1. Brain Gain: Promoting Research and
Innovation in India
Gokul C
Nirmal V
Karthikeyan SD
Varun Krishna R
Sunil Henry Roger S
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Realizing India’s human resource potential to its fullest in the field
of Research with equity and inclusion
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2. Lack of awareness among students
No proper link between higher educational institutes and research
institutes
Inventions don’t see the light of the day to become innovations
Fraction of competent students pursuing research is low
Brain Drain: 256% increase in students going abroad for higher studies, over
the last decade
Problems2

3. Building skillsets in young minds for cutting-edge research and inculcating
entrepreneurship skills
Encompassing Industries and the students in developing new technical
solutions for meeting the market needs
Creating awareness regarding research in our country
Building a platform to pursue research in their field of interest
Creating a conducive environment for innovation to thrive
Forum for Academic and Industrial Research
(FAIR)
Mission
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4. Chairman
North
Zone
North-
East Zone
East
Zone
South
Zone
West
Zone
Central
Zone
• Each Zonal center is housed in the respective IITs of
the zone
• A representative from each Research Institute in the
zone form the Technical Panel of the Zonal Center
• Director of Zonal Center is elected by the Panel for a
tenure of 2 years
• Chairman is chosen by the Directors of the Zonal
Centers
• Chairman is answerable to the Scientific Advisor of
the Prime Minister of India
Structure4

5. Invention to Innovation
Research scholars will be offered skill enhancement sessions incorporating
entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to transform their Inventions into Innovations
These sessions include lectures and workshops, by distinguished professors and
successful entrepreneurs
Mentoring in framing a feasible Business plan
Researchers present business models and the best will be incubated into a Start Up
Functions5

6. Functions
Internships in SMEs and Research
Institutes
Students pursuing Undergraduate degree all over the country are given an
opportunity to intern at Research Institutes and Small & Medium Enterprises
Students shortlisted by the colleges will be screened by the Technical Panel
Students take up industrial challenges as internship projects in Research Institutes
and SMEs
Scholarships will be awarded, based on their performance, to pursue a research
career in India
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7. Functions
Innovation Expo
The Expo will be a platform for the
Angel investors and incubators to
meet the most innovative minds of
the nation
Awareness about Research and the
importance of Patenting innovations
will be created
Competition
A Nationwide competition seeking
solutions to the burning issues that
the nation is facing in the
technological front
A competition in the lines of Solar
Decathlon, conducted by the
Department of Energy, USA
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8. Governing structure
Chairman
Zonal Director
Managerial Team
Strategy Public Relations
Industrial Relation Student Outreach
Student
Representative
Research Institutes
IT Team Finance
Technical Team
From each college acting as point of contact
Coordinating with other directors
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9. Finance
• Construction and furnishing of the Zonal Centers – Rs. 5 Cr*
• Database creation and Web-Portal Development – Rs. 1 Cr*One-time Investment
• Chairman’s compensation – Rs. 10 lakhs pa
• Zonal Director’s compensation – Rs. 8 lakhs pa
• Technical committee comprising 20 members per zone – Rs. 60
lakhs pa
• Management Committee 18 members per zone – Rs. 42 lakhs pa
• Public awareness programme per zone - Rs. 1 Cr pa
• Innovation Expo – Rs. 3 Cr (Rs. 2 Cr from Sponsors)
• Annual Contest: 2 lakhs(Total)
Annual Funding
• Rs. 60000 pa for meritorious students pursuing research in India
shortlisted from internship programme. Number of students picked
is 100 per zone
Scholarships
*Cost / Zone
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10. Impact and Reach
Short Term
• Exposure to industrial
problems through
internships to more than
600 undergraduate
students
• Supporting more than 100
SMEs per zone through
technical consultancy
• Many ground-breaking
invention are showcased
through Innovation Expo
Long Term
• Indigenous brains will add
to the research potential of
our country thereby
reducing Brain Drain
• Opening up research
opportunities in varied
fields on a single platform
• Increase in FDI because of
incentivized technical
support added to present
tax benefits
Futuristic View
• Coordination with
controller general of
Patents, Designs and
Trademarks under the
Ministry of Commerce and
Industry
• Setting up research
facilities by conglomerates
to provide access to state-
of-the-art technology to
students
• Extending financial support
to UG students with
innovative ideas for
business start-ups
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FAIR would emerge as the face of all Research and Innovation in India

11. Challenges
• Outreach about the internship program
to large section of students
• Participation in Innovation Expos and
Competition
• Outsourcing of problems by SME’s
• Formation of panel with a research cum
managerial expertise
• Expansion of the Forum into varied
fields like Medicine, Humanities, etc.
Mitigation
• Student ambassadors in each college to
create awareness about the program
• Sponsorship for the events increases
publicity and participation
• Creating a link with the SME organizations
through Ministry of Small and Medium
Enterprises and opportunity for all the
best minds in the country to work on
these projects
• Highly motivated professors willing to
work for the country and creating job
opportunities for techno-managerial team
• Based on the reception that this Forum
gets, it can be expanded into other fields
with the help of technical expertise of
eminent people in those fields
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12. References
 Dr. Kalyanaraman, Chairman, Programme Advisory Committee On Civil & Environmental Engineering, SERB
 Dr. Sarit Kumar Das, Dean( Academic Research), IIT Madras
 Dr. Narasimhan Swaminathan, Machine Design Section, IIT Madras
 Dr. Sudhir Chella Rajan, Head of the Department, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT Madras
 Dr. Jyothirmaya Tripathy, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT Madras
 Models of DAAD and MITACS
 http://www.11111011000.com/innovation-in-product-ideas-from-our-customers.html
 http://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Nutrition/India-s-nutrition-boom-produces-contract-research-boon
 http://careeringaheadncl.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/girl-thinking-at-crossroads-of-life/
 www.sparity.com
 symbological.deviantart.com
 www.masskickers.org
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