Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), National Association for Farmer Producer Organisations (NAFPO) andMarico Innovation Foundation (MIF), recently organized a virtual technology showcase to connect agtech start-ups with FPOs and rura development agencies.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) launched the month-long awareness and hands-on session for Students, Aspiring entrepreneurs, Researchers, Startups, MSMEs, SMEs/Industry players on the commercialization of Medical Devices and IVDs of categories A, B, C, and D.
The month-long series focuses on creating awareness along with in-depth support to understand the various stages involved in scaling a proof-of-concept validated idea to a marketable product. The series is divided into 4 tracks related to intellectual property, regulatory, industry immersion and Clinical Exposure, followed by a highlight event of Medical Devices and IVDs startup showcase.
RICH and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (DST) organised a Green Hydrogen Stakeholder Consultations meeting in Hyderabad, with the intent to conceptualise a green hydrogen valley in the state of Telangana.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) and Syngene International Ltd., announced the launch of a Scholarship and Mentoring for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Careers program. Through this initiative, women who are currently studying at various institutes will receive scholarships to enable them to work on scientific projects in research institutions or companies and receive mentoring support. Twenty-five scholarships have been awarded in the first year of the program. Over time, this program aims to create a self-sustaining network of women professionals in STEM.
As part of the scholarship and mentoring program, participants will be provided with:
As part of the outreach for the program, RICH, Syngene and Biocon Foundation received support from ecosystem partners such as EdVenture Park (Business Incubator), TASK (Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge), Tribal Welfare Department, Telangana (TRICOR) and Osmania University for reaching out to a wider audience of women currently pursuing their education in STEM subjects. The candidates were finalised through a rigorous selection process involving a nationwide call for applications followed by shortlisting through one-on-one interviews and final selection by an expert committee. The 25 selected women candidates will be sponsored and mentored for a period of 3-6 months.
"We are delighted to announce our new partnership with the Indian Centre for Social Transformation (CST), which enables us to support agri start-ups in various unique ways like onboarding them onto the digital platform KisanMitr, to help them commercialise their products and services through a network of funders and incubators; mentoring them; and backing them via initiatives such as establishing the India Strategic Development Fund.
In addition, RICH will assist in creating a database of start-ups and farmer producer organisations (FPOs); extend technical support on product evaluation, business plan preparation, development of market plans, etc. to FPOs; and promote KisanMitr and other initiatives under this MoU.
RICH is joining hands with Indian CST to work on KisanMitr."
"We are proud to announce our new collaboration with LEPRA India–BPHRC, a key national research centre for leprosy, tuberculosis and lymphatic filariasis.
The MoU aims to help LEPRA strengthen its innovation ecosystem through the creation of a collaborative environment, training sessions on various useful topics, increased knowledge sharing, digital transformation, and entrepreneurial activities.
LEPRA India–BPHRC will also act as a clinical validation partner for start-ups associated with RICH."
RICH-AID is back and calling applications for its 3rd Cohort. If you have a solution that can strengthen the medical devices and diagnostics space, we are looking for you. Apply now to our call for proposals and become part of the AID - Cohort 3, an initiative by RICH to identify and nurture the best start-ups and enable them to create a global impact. It is a 6-month cohort-based accelerator programme, followed by five-year need-based support for market entry.
Are you a start-up that wants to understand how to evaluate your organisation before approaching funders?
RICH is organising a virtual event on "HealthCare Technology Investment Scenario - Challenges and Opportunities: An Investors' Perspective," especially for Healthtech start-ups looking for funds. The session's speaker is Tushar Sadhu, a computer engineer and an alumnus of Indian School of Business. Hyderabad. Presently, he works with the investments team at W Health Ventures, a HealthTech-focused VC firm.
Shortcomings in healthcare can be addressed using drones and lives can be saved by adopting advanced logistics in the sky” – says Rashmi Pimpale, CEO, RICH. In this article from Biospectrum India, Rashmi shares her views on the advances in drone technology and how have they enabled MedTech and HealthTech start-ups to use Drones to provide healthcare services in the country's remotest regions. She also mentions use of drones for healthcare services by Marut Drones, a MedTech start-up supported by RICH.
RICH aims to work with colleges and educational institutions to support students and grassroots innovators in the region. To get closer to these goals, on 7th July 2022, we forged a new collaboration with St Pauls College Of Pharmacy to strengthen its research and innovation ecosystem. Under this MoU, both organisations will create an R&D and innovation ecosystem by promoting entrepreneurial activities, providing networking opportunities, and establishing and supporting germplasm for medicinal plants.
We are proud to announce that Telangana has been recognised as a "Top Performer" in the States' Startups Ranking 2021, for building a robust start-up ecosystem. The award was presented to the Government of Telangana by Shri. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry. The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, who released the award, highlighted several initiatives by the state, including launch of Research and Innovation Circle Hyderabad (RICH) to foster research and innovation by creating a collaborative environment.
On 30th June 2022, RICH along with Telangana State Innovation Cell, T-Hub and other ecosystem partners organised the second-day event to launch T Hub Phase 2—the Asia's largest innovation centre. The event included a panel discussion on 'Celebrate the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem', where expert panellists shared their insights on start-ups, innovation, and leadership. The event also comprised announcements of exciting initiatives to support innovators and introductions to upcoming start-ups that will be the future of Telangana.
On 29th June RICH signed an MOU with Samunnati to assist startups and #innovators in validating their products, obtaining appropriate compliance and product certification, commercialising #startup technology, exploring potential in creating projects, and assisting #FPOs in a variety of ways. Team RICH is excited to work with Samunnati and explore new opportunities.
In collaboration with Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), RICH organised a pre-event before the launch of T Hub 2.0. The event included a torch run called "Flame of Entrepreneurship," arranged to spread the state's spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. The Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) flagged off the one-of-its-kind relay on 22nd June, and RICH relayed the torch in Hyderabad on 23rd June. The initiative is a means to showcase the state's achievements in innovation and research. During the event, RICH Director General, Ajit Rangnekar talked about the importance of creating an innovation ecosystem in Telangana, the state government's initiatives in building a strong innovation infrastructure, and RICH's role in extending support to innovators.
Are you a science research-based tech start-up in need of funds to commercialise your innovation?
Know about various non-dilutive funding opportunities from Ms. Soma Chattopadhyay, Head – Incubation & Mentoring, Venture Center, at our virtual event “Non-Dilutive Funding Opportunities for Deep Science Tech Start-ups”. Join us on 1st July 2022 from 4 pm onwards!
On 17th of June 2022, RICH has signed an MOU with the National Institute for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (Ni-MSME) to establish a centre of excellence (CoE) in the e-mobility space. Both the organisations will work together to create a blueprint for the CoE, onboard partner institutions, identify potential investors, and organise events to bring together all key players in the e-mobility space.
RICH has partnered with various organizations to support start-ups in scaling their products and creating a favorable ecosystem for innovators to thrive. Our recent MoU with Kauvery Hospital under Project Tej is a step towards accelerating the HealthTech ecosystem in India. As part of this engagement, we will be working closely with Healthcare Capital, the investment arm of Kauvery Hospital to support the start-ups.
