The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), an enterprise under DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt of India, invited proposals from the innovators under its DSIR grants-in-aid promotional programme for development of technologies for commercialization (PDTC) forUp-scaling the Covid-19 related technologies.

The financial support is given for development of Covid-19 technologies in the area of tracking, testing & treatment, covering process scale up, pilot plant studies, validation/authentication of the product, registration of the product with regulatory authorities, conducting field trials, generation of toxicology data, bridging the gap between the lab scale development and industrial requirement, so that commercial production and marketing of product become successful. 

Against the advertisement, 65 proposals were received seeking funding from NRDC. A three members external Technology Expert Committee was constituted and they have recommended 16 projects for funding as they are technically sound and relevant.The projects funded are in the area of Testing,Tracing and Treatment of Covid-19 and the technologies selected for support are in the area of Test Kits, Sanitizers, Ventilators, PPEs, Masks and Covid hospital effluents treatment. Some of the Institutions and Companies selected includes; IIT Delhi. Sahajanand Technologies Pvt. LtdSurat, IDEMI Mumbai, INM Indian Navy, Mumbai, Omix Research & Diagnostics Laboratories Bangalore, VBRI Innovation Pvt. Ltd New Delhi, FFDC Kannauj, CIBART New Delhi, Rudrani Hospitality Solutions Delhi, LN Inditech Services Pvt. Ltd. Bhubhaneswar and few academic institutions and individual innovators.

Dr. H. Purushotham, Chairman & Managing Director said that “ There is a huge gap in availability of grant funds for scale up and prototying of innovative technologies. NRDC Team quickly formulated the scheme to raise to the national emergency requirement  and contributing its might to combat covid-19. This financial support would help the innovators and startups in accelerating the technology development process and bring the innovative technologies to the market place within the next one year.” He has further stated that NRDC has brought out a Compendium of Indian Technologies for combating Covid-19 which has listed about 200 technologies developed by Indian institutions and startups and NRDC has transferred 9 technologies to startups and MSMEs which are useful in combating Covid-19 in the country.

*****

NB/KGS/(NRDC/DST Media Cell)