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India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP 2.0) Launched at the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Mar 22, 2018
NEW DELHI, 22 March 2018: The 2018 edition of the India Innovation Growth Programme 2.0 aimed at developing entrepreneurship in India was launched on Wednesday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India. Established by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, Lockheed Martin Corporation & Tata Trusts, the India Innovation Growth Programme 2.0 was launched in 2017.
IIGP 2.0 is implemented by several supporting partners; Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, Center for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIM Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Tata Center for Technology and Design at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The India Innovation Growth Programme was launched in 2007 jointly by Lockheed Martin Corporation, Industry Chamber FICCI and the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The IIGP has been a pioneering initiatives to nurture home grown start-ups. It has now been revamped as IIGP 2.0 to offer a bouquet of value added services to Indian entrepreneurs.
Through a wide outreach campaign undertaken by FICCI over the last 11 years, spread over 100 cities across India, the Programme has received and evaluated over 8000 ideas so far. In addition to building entrepreneurs, more than 50 incubation managers from India have been trained in the US on global best practices on incubation and commercialization. Over 500 innovators have been supported over the past eleven years with capacity building, mentoring and business development support.
Aimed at accelerating indigenous innovations through incubation of affordable, accessible and acceptable solutions, IIGP 2.0 offers an opportunity for innovators across India to bring breakthrough ideas to market in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, water, energy, life sciences, aeronautics, biotechnology, chemistry, communications, computing, defense, electronics, information technology, manufacturing, materials, nanotechnology, petrochemicals, semiconductors and transportation.
Speaking at the launch of 2018 edition of the programme, Mr. Harkesh Mittal, Programme Head of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Tech. Commercialization, Department Science & Technology, Government of India, said, "DST has been a long standing partner in a unique collaborative program IIGP. I hope in this year also, IIGP 2.0 would outperform its past laurels and provide excellent support in nurturing and transforming innovative ideas to successful enterprises."
Mr. Phil Shaw, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India, added, "Lockheed Martin has been a proud sponsor and supporter of the India Innovation Growth Programme since 2007. The IIGP continues to prove itself as a hallmark model of government and industry working hand-in-hand to unleash the power and potential of Indian innovators."
Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Director General, FICCI said, "FICCI is a founding partner of the India Innovation Growth Programme since 2007. We remain committed to nurture the Indian innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by supporting both social and industrial sector innovative start-ups under IIGP2.0."
Some path breaking innovations have being recognised and scaled under the IIGP over the past ten years. With the capacity building and business development support being provided under the programme, Indian entrepreneurs have been able to take their businesses to the next level in turn generating employment in the country. "We further aim to create 10 billion economic value over the next 10 years through the programme," said Mr. Chenoy.
The IIGP has two separate tracks. A University Challenge, aimed at students, is complemented by an Open Innovation Challenge, aimed at innovators and entrepreneurs across the country. Each track focuses on identifying and supporting both industrial and social innovations. IIGP holds parallel challenges each year, supporting innovations through three phases of Ideation, Innovation and Acceleration.
Shortlisted winners will be sent for an international exposure visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA.
The last date to apply to the Open Innovation Challenge and to the University Challenge May 18th, 2018. Applicants can refer to www.indiainnovates.in to know more and to apply for the challenge