Are you a start-up ready for starting clinical validation studies? Not sure about the process? RICH is hosting a virtual event on "Requisites for Conducting Clinical Validation Studies for Medical Devices/Diagnostics Start-ups" on 9th June 2022. The guest speaker for the event is Dr. Biju Jacob, Director- Health , Social Alpha & Country Director – India, UN Health Innovation Exchange The last day of registration is 8th June 2022."
RICH CEO Rashmi Pimpale talks about our focused approach to identifying innovators and supporting their simple, yet effective solutions, in interaction with Agro Spectrum India. She mentions how RICH emphasises a product's usability, feasibility, and affordability before extending our support to scale it from lab to market. As an organisation, we aim to look for grassroots innovators and start-ups who have worked on-ground to identify a farmer's challenges before developing any solution. We have also been scouting innovations in the agriculture sector and have prepared a compendium with a list of start-ups and companies using emerging technologies to solve agriculture problems. Read more about our initiatives and partnerships in the following interview.
Following is the link to the article: https://agrospectrumindia.com/2022/05/18/rich-has-created-a-supportive-ecosystem-for-innovators-in-agri-tech-space.html
RICH has signed a MoU with Malla Reddy Health City to offer #clinicalvalidation support to #startups under Project Tej. We hope to achieve our long-term goal of facilitating the process of taking a product to market through this MoU.
"We are honoured to announce that RICH is joining forces with The Agri Collaboratory (TAC) through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the development of an open source ecosystem for innovations in the food and agriculture sector. The MoU helps us synergize our efforts to create a single platform where government organizations, private sector firms, research institutes, educational institutes, and agro-companies can come together to share and promote innovations in the food and agri-industry. We hope to achieve our long-term goals of data standardisation and provision of open access information through this collaboration."
At the Agri Industry Research Meet conducted by the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) and Vaagdevi Group of Colleges, 39 farming problems were identified. To find the best solutions, RICH and its partners have decided to hold the Agri-Hackathon—a Battle for the Best Ideas between start-ups, researchers, farm innovators, NGOs, students, and other agencies.
Venue: Vaagdevi Engineering College, Warangal
Date: 14th and 15th March 2022
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) announces the start-ups forming the second cohort of the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) programme!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) announces the selected start-ups forming the second cohort of the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) programme.
The programme has been developed to address the challenges faced by start-ups in the rapidly growing med-tech domain-ranging from inaccessible equipment, clinical samples, and research expertise to a lack of mentorship and difficulties in outreach. With the winners being announced, now RICH-AID’s second cohort of start-ups will become equipped to generate impact across the fields of psychometrics, nanotechnology, biotherapeutics, point-of-care devices, wearable devices, lateral flow assays for screening, affordable, accessible and tech-enabled glucometers, and cloud-based analytics specific to the Indian context.
Hyderabad, 9 February 2022: British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural exchange, and the Government of Telangana State, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to renew their partnership in the area of Education, English and Arts aimed at creating global opportunities for the youth of Telangana.
The Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) signed an MoU with EEE Evergreen Energy Enterprises Inc today, to help develop and deploy an integrated farm service platform for cultivation of oil palm in Telangana under the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (#NMOOP). Speaking on the occasion, Director General of RICH, Mr Ajit Rangnekar said both organizations are working together in developing a unique technology based service platform for farmers venturing into oil Palm production in Telangana.
RICH and EEE have also been identifying startups whose technology could be deployed in enrolling farmers on a farm management platform , monitoring the oil palm plants from planting to harvest using #blockchain, conducting land use plans using #drones, precision irrigation systems using #IoT technologies and more
On 01—2 February 2022, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) Dr. Reddy's Institute of Life Sciences and the Royal Society of Chemistry jointly organised an online conclave bringing together eminent experts from industry, academia, research community and startups to hold conversations around measures to help the chemical and pharma industry achieve its UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The objective of the conclave was to discuss recent advancements in the design, creation, and implementation of digital and sustainable practices in the entire value chain in the industry. Such discussions can play a major role in helping humanity to meet current environmental, economic, and societal challenges without compromising the progress and success of future generations.
Shri. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of Industries & Commerce and IT Departments, Government of Telangana State graced the conclave with his presence, as Chief Guest. Speaking at the event, he said "This Conclave, in some ways is the confluence of sustainability, digitalization as well as innovation. Time has nearly come for us to collectively think on how to make this a reality soon, because these are some of the very important megatrends which are currently going to shape the future of the Pharma and Chemical industry. While the industry itself is doing well in terms of the returns, the kind of outputs, the services it is providing to mankind, we also have seen that pressures are mounting, and companies need to be prepared for the future.”
Chairing the inaugural session, Rashmi Pimpale, Chief Executive Officer - RICH, Government of Telangana addressed the theme “Digitalisation”. She said " Over the past few years, several key areas have been identified where digitisation can be of immense value to the Chemical and Pharma industry. However, digital transformation will also mean major changes to roles and responsibilities within organisations and will require the companies to employ a more diverse workforce. There will also be a need to look beyond traditional alliances to multi-disciplinary partnerships. This requires a major change in the current mindset and culture”. Shri. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General RICH rightly expressed some of the key elements observed in the pharma and life sciences industry. He mentioned about big expectations from the industry to bring affordable and rapid countermeasures as new diseases suddenly come ashore. He also mentioned that there is an increased focus on sustainability and circular economy. Further, he raised that success within the industry would heavily rely on who has the best access to capital and how effectively the chemical and pharma industry use data in all aspects of research.
Dr. Goverdhan Mehta, prominent Chemical Scientist and Researcher from the University of Hyderabad quoted “The urgent necessity for sustainable manufacturing and necessity to reinvent chemistry practice and processes is further underscored by two very recent findings. The first one being an estimate that in 2020, global human-made mass has exceeded all living biomass on the planet.…….The second finding that appeared only last week is that safe operating space of the planetary boundary of novel entities has already been exceeded. When the concept of sustainability came on the forefront, we defined planetary boundaries where humans can operate and grey areas where we can operate but cannot breach. We for last 10 years or so already operated in the planetary boundary areas grey areas. Both of these factors will have major impact on chemical industry in the coming decades.”
The 2-day Conclave held a number of sessions chaired by eminent experts representing a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the chemical industry. From corporates like TCS, Sai Lifesciences, Dr. Reddy’s Labs, ecosystem enablers such as Deshpande Startups, to academic institutes like IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar, Imperial College UK, to research organisations like CSIR-IICT. A special session for startups showcased innovations spanning across - biotechnology, drug discovery, immunization supply chain, cleantech and waste management. The major takeaways were:
RICH now plans to publish a collation of the key takeaways and a set of best practices from the Conclave which will help the industry in its journey towards sustainability and digitalisation for the 21 st century.
