To boost start-ups, CSIR plans incubation centres in 30 labs

To promote Start ups and commercially exploit technologies developed in its laboratories, India's premier science institution CSIR has decided to start incubation centres in over 30 different labs across the country. The decision on this was taken at a meeting of the Directors of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) held recently here.

The CSIR has over 38 laboratories across the country doing research on an array of topics ranging from medicines to leather industry and from marine research to farm technologies. "At the CSIR, we develop different technologies and take patent for it. But then it has to be taken forward to a larger audience. So we have decide to have incubation centers in our laboratories that will help Start ups.

"If one looks at Start ups, the maximum emphasis is given to IT Start ups. The focus of these incubation centers will be to encourage Start ups in other fields and also take the technology to the masses," said Girish Sahni, Director General of the CSIR. The CSIR currently has some 38-odd labs.

Incubation centers have already been opened in last six months at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysuru, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB)-Kolkata, Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI)-Chennai, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CiMap)-Lucknow, National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML)-Jamshepur, Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTEC)-Chandigarh while preparations are on to extend it other labs.

CSIR has also identified around "150 low-hanging fruits" which include commercial exploitation of technologies like facilitating advanced clinical trials of TB vaccine, taking forward certain drugs for large scale use, hybrid solar and wind generation equipment---all developed in CSIR laboratories.

The CSIR also has a corpus fund of Rs 700 crore earned through the money it gets from licensing of different technologies to private companies. "Further, we are planning to take help of different government agencies and take this fund to the tune to Rs 1000 crore," Sahni added.