Bengaluru, 3 May 2025 – In a powerful tribute to World Intellectual Property Day 2025, a national workshop titled “Driving Innovation with IP: Strategic Approaches to Commercialization” was held at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The event was a collective effort by the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with IISc and several other prominent institutions.
Held at the historic Faculty Hall of IISc, the workshop brought together a diverse gathering of over 250 participants on-site and 500 virtually. The attendees included academicians, researchers, startups, industrial experts, public sector units, and government representatives—all united by a common purpose: to explore and enhance India’s approach to intellectual property management and commercialization.
Commodore Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of NRDC, delivered an inspiring keynote address highlighting NRDC’s commitment to scaling academic innovations. He spoke about transformative initiatives such as NETRA, the Design Clinic Scheme, and blended financing models aimed at raising innovations to advanced Technology Readiness Levels. His announcement of new ventures, including a Technology Exchange Portal, IP Fairs, and a National Tech Translation Organization, reflected the forward-looking vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc, emphasized the importance of building a strong intellectual property culture within academic institutions. He acknowledged the ongoing efforts to break down cultural barriers to patenting and to strengthen institutional frameworks that support innovation.
The event saw the presence of several notable dignitaries who each echoed the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. They included Ms. Manjushree N, IAS, Commissioner of DCTE, Government of Karnataka; Prof. Suryasarathi Bose from IISc; Dr. U T Vijay from KSCST; Prof. Debabrata Das of IIIT-Bangalore; Dr. S Manthira Moorthy from the Central Silk Board; and Shri Prakash Vinod from CMTI.
A significant moment during the workshop was the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between NRDC and IIIT Bangalore to promote technology commercialization. Additionally, a tripartite licensing agreement was signed between NRDC, CSIR-CFTRI, and M/s Varre Corporate Solutions to bring CSIR-CFTRI’s Spirulina Cereal and Choco Bar technology to the market.
Insightful contributions also came from Dr. Dilip Krishnaswamy of C-DOT and Dr. Vishal Rao from Innaumation Medical Devices, who discussed the strategic integration of IP into business models. Dr. B. K. Sahu of NRDC offered practical strategies to overcome the challenges in commercializing innovations.
Two thought-provoking panel discussions engaged experts from Biocon Academy, BeST Cluster, CSIR-CFTRI, IIIT Innovation Centre, and IPTeL. These panels focused on bridging the gap between research and market readiness, developing effective licensing strategies, and addressing the policy and mindset shifts needed to strengthen India’s innovation framework.
As the workshop drew to a close, it left behind a compelling message: innovation must be driven by purpose, supported by strategy, and scaled through collaboration. The event reaffirmed a national commitment to building a robust intellectual property ecosystem—one that empowers creators, accelerates development, and enhances India’s standing in the global innovation landscape.