On 01—2 February 2022, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), in partnership with Dr. Reddy's Institute of Life Sciences and the Royal Society of Chemistry is organising an online conclave to help the chemical industry achieve its UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) that serve as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for the world. The objective of the conclave was to discuss innovative design, creation, processing, and usage, through which the chemical industry can play a major role in helping humanity to meet current environmental, economic, and societal challenges without compromising the progress and success of future generations. Day-01 of this virtually planned industry-academia conclave will have separate sessions for digitalisation and sustainability and Day-02 will feature a showcase for emerging technologies by start-ups that are engaged in areas of digitalisation and sustainability. Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of Industries & Commerce aand IT Departments, Government of Telangana State will be the Chief Guest, along with other eminent speakers.
Limited seats! Register now: https://lnkd.in/gxXC7-X3
To know more: Click Here.
On Tuesday 7th December 2021, the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) hosted teams from the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (O/o PSA) and NITI Aayog as part of its engagement with the different stakeholders in the research-academia-start up ecosystem of Telangana. Gracing the event were Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and Shri. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Government of Telangana and Dr K. Rajeswara Rao, IAS, Special Secretary, NITI Aayog. The meeting was also attended by heads of participating R&D labs of the RICH cluster, members of start-ups/ MSMEs supported through the cluster initiative, officials of the Government of Telangana, and industry partners.
The short event started with opening remarks by Prof. VijayRaghavan, Dr Rajiv Kumar, and Shr. Jayesh Ranjan. This was followed by a short presentation on the key initiatives of the RICH and its organizational partners. Some of the initiatives highlighted by the team were the Hyderabad reagents consortium for diagnostics, emerging technology pilots for agriculture development in the region and the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) program and Project Tej which is enabling deployment of medical innovations in India. The gathering also discussed some key policies announced by the Government of India and its related programs in Telangana such as deriving value from wastewater and e-waste commercialisation which are key components of the Waste To Wealth Mission of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC).
There was a detailed discussion amongst the group on how continued collaboration between institutions, industry and initiatives like RICH, with a sense of shared purpose, has the ability to unlock the collective potential of all the stakeholders in the ecosystem to solve larger issues that the country is dealing with.
The Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) announces the launch of Cohort 2 of its Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) program to help diagnostic start-ups reach maximum potential!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) is inviting applications from promising start ups and entrepreneurs for the second cohort of their start up accelerator program Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID).
The AID program was launched in January 2021, in response to the burgeoning diagnostics services industry in India, which, according to a study published in August 2020 was expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 16% accounting to approximately Rs.802 billion ($ 12.3 billion). Designed as a multi-stakeholder alliance to identify and nurture the best start ups in the diagnostics space, RICHAID is aimed at building a strong ecosystem of start ups, innovators, hospitals, clinicians, and mentors to help start ups get access to facilities, equipment and expertise. The program has been developed out of a perceived need to address the challenges faced by start ups in the rapidly growing med-tech domain—ranging from the inability to access equipment, clinical samples, and research expertise to a lack of mentorship and difficulties in outreach.
The first cohort received an overwhelming response, with over 75 applications from entrepreneurs and start ups across the med-tech ecosystem, across India, Canada, USA and South Korea. 10 of these applicants were shortlisted after a rigorous selection process and are currently being virtually incubated at AIC-CCMB.
Mr Ajit Rangnekar, Director General of RICH, says:
“AID was designed to leverage the unique mix of industry, hospitals, clinicians and mentors we have in Telangana, and Hyderabad in particular. With the first cohort we have been able to support the start-ups with valuable contributions ranging from access to test beds to help with navigating the regulatory framework and certification for diagnostic devices in India. We have also set them up for individualised mentor sessions with our experts to help them resolve specific challenges. And this is merely the first phase of our 5-year long association with the start-ups. We will continue to help them fast track to market. I want to invite more medtech start-ups to take full advantage of all the opportunities, such as preparation for funding from start-up schemes, excellent facilities, tailored expert support, that Telangana has to offer. Do apply for our second cohort of AID.”
As part of the Cohort 2, RICH is currently inviting applications from start ups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and academic institutions in the in vitro diagnostics sector for their AID program. The program is open to all start ups in the in vitro diagnostics sector with a completed proof of concept! The applications will be evaluated by a panel constituting thematic experts and industry leaders. The most promising start ups selected by the panel will gain the golden opportunity to undergo incubation at premier research institutes like the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), with access to high quality laboratory facilities and equipment; Incubation at I-Venture@ISB with access to ISB network of 12500+ Alumni across 60+ countries and 400+ cities; access to hospital test beds for samples, testing, and validation; potential investors and industry connects; and seed grants to start ups that successfully graduate from the cohort! In short, RICH will support these start ups with the guidance and mentorship to accelerate their growth and ultimately open doors to the industry.
The deadline for applications to the AID program is 30 November, 2021. If you are an up-and-coming entrepreneur in the diagnostics industry and believe your start up has what it takes to develop topquality diagnostic devices, do not miss this opportunity to accelerate your venture to the top!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) is an initiative launched by the Government of Telangana. RICH is designated as Hyderabad City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster, a Mega-Cluster initiative of the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to Government of India. RICH aims to create a knowledge base and drive innovation for addressing critical local i.e. city- and state-level problems. It involves solving complex challenges by creating collaborative networks by and between national research and academic institutions, industry, associations, start ups, civil society entities, state government, and central ministries.
The development of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or drone technology hassoaredin the past decade, offering unprecedented opportunities for economic growth and employment generation.
In India, dronesoffer a unique way to provide essential services in rural areas. Agriculture, mining, and surveillance are just a few of the diverse fields in which drones find application in the country.India is home to many start-ups and drone companies, like the Telangana-based Marut Drones, which has been utilizing drone technology to revolutionize agriculture, sanitation, and malaria eradicationefforts in the state.
In July 2021, the Indian Government published a liberalized set of rules for the use of UAS. These rules are a step forward from the UAS Rules published in March 2021, which were considered by academia, start-ups, and other key players as overly restrictive and cumbersome.
The salient features of the Drone Rules, 2021, are as follows:
The expansive and progressive nature of the new Drone Rules will benefit entrepreneurs and drone operators alike. Thismajor policy boost by the Government sets the stage for India to become a global drone hub in the near future!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) submits a paper titled “Dryland Food Systems in Telangana” at aPre-Summit event for the United Nations Food Systems Summit
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) is submitting a paper titled “Dryland Food Systems in Telangana” at a pre-summit event held between 26-28July 2021 in Rome, which is a part of 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit . The paper aims to highlight some of the challenges faced by farmers in the dryland agricultural ecosystem of India and has been published in partnership with The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
This Pre-Summit event is a lead-up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit to be held later, in September 2021. The event is being held as a part of the “Decade of Action” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies on healthier, more sustainable, and equitable food systems to some extent.
As part of trying to address the issues faced by dryland agricultural systems, RICH had convened an online dialogue on 16 July 2021 involving a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including Government representatives (state and Central), researchers, civil society organizations, members of the agriculture industry and farmers. The deliberations of the dialogue have been analyzed and distilled into the paper being presented the UN Pre-Summit. Some of the key participants included Shri. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Telangana; Dr. Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT; and Ajit Rangnekar, Director General, RICH .
