporting research projects and start-ups, while IITD, IITG, IITKgp and IITM will carry forward the training mandate to a somewhat larger degree.