Science and Education Magazine
TechScape: IIT Jodhpur
Volume 01, Issue 01, August 2020

IIT Jodhpur builds opportunities for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship

Ram Prakash

IIT Jodhpur has set up a startup ecosystem, which essentially reflects freedom to encourage innovative ideas, R&D intensity, industry interaction, IP regime and protection, incentives for faculty/students to ideate/innovate, institutional setup to handhold entrepreneurs, have startup policies, equities and investments, networks with other incubators, investors, angels and entrepreneurs. The ecosystem aims to have startup policies, equities and investments, networks with other incubators, investors, angels and entrepreneurs. IIT Jodhpur Innovation Complex was inaugurated on the occasion of the Institute Foundation Day on the 2nd August, 2019. As a part of the complex, IIT Jodhpur has setup the Technology Innovation and Startup Center (TISC) as a Section 8 Company incorporated on 3rd July, 2019 under the Companies Act, 2013. The TISC focus is on the Deep Tech to promote startups and programmes founded on a scientific discovery or a meaningful engineering innovation to solve critical real-world issues through transformative technologies. TISC aims to nucleate new age ventures around the focal theme “Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT)”, unique in the country, which is expected to impact all sectors of economy. Deep Tech domains of TISC interests include: New materials and material intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare, including Precision Medicine & Multi-omics, Cyber-security, Digital economy, Robotics, Advanced Communications, Quantum Computing, etc. Possible fields for Deep Tech applications include: Agriculture, Food (including processing, analytics and computing), Life sciences, Aerospace, Energy, Defence, etc. TISC also nurtures incubation projects supported by Ministry of MSME and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, and has now embarked on establishing the BioNest Bioincubator besides administering a number of entrepreneurship-related activities encompassing a multitude of programmes/stakeholders in the neighbourhood.

To this end, the following opportunities have been built for entrepreneurship at the Institute.

IITJ’s Exclusive Entrepreneurship Programme

IITJ has developed a programme with an aim to gain insights not available from traditional engineering education, such as, understanding and designing for end users, working in and managing interdisciplinary teams, communicating effectively, thinking critically, understanding business basics, and solving open-ended problems. Students may opt for Entrepreneurship as a part of the curriculum from the beginning of the 8th Semester. A student would be required to complete a minimum of six months for Minor in Entrepreneurship, and would earn 20 credits on successful completion of a minimum of six months of Entrepreneurship. The students would be exempted from the requirement of 10 open elective credits in lieu of credits earned against Entrepreneurship. However, the remaining coursework is required to be completed by taking extra credits in the earlier semesters or can be completed after completion of Entrepreneurship. A student should have earned minimum required credits with at least 6 CGPA at the end of 7th semester to opt for dual-degree M. Tech. Programme.

IITJ’s School of Management and Entrepreneurship (SME)

IIT Jodhpur has created the first technology-based School of Management and Entrepreneurship in the state of Rajasthan and its key focus is tutoring for the startups on key managerial and entrepreneurship skills.

IITJ’s R&D Intensity

IIT Jodhpur has come up with centre for advanced scientific equipment (CASE) and faculties are involved in different product development and consultancies. IITJ is also providing additional facilities and services in the following:

• State-of-the-art mechanical system development tools
• Electronic fab for fabrication of sensors and associated electronics
• Fabless design facilities for hardware IP in I0T-AI domain
• Design, implementation, testing and production facilities for IoT devices
• Hardware and software Infrastructure for design, development and deployment of AI and Data-driven Products
• Appropriate data infrastructure for enabling enterprises to manage and use large-scale enterprise data in real-time
• Computational facilities and software support for large-scale modelling and simulation, Process instrumentation and control, etc

Laboratory facilities of applied sciences with high-end scientific equipment and characterization tools are also available. The startups can use the facilities of the Institute on payment basis as per the guidelines revised from time to time.

IITJ’s IP Regime and Protection

IIT Jodhpur has come up with the new Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy of the Institute, which provides a transparent operative framework for the management of IPR resulting from the creative work, in the Institute, and of its employees, students, researchers, persons associated with the Institute in diverse capacities with short-, medium- and long-term links with the Institute, collaborations with other institutions including industries & varied governmental / non-governmental agencies, and their likes. This policy also has a special mention about the Institute startup linkage and similarly incentive for students and faculties.

IITJ’s Technology Innovation and Startup Center (TISC)

IITJ has started a Technology Innovation and Startup Center (TISC) and is also setting up a Technology Park in its campus to nucleate a cluster of new-age ventures. The focal theme for both TISC and Technology Park is AI0T. At present, TISC is operational in an area of around 5000 sq. ft. with its infrastructure planned in around a 21,000 sq. ft. at IIT Jodhpur, which would be operational within this financial year. It would provide office infrastructure to the incubatees with other business support amenities like videoconferencing facilities, meeting spaces and other utilities. The incubatees will have access to the laboratory facilities, faculty and managerial expertise, library & interns available at the Institute. A strong industry linkage available with the Institute will help incubatees obtain dedicated domain-specific mentorship and networking with potential business partners and customers. Apart from these, this incubation unit will provide trainings, connect with investors, intellectual property protection support, and feedback/suggestions for progress in terms of product development, testing and customer engagement.

For further details related to TISC, its vision, mission, application form, eligibility and selection criteria of incubates, entry guidelines, exit guidelines, services offered at the incubation unit, etc., please visit our website and check out the rolling advertisement in the Announcement section.

Ram Prakash

Faculty-in-charge, TISC
Associate Professor,
Department of Physics

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