As mentioned by Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Government of Telangana in his opening address, “Dryland food systems have sustained our economy, food habits and farming ecosystem for generations. However, because of some reasons which can perhaps be corrected with proper understanding and guidance, there is no reason to believe why we cannot revive crops like millets, pulses etc. that are predominantly grown into dryland areas, into a very rich and thriving agriculture and economic ecosystem.
I am very glad that all of us are involved in these deliberations today. I do look forward to looking at the recommendations and suggestions. Once we are able to sense that this is the possibility, we really work in a very collaborative manner. Lots of start-ups brought in the ecosystem, academic and research institutions, agriculture dept. industry dept. food processing dept. I am very sure that the outcome of today’s work will lead us to that path.”
Bhubesh Kumar, Director, Food and Agriculture, RICH echoed Shri Ranjan in his remarks “Dry lands contribute 42% of the total food grain production of India. Out of the 97 million farm holdings in India, about 76% come under dry land farming. Dryland farmers suffer from low yields and crop losses due to poor resilience to climate change, which has drastically affected this food system in the region. If India has to meet its target of SDG No. 2, i.e. Zero Hunger, we need to come together and address these challenges on a war footing. In this regard, we at RICH are hosting this independent online development dialogue for the Pre-Summit dialogue for the UN Food System Summit, so that we can collaborate with nutrition specialists and agriculture experts across the globe and develop viable solutions that can help the marginal farmers of India.”
The pre-summitevent will provide a common platform to youth, farmers, indigenous peoples, civil society, researchers, private sector, policy leaders and ministers of agriculture, environment, health, nutrition and finance, among others. It aims to deliver the most recent evidence-based and scientific approaches to food system transformation from across the globe, launch a set of new commitments through coalitions of action and mobilize new financing and partnerships.
This spirit of collaboration was echoed by Dr. Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director, ICRISAT, who remarked “Extreme poverty and hunger are predominantly rural, although we know we have a lot of hunger, poverty in the urban areas too. The small holder farmers, their families and their communities make up a very significant proportion of the poor and hungry. So eradicating poverty and hunger is integrally linked with boosting food production, agriculture productivity and rural incomes. We need sustainable changes to increase agriculture production. We need to improve our global supply chain and value web. We need to decrease food losses and waste, and to ensure that healthy and nutritious food is available and affordable for all.
We need to diversify our agricultural systems to minimize risk and to help sustain productivity. To transform our food systems requires bridging yield gaps i.e. what the crop could or should yield as opposed to what it currently does. We need to fix those long and inefficient supply chains where the profits accrue to middlemen. We need to curb those greenhouse gas emissions. If we can shift and diversify diets, it could certainly eliminate under nutrition, over-nourishment as well as the hidden hunger of micro-nutrients malnutrition.”
The spirited sessions led to some key insights being drawn from the inputs provided by the diverse set of stakeholders. The insights ranged from preserving and promoting grassroots level knowledge and importance of creating village level seed banks, to incorporation of advanced technologies like AI that can help leverage data lakes into a data driven policy making. The stakeholders also underlined the importance of interdisciplinary research for better implementation and sustainability as well as use of adaptive technologies to address yield gaps and impact of climate change.
The full paper can be viewed at https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/31516/
Summing up, Rashmi Pimpale, CEO RICH, said “The objective of the Hyderabad Cluster, is to help foster research and innovation across industry sectors, to help research break out of its silos so that it can be used where it delivers the best outcomes. Which is why, with this Pre-Summit Dialogue we have brought together a diverse set of stakeholders, from Government representatives to Civil Society Organizations, from researchers to farmers, from academics to industry partners. We hope that this dialogue will help drive much needed discussion and collaboration that will address at least a small part of the challenge of Global Hunger. We hope that this rainbow coalition will help Hyderabad live up to its title of being the Seed Bowl of India.”
RICH’s endeavor to put a spotlight on the importance and current plight of dryland food systems at this global platform will help create broad community dialogue, inspire collaborative change, and helpbuild a better future – one that is bright, safe, and sustainable for both India and the world.
About RICH:
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) is an initiative jointly spearheaded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and the Government of Telangana. RICH has been entrusted with the unique responsibility of bringing ideas and research outcomes into the real world through co-operation and scientific approach. RICH aims to be a partner-of-choice for start-ups, researchers, and industry to nurture viable solutions for generating wealth, employment & societal good in the sectors of Food and Agriculture, Life SciencesandPharma and Aerospace and Defence.
About ICRISAT:
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international non-profit, non-political organization that undertakes scientific research for development. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Patancheru, Telangana, ICRISAT conducts partnership-based international agricultural research primarily for rural development. ICRISAT envisions prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. To achieve this, its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) announces the shortlist of its first cohort of start-ups under the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) program!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) announces the shortlist of its first cohort of start-ups selected under the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) program, designed as a multi-stakeholder alliance to identify and nurture the best start-ups in the diagnostics space.
According to Invest India , the medical diagnostics market in India is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.4% to reach $32 bn. COVID has accelerated the need for more diagnostics across all health sectors.
RICH-AID is aimed at building a strong ecosystem of start-ups, innovators, hospitals, clinicians and mentors to help start-ups get access to facilities, equipment and expertise. The program has been developed out of a perceived need to address the challenges faced by start-ups in the rapidly growing med-tech domain—ranging from the inability to access equipment, clinical samples, and research expertise to a lack of mentorship and difficulties in outreach. The program will also help boost Hyderabad, capital of the state of Telangana, contributing roughly 35% of the country’s pharmaceutical output, as the “Pharma Capital of India,”. RICH-AID will leverage the existence of India’s largest med-tech park, a large number of research institutions, and over 15 life science incubators and other supporting facilities set up by the state of Telangana.
Says, Ajit Rangnekar, Director General (RICH), “The COVID19 pandemic has underlined the need for accelerated research in diagnostics followed by a rapid go-to-market for such innovations which can help us deal with such medical emergencies. In Hyderabad we already have a fertile ecosystem of industry, hospitals, clinicians and mentors. With the AID program we hope to bring all of these together in a manner which can best help young innovators convert their ideas into viable business propositions. This cohort is just the first of many such start-ups we hope to engage with and help transform the diagnostics space not just in Hyderabad but across India.”
Originally announced on the 28th of January 2021, the AID program saw an enthusiastic response from entrepreneurs and start-ups across the med-tech ecosystem. A call for start-ups in the in-vitro diagnostics sector to sign up for the AID Program led to a whopping 76 applicationsreceived from India, Canada, USA, and South Korea!
The entries were evaluated by a panel constituting thematic experts and industry leaders, namely
The selection of the final startups for the AID Program was on the basis of a number of criteria such as solution USP, technical strength, usability and scalability, readiness, validation, fit for purpose, commercial roadmap, among others.
The shortlisted start-ups, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
The short-listed start-ups will receive a number of important benefits over the coming 6 months, including incubation at AIC-CCMB (Atal Incubation Centre – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), access to test beds under the Project Tej scheme at partner hospitals, access to test samples, and validation support. They will also, based on their specific requirements, receive one-on-one mentorship from the top technical and business experts in the industry and vital connects with potential investors and industry organizations. RICH has on boarded over 20 mentors encompassing various expertise areas: venture capitalists, doctors and healthcare professionals, leaders in business, technology, operations, manufacturing, sales and communications, regulatory experts among others. The shortlisted start-ups will also receive an acceleration grant of INR Two Lakhs each.
