The research work done by universities, engineering colleges and various research organisations remains mostly confined to the respective universities or organisations. Lack of funding comes in the way of researchers from developing working models or for taking the research conducted in the laboratory to the field.
It is here that the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), an enterprise of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, can play a big role, says NRDC Chairman and Managing Director H. Purushottam.
“NRDC is partnering with a large number of R & D institutions and universities to market their research work to prospective entrepreneurs. The NRDC unit in Visakhapatnam has identified a few entrepreneurs who are setting up manufacturing units at the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ),” Mr. Purushottam told The Hindu on the sidelines of a national workshop on ‘Role of IPR in Innovation Management’, organised here on Saturday.
“There is a huge potential in A.P/ for start-ups. Identify a problem, and we have nice solutions,” he said.
Patent costs
Underlining the need for patenting, Mr. Purushottam said that lack of awareness and high licensing costs were acting as a deterrent to Indians. The patent costs can range between ₹4 and ₹5 lakh for filing and maintenance charges. The NRDC can also file the patents free of cost on behalf of the innovators,” he said.
NRDC has provided the technology for setting up of a unit to manufacture ‘herbal sanitary napkin’ to K.K. Chand, an entrepreneur from Vizag. The advantage of this product is that it is biodegradable and eco-friendly.
“Only 30 % of Indian companies and about 70% of foreign companies were filing patents for their products. The national Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy, launched in 2016, has contributed to a marginal increase in filing of patents,” said D. Usha Rao, an Assistant Controller of Patents and Design at the office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who also present.
“The general hitch in not going for patenting was the myth among the public that it was a complex process. She said that an anti-diabetic herbal drug, developed indigenously, and certified by CSIR, was being marketed commercially by NRDC. The advantage of the product was that it has no side-effects,” she said.
“Last year, 271 patents were filed from A.P., which stood at the 10th place. Maharashtra with 3,513 patents filed, topped the list,” Dr. Usha added.