The RICH-AID program is certainly leaving no stone unturned in its endeavour to build a strong, thriving life sciences ecosystem that helps homegrown med-tech start-ups to flourish and realize their full potential, and the 10 chosen start-ups of the very first edition of the RICH-AID program are definitely the ones to watch out for in the rapidly expanding med-tech startup sphere!
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) is an initiative of by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI) and the Telangana State Government. RICH aims to create a knowledge base and drive innovation for addressing critical locali.e. city- and state-level problems. It involves solving complex challenges by creating collaborative networks by and between national research and academic institutions, industry, associations, start-ups, civil society entities, state government, and central ministries.
For more information on RICH AID program, please visit https://rich.telangana.gov.in/RICH-AID.html
or contact [head-bdls-rich@telangana.gov.in].
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH)has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Anurag University, Hyderabad for academic collaboration to fuel a robust student innovation ecosystem. Prof. S. Ramachandran, Vice Chancellor, Anurag University, and Mr. R. Bhubesh Kumar, Director of Food & Agriculture, RICH signed the MoU in a round-table meeting attended by Prof. Sameen Fatima, Registrar, Anurag University; Dr. Vishnu Murthy, Dean, School of Engineering; and Dr. VasudhaBakshi, Dean, School of Pharmacy.
Besides enhancing academic and research interaction, and integration between the two organisations, the MoU shall facilitate capacity building based on collaborative research by imparting knowledge and honing skills of students. Through this collaboration, both the organisations intend to identify opportunities for joint activities, one such planned activity is organising an AgroIndustry-Research Roundtable to ideate and implement technological solutions to address current pressing issues in the agri industry. Under the initiative, RICH will extend technical support to the students in developing a Digital Crop Decision Making System and will act as a mentor for potential student projects with immense potential to scale and create impact. Additionally, RICH will support Anurag University in establishing a medicinal plants garden by facilitating the submission of a project proposal to the National Medicinal Plants Board and identifying experts who could help in establishing a tissue culture laboratory for medicinal plants.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH)facilitated the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) and T-works to promote student innovation and entrepreneurship.
The MoU shall provide students access to mentorship opportunities from industry professionals and access to prototyping facilities at T-works. This initiative includes a specific tailor-made industry training programme for students and faculty members,inculcating design thinking at grassroots level and advancing innovative spirit amongst students. This initiative would not just help in fostering the relationship between the two organizations but also promote executive education programmes.
Research and Innovation Circleof Hyderabad (RICH) announces the Acceleration Initiative for Diagnostics (AID) program to help diagnostic start-ups reach maximum potential!
Research and Innovation Circleof Hyderabad (RICH) is inviting applications for their start-up accelerator program from promising start-ups and entrepreneurs wishing to fast-track their diagnostic product to market.
According to experts, the diagnostics services industry in Indiais expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 16%, exceeding Rs 1 lakh croresby 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a boost to this market, with companiesexperiencing surging demands for technologies ranging from telemedicine to rapid testing kits and precision medicines for life-threatening diseases. For start-ups in the medical diagnostic space, the post COVID world provides a unique opportunity to solve the latent and stated health and wellbeing needs of millions of people across the world.
Hyderabad, capital of the state of Telangana, is a hotspot of innovation, especially in the field of med-tech, and is best suited to take on this initiative. Dubbed the “Pharma Capital of India,” Hyderabad contributes to roughly 35% of the country’s pharmaceutical output. Hyderabad is also home to India’s largest med-tech park and coronary stent manufacturing facility, a large number of research institutions, and over 15 life science incubators and other supporting facilities set up by the state. It is expected that this scientific-entrepreneurial ecosystem will help the start-ups grow.
Backed by the Government of Telangana, and the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India – RICH aims to transform the scientific start up ecosystem, by focusing on enabling inventions and innovations to reach the market.“Innovation in Science has demonstrated its ability to transform the world. In Diagnostics, Indian scientists, engineers, and data experts are rapidly innovating new products that can help humanity to identify and overcome many diseases expeditiously. We will give the best among them, the full complement of support to help them succeed” says AjitRangnekar, Director General, RICH.
AID is conceived by RICH as a multi-stakeholder alliance whose goal is to identify and nurture the best start-ups in the diagnostics space. Mentored by an expert panel of entrepreneurs, scientists, inventors, and innovators; supported by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad – AID is expected to help start-ups overcome all hurdles – both conceptual and infrastructural - to realize their full potential.
As part of the AID program, RICH is currently inviting applications from start-ups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and academic institutions in the in vitro diagnostics sector for their accelerator program. The program is open to start-ups with a completed proof of concept, and rewards are priceless!
The applications will be evaluated by a panel constituting thematic experts and industry leaders. The most promising start-ups selected by the panel will gain the golden opportunity to undergo incubation at premier research institutes like CCMB, with access to high quality laboratory facilities and equipment; one-on-one mentorship from the top technical and business experts in the industry; access to hospital test beds for samples, testing, and validation; potential investors and industry connects; and seed grants to start-ups that successfully graduate from the cohort! In short, RICH will support these start-ups with the guidance and mentorship to accelerate their growth and ultimately open doors to the industry.
The deadline for applications to the AID program is 17th February, 2021. If you are an up-and-coming entrepreneur in the diagnostics industry and believe your start-up has what it takes to develop top-quality diagnostic devices, do not miss this opportunity to accelerate your venture to the top!
Led by RICH (Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad), the S&T Mega Cluster aims to bolster nationwide scientific collaboration in the innovation hub of the country – Hyderabad.
Hyderabad, a hub of innovation, has been selected for setting up a Science and Technology Cluster, an initiative of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). The Hyderabad Cluster will be led by Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH). The Cluster was launched by Shri. K.T. Rama Rao, Hon’ble Minister for IT, Industries and MA&UD, Government of Telangana and Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, on 8th January, 2021 , in the presence of Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS (Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce (I&C) and IT Departments, Government of Telangana), Dr. Arabinda Mitra (Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India), and Mr. Ajit Rangnekar (Director General, RICH).
The Government of India has focused on boosting science, research, and innovation in the country. One of many such efforts is the establishment of Science & Technology (S&T) Clusters on the recommendation of the PM-STIAC. These S&T clusters are a means to encourage scientific enterprise and to push individual institutional excellence towards collective performance. Currently, the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India has proposed the establishment of mega S&T clusters in four cities that have strong organizations, institutions, and industries focused on science and technology, namely, Hyderabad Bengaluru, National Capital Region (NCR)-Delhi and Pune. Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, PSA to the Government of India, said, “The goal ofPM-STIAC is to develop a futuristic roadmap for science and technology in India. Creation ofmega clusters that leverage the local science and technology expertise will pave the way for a faster and more efficient deployment of scientific outcomes. We believe that the new Hyderabad cluster will enable and empower patents, products and profits, while solving problems that afflictsociety.”
India has retained its position as the most innovative country among the Central and South Asian countries. It is also the world’s third largest start-up hub and continues to grow at a steady pace. With continuing state and central government support, India has the potential to vault to the top of this list. Telangana, the youngest state in India, has one of the highest growth rates in the country due to its focus on innovation in all sectors, and from all constituents. Hyderabad, the state’s capital, has therefore been chosen as one of the cities for setting up a mega S&T cluster. It houses the nation’s largest bio-cluster, Genome Valley, which is a group of roughly 200 companies. It is also the ‘Pharma Capital of India’ contributing to about 35% of the country’s pharmaceutical output. It is also the ‘Seed Capital of India’ and one of the largest digital technology hubs. It houses over 60 government, multinational and private research institutions.
Shri K.T. Rama Rao said, “Scientific advancement is at the core ofour progress as a State. For the science from the labs to be truly effective, it has to benefit people at large. The creation of the Hyderabad Cluster, driven by RICH, will help discovery and invention in the labs to move to implementation, promising to change the lives of the citizens. We are looking to help launch at least 5 large impactful companies over a period ofnext 5-7 years, whichwillbenefitmillions, generatewealth, andcreateover100,000jobs across thecountry. Longer term, our goal is to make Telangana the best Centre ofExcellence for Lifesciences, AgricultureandDigitalTechnology.”
Creation of the S&T clusters aims to solve complex local challenges by creating networks between diverse stakeholders ranging from national research and academic institutions, industries, associations, startups, civil society entities, state governments, and central ministries, by providing innovative solutions that transform lives. RICH has fostered collaboration between entities in its core focus sectors of Aerospace and Defence, Food and Agriculture, and Lifesciences sectors for an effective innovation ecosystem. RICH has also expanded its operations into allied fields such as sustainability – with a focus on renewable energy and waste management – and emerging technology.
The formation of the Hyderabad S&T mega cluster will strengthen the available body of knowledge and drive innovation for addressing key problems at the city and state levels. Commenting on the implications of establishing the S&T Hyderabad Cluster, Mr. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General of RICH stated: “At the Hyderabad Cluster, we will foster multidisciplinary research and entrepreneurship to build a more prosperous and equitable future for all. We will work with MSMEs, startups, researchers and industry to rapidly commercialise promising ideas. The vision is to make Hyderabad the best science startup hubthatwillbecomethe#1 destination forsciencestartups.”
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad-Hyderabad City Cluster (RICH-HCC) has been the most popular Government’s enabler reaching out to academic institutions and help their incubators to support more innovations. RICH has recently signed a MoU with VaagdeviIncubation and Business Accelerator (VIBA)- Vaagdevi Colleges, Warangal to extend mentoring support to its entrepreneurs. VIBA has been supporting start-ups who develop innovative products and services for rural areas. RICH, being the lead enabler organisation in the state of Telangana promoting rural innovations, has started mentoring four rural innovators of VIBA, under this MoU. Many successful rural enterprises are expected to be nurtured under this collaboration.
Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT), Hyderabad has signed MoU with the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH)-Hyderabad City Cluster for supporting students and researchers to develop many more innovations. CBIT has been running many innovation programs. The institute has also filed many patents for the innovations developed by the faculty and students. RICH and CBIT has joined hands to take these innovations to market. Further, RICH will help CBIT to identify specific industrial problems for which the students and faculty could develop innovative solutions. Under this MoU, RICH has planned to connect CBIT with other enabler organisations like T-Works, Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell (IPFC)-ICRISAT for building a robust innovation ecosystem at the institute.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) - Hyderabad City Cluster (HCC) congratulates eminent scientists from the Hyderabad Research & Innovation ecosystem - L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) University of Hyderabad International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad and CSIR IICT for the recognition of their outstanding scientific research. The scientists have been listed among top 2% of scientists in their respective fields of research in a Stanford University study that was published in the prestigious Plos journal. Hyderabad continues to lead with its strong research DNA and legacy.
RICH along with Marut Dronetech, a drone startup based out of Hyderabad, has received a Seed Grant from Purdue University’s Shah Family Global Innovation Lab for it’s project on “Sensor technologies for real-time monitoring of mosquito populations through heat maps in India”. Incidents of malaria, dengue and other vector borne diseases have been increasing at a rapid rate across India. The mosquito population has to be monitored continuously, and the current practice of using aspirators does not allow researchers to monitor adult mosquitoes precisely and is highly laborious, resulting in a high chance of disease transmission among entomologists. This project is envisaged to develop a sensor-based real-time monitoring device that can work with minimal human intervention. This device can be deployed across all the major cities in India and will help in reducing disease spread, first among health workers involved in mosquito control activities, and then across the population. Real-time data received from the devices can be used by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to formulate high-impact vector control programs. Such hyperlocal mosquito control programs can reduce the overall expenditure made by the municipal corporation. Data from these devices can also help in reducing the rate of indiscriminate use of pesticides at all the disease hot spots. RICH will be implementing the Comprehensive Vector Control Project in the lakes of Hyderabad, under the City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster project to be funded by the Office of the Principle Scientific Advisor Government of India. The consortium will work with the Shah Lab’s College of Agriculture for future funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NSF CISE Developing an Acoustic Information Systems ($5 million proposal submitted), and RICH would obtain funding (INR 54.5 million; USD 778,571) to implement the solution in the additional lakes in the city of Hyderabad.
The project is one of the four global seed grants awarded by the Shah Family Global Innovation Lab that works with international organizations across multiple countries to utilize Purdue’s R&D and innovation strength to help create joint solutions to the bottleneck challenges. The lab had received 38 problem statements from 12 organizations working in Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Haiti, Zimbabwe and Laos.
RICH will lead the Hyderabad City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster, an initiative spearheaded by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI). Hyderabad has been chosen as a Mega Cluster along with Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. The formation of these Clusters aims to solve complex local challenges by creating collaborative networks between diverse stakeholders of the research and innovation space. Through this initiative, the RICH model will be replicated across various cities in the country. As part of this initiative, RICH will initiate multidisciplinary projects in the areas of agriculture, nutrition, health and waste management. These projects will leverage the local expertise and strengths of Telangana, and will facilitate ease of access to funding from the relevant central ministries.
RICH, on behalf of the government of Telangana, will anchor the country’s first industry alliance to launch open innovation testbeds for MedTech ecosystem. RICH has partnered with Cyient and Xynteo along with several prominent hospitals and organisations such as Sunshine Hospital, Global Hospital, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Star Hospital, Malla Reddy Health City, NICE Foundation, Fernandez Hospital, Mediciti Hospital, KIMS Hospital, SHARE Foundation, TATA Trusts and T-Hub for this project.
RICH supported the formation of the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI)’s proposed Sanitation Hub-a focused incubator for WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) startups-by identifying and reaching out to relevant startups on behalf of ASCI. RICH was also a partner in ASCI’s INK@WASH summit and was a part of the Advisory Committee.
A road show and workshop to sensitize Indian start-ups and tech companies to engage with Africa to commercialize their technology-led innovations was held in Hyderabad at T-Hub on 23rd July 2019. The workshopjointly organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH). The objective was to introduce Indian entrepreneurs,particularly SMEs, to the India-Ethiopia Innovation & Technology Commercialization Programme (IEITCP – www.ieitcp.org ). The workshop brought together an array of nearly 150 institutions and companies from private and public sectors from Hyderabad (and other parts of Telangana) as also as far asthe state of Tamil Nadu.
With an endeavour to integrate digital and innovative product technologies for facilitating quality, affordable and accessible healthcare, particularly to underserved communities, RICH partners and inks MoU with Medtronic Labs, a new entity within Medtronic (world’s largest medtech company). RICH and Medtronic Labs will work together on implementing and expanding health screening programs in Telangana ranging from Comprehensive Ear Care to Non-Communicable diseases.
RICH Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad signed an MoU with NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (NRDC), an Enterprise of DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt of India for the promotion, development and commercialisation of research in academia and research institutions across Hyderabad and Telangana and mobilisation of the market scope for transfer of technologies & IP protection management particularly towards Defence Technologies, Medical Technologies, Lifesciences and Agricultural Technologies.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad - RICH partners with NIPER Hyderabad (National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research). The MoU was signed by Dr. Shashi Bala Singh, Director, NIPER Hyderabad and Mr. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General, RICH in presence of the team of RICH and NIPER Hyderabad faculty members. The purpose of this MoU is to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship by identifying, nurturing, incubating and commercializing technologies in pharma research and process innovation.
The Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India has signed MoU with RICH. ALEAP is establishing Atal Incubation Centre at the ALEAP industrial estate. RICH will extend support to ALEAP in establishing the incubation centre and also mentor on promotion of women entrepreneurs in selected sectors including food processing, biotechnology, waste management and textiles.
RICH conducted its first-in-the-series of pan-discipline conferences on Aug 21, 2018 at CSIR-IICT Hyderabad. The event aimed to offer a knowledge-sharing and networking platform to researchers, academicians, corporates, hospitals, clinicians, venture capitalists and startups working in the field of cancer. RICH received about 50 applications for the Cancer Innovation Challenge in the areas as diverse as analytics, AI, devices, diagnostics, integrated healthcare management, novel drugs, nutrition, personalized medicine, technology platforms from across India and also US, UK and Germany. An eminent jury of scientists, VCs, academicians, Oncology clinicians selected the 6 best startups: Aindra Systems, CyCa Oncosolutions, Embryyo Technologies, EPR Gene Technologies, Onward Assist, and NanoCare Health Services. These six were invited to present their ideas at the Conference and were awarded a cash prize of INR 2 Lakhs each, sponsored by RICH, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and Apollo Hospitals. Additionally, researchers from top national institutions doing cutting edge research in cancer were invited to share their latest research which could inform the startups and industry. Scientists/Researchers from Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), University of Hyderabad (UoH), Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Lifesciences (DRILS), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS Pilani, Hyderabad), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad (TIFR), L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), and Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation (AHERF) presented their research at the conference.
RICH signed an MoU with InnovatioCuris for building a partner ecosystem in healthcare through conferences, training programmes, consulting, innovation challenges and market access programmes.
Inspired by stories from entrepreneurs and institutions working to transform cancer care around the world, RICH endevours to promote innovative new technologies that have potential to solve diagnostic issues related to cancer care. With this context, we had announced a RICH Cancer Innovation Challenge through which the jury, comprising of eminent industry leaders, scientists and oncologists, has shortlisted top 6 startups which will be showcased and rewarded in a gathering of like minded people on August 21st at CSIR-IICT Auditorium and will be given the option to further develop their ideas with the support of RICH and institutional partners. The event will serve as a community platform to understand the innovations in healthcare and also as a networking platform to engage with key industry representatives, entrepreneurs and healthcare leaders. If interested to join the event, please send an email to head-bdls-rich@telangana.gov.in
Dow DuPont has signed an agreement with RICH on 27th June 2018. Mr. AjitRangnekar, Director General, RICH and Dr. Ranjan Patnaik, Director, DuPont Knowledge Centre exchanged agreement during a brief business development event held at the DuPont Knowledge Centre, Hyderabad on 27th June 2018.
The agreement opens door for RICH to facilitate Dow DuPont in identifying/developing potential agro innovations, facilitate research collaborations with the national and international research organisation and business partnerships. Official of DuPont and Bhubesh Kumar, Director- Food and Agri, RICH were also present during the occasion.
RICH has been extending various support services to PALS Agri e-Connect, which has launched the country’s first ever comprehensive farming platform-KHETHINEXT. The platform enables Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to source quality seeds and other farm inputs at a better price. To enable availability of high quality novel fertilisers and to provide a comprehensive nutrient management solution to the farm beneficiaries, RICH has facilitated business partnership between PALS and Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (NFCL). In a brief event held on 29th June 2018 at NFCL’s office, Mr Phanidhar, Founder, PALS e-Connect and Mr A N Reddy, Senior Vice President, NFCL signed the agreement. This partnership enables PALS to provide the complete basket of conventional and speciality plant nutrient products of Nagarjuna to all the FPOs on-boarded on KHETHINEXT and also to promote the unique Pro Rise crop management concept of Nagarjuna Fertilisers among its beneficiaries.
After establishing itself as one of the lead organisations promoting agri businesses in the state, RICH has now reached out to Africa through FICCI.
FICCI has been implementing the India Rwanda Innovation Growth Program (IRIGP), under which potential Rwandan companies are identified and business partnerships have been facilitated. Under the program, FICCI has conducted the IRIGP- Business Accelerator and Capacity Building Workshop from 11th to 15th June 2018at Hotel Lemigo, Kigali, Rwanda. 13 Indian companies have participated in the workshop, of which seven are agro-companies. To mentor these Indian agro companies and their Rwandan partners, FICCI has requested RICH to extend its expertise. BhubeshKumar, Director- Food & Agri, RICH has participated in the workshop as subject matter specialist and extended technical and business mentoring services to all the participant companies.
RICH has facilitated yet another business partnership between Thanos technologies and Raasta Studios.
ThanosTechnologies- one of the drone manufacturing start-up has been mentored by RICH. The company has developed drones which could be used for spraying pesticides and surveying. RICH has facilitated Thanos to sign a partnership agreement with RaastaStudios, Hyderabad on 26th June 2018. This agreement will open opportunities for both the companies to extend spraying services to farmers and to conduct capacity building programs for budding start-ups and students on the drone technologies.
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad signed an MoU with BITS Pilani to work with faculty, students & TBI incubatees to bring their research conducted in labs to market & to help scale up initiatives & research projects of the institute. RICH Team led by Mr. Ajit Rangnekar met Prof. G Sundar, Director, BITS Pilani Hyderabad & various departmental heads at the Hyderabad campus.
Inspired by stories from entrepreneurs & institutions working to transform cancer care around the world, RICH endevours to promote innovative new technologies that have potential to solve diagnostic issues related to cancer care. The challenge will involve the promotion of prototypes and ideas developed by individuals, companies & institutes.
Last date : 25 June 2018
RICH, in association with the Corteva Agri Science (Agriculture division of DowDuPont, India) conducted an Interactive Session on Commercialisation of Drones and Satellite Imaging Technologies at Hotel Sheraton. RICH has identified potential start-ups from the Incubators of IIT-H and IIIT-H who presented their innovations to the officials of Corteva during the event. Corteva has expressed keen interest to collaborate with the start-ups in commercialising their products and also co-develop new products. This industrial interaction on commercialisation was well appreciated by the start-ups and requested RICH to organise such events in future.
The Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) organised the Nutricereal Conclave-2018. As the knowledge partner, RICH has extended all support in the successful conduct of the conclave and the launch of nutrihub incubator. Shri Jayesh RanjanPrincipal Secretary, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana officially launched the country’s first ever millet based business incubator- the “nutrihub” and addressed the gathering. He appealed the entrepreneurs to avail the facilities and services extended by nutrihub and the benefits of start-up promotion schemes of the Government of Telangana. The Director General of RICH, Shri Ajit Rangnekar while delivering his special address, noted the requirement of studying the nutritional aspects of millets and also insisted on the need for establishing large scale millet processing units which can cater to the millet food market worth of 1000 crores.
Dr Vilas Tonapi, Director, IIMR felicitating the Director General of RICH, Shri Ajit Rangnekar at the Nutricereal Conclave-2018 to recognise the knowledge support extended by RICH.
Submit your innovation for the Displaying Futures Award from February 5 to April 15, 2018.This year's award focuses on smart medical devices. Tell us all about your innovations in the areas of wearables, electronic implants and beyond and why you deserve to win the Displaying Futures Award 2018!
If you want to know more, check our information brochure or simply contact us at df-award@merckgroup.com
RICH facilitated its incubatee company-eXabit Systems to reach-out to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
eXabit has developed the most compact and versatile weather station (IOT device) called RobotiX. Weighing two kilograms and two and half feet, RobotiX records twelve weather parameters continuously and gives a dash board which could be viewed through a mobile app.
Taking the technology to the next level, i-hub of ICRISAT has committed to provide research support to eXabit in improving the performance of RobotiX and also generate weather models. Further it is planned to use this IOT device to study the sensitivity of different moisture sensors and develop an efficient sensor for measuring soil moisture. The weather models to be developed using RobotiX will also be used in forecasting pest and disease outbreak. The Director General of ICRISAT, Dr David Bergvinson, while mentoring Mr Satyageet, CEO of eXabit systems has requested to install RobotiX unit at ICRISAT.
RICH ties up with TIFR-Hyderabad to work with it’s departmental research projects, incubated technologies/products, particularly in areas of Computational Biology & Analytics for commercialization opportunities, skill development activities and to build a collaborative research ecosystem in the city.
PALS Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is one of the incubatee companies of RICH. PALS has developed the most farmers’ friendly mobile platform called KhethiNEXT. KhethiNEXT enables individual farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, Farmers Groups/Associations and Self Help Groups to purchase quality inputs and sell their produce online for a better price.
RICH helped PALS in preparing business plan, networked with leading input companies manufacturing Biopesticides, Biofertilisers and Seeds. RICH has also networked PALS with Infina Insure- an Insurance broking company in Mumbai to explore opportunities of extending crop insurance services to farmers registered under KhethiNEXT
On 23rd November 2017, officials of RICH and PALS have signed a MoU and this event makes PALS to become the first incubatee company to become an official partner of RICH.
The Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) signed a MoU with India’s apex millet research institute- the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) on 28thOctober 2017. The MoU was exchanged as a part of the “National consultation on millet stakeholders for enhancing their consumption in public funded welfare program and institutions” organized by IIMR at Novotel, Hyderabad. This MoU open opportunities for RICH to extend all support to IIMR in commercializing its technologies and facilitate research projects. RICH is also committed to identify potential entrepreneurs who could be anchored at the NIELAN (Nesting Incubation and Entrepreneurship through Leveraging Agri innovations in Nutricereals) Business Incubator of IIMR.
Prof. Ajit Rangnekar co-chaired the jury of experts and VCs for the Startup Teaser Pitch by over 40 Startups at the 11th edition of the International Knowledge Millennium Conference, IKMC2017: Startup to Scale up, held on October 29 & 30, 2017 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad. The conference deliberated on the paradigms of scaling startup businesses, designing new systems and platforms to embrace scaling, and ways of grooming innovative entrepreneurs to equip them to grow fast and go far
We are excited to announce that Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad - RICH has partnered with the 4th edition of Health 2.0 India Conference organized by Health 2.0 and ISB on November 10, 2017, at ISB Hyderabad campus.
Special discounts to RICH's community members!!! Reach out to us for more details visit: www.health2con.com
BioAsia 2018, is all set to bring together the global industry leaders, researchers, policy makers, innovators, and investors together on one platform discussing the new opportunities and develop strategies to succeed in emerging markets like India. Join us during BioAsia 2018 and contribute to building an ecosystem that rewards all the stakeholders. For details visit: www.2018.bioasia.in
With an endeavour to facilitate quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to all, RICH partners and inks MoU with Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited to promote research partnerships and innovation in healthcare.
The Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) signed MOU with a Korean company – Wevio Global Inc., on 26th July. This MOU marks the first international collaboration of RICH in technology commercialization and facilitating businesses between India and Korea.
Through this collaboration, RICH and Wevio are planning to bring innovative Korean technologies in the field of agriculture, medical devices and biotechnology to India. Under this collaboration, Indian entrepreneurs will be introduced to potential business firms in Korea for partnership and promotion. Partnership companies promoted under this collaboration would start the production of new products in India, which will not only bring new products and services but also investments in to the country.
we move on, we will be rolling out some new ideas and technologies that are being developed in the Hyderabad.Among other significant conversations happening with the industry-research stakeholders, we are honored to announce that ‘RICH has facilitated the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) for testing and commercializing improved Samba Mahsuri developed by IIRR and CCMB
RICH sincerely thanks ShriramBioseed Genetics (A Division of DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd.) For showing keen interest in commercializing improved rice varieties developed by the National Agricultural Research organizations.
It is called the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad - RICH in quickspeak. Launched in Hyderabad on Friday, February 24th, this new entity aims to bridge a crucial gap that is holding back many organizations from reaching their full or shall we say, their rich potential.
On road to being put together as a section 8 company but initially supported by the government of Telangana, it is arguably the only such entity in India. Its purpose to provide a platform to connect the wide range of internationally- and nationally-reputed educational and research institutions in Telangana such as the ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), CRIDA (The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture), CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), IICT (Indian Institute of Chemical Technology), DRDL (Defence Research and Development Laboratory), NIPER (National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research), IIT (Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad), BITS (Birla Institute of Technology & Science , Hyderabad), IIIT (International Institute of Information Technology), ISB (Indian School of Business), UoH (University of Hyderabad), OU (Osmania University) with the industrial sector so that the talent available here is harnessed. It will provide a link between research institutes, academia, industry, venture capitalists, angel investors and even incubation funds.
