Annual Report 1999-2000

Technology Development

Technology Development Board

With a view to encourage development and commercialisation of indigenous technologies and adaptation of imported technology for wider applications, the Government constituted the Technology Development Board in September 1996. The Board provides equity capital or other financial assistance to industrial concerns and other agencies.

During the year, the Board signed 14 agreements with 13 commercial enterprises and an autonomous organization. The total cost of these projects is Rs.342.22 crores. The Board is committed to a financial assistance of Rs.136.11 crores. The projects include development and manufacture of cross-linked cables with the use of electron-beam irradiation technology, providing remote medical diagnostic care to rural population through a tele-medicine network system, development and manufacture of Interferon Alpha, manufacture of spiral type male barrier contraceptive and design and development of a multi-role light transport aircraft.

Since its formation in September 1996, the Board has signed 55 agreements with 43 commercial enterprises and two agencies spread over 11 States. The total project cost is of Rs.639.99 crores against which the Board had committed Rs.249.06 crores financial assistance. Board’s investments cover various sectors such as Health & Medical, Engineering & Electronics, Chemicals & Lubricants, Agriculture & Biotechnology, Energy & Waste Utilization, Telecommunications and Transport. The technology providers are in-house R&D units in the industry recognized by the Government, national laboratories, academic institutions, etc. The commercial enterprises are from private and public sector companies, private limited companies and first generation entrepreneurs.

Some of the enterprises provided with loan assistance from the Board have commenced production. These are:

• A Coimbatore-based firm, which produced carding machine for textile mills.
  
• A Mumbai-based company establishing ion-nitrider for surface coating work.
  
• A Bangalore-based enterprise commencing production of CAL reagent for detection of bacterial endotoxin.
  
• A company in Uttar Pradesh commencing the trial production of Nicotinamide.
  
• A Gujarat-based firm starting trial production of Undecenoic Acid from castor oil.
  
• A company in Andhra Pradesh launching Maltose, Malto Dextrin, Lactic Acid and Calcium Lactate.
  
• Conversion of municipal garbage into fuel pellets by a Hyderabad-based company.
  

The Board organized and participated in a number of interactive meetings with industry, R&D organizations and academic institutions.

On 25th May 1998, the Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, while announcing that 11th May will henceforth be celebrated as ‘Technology Day’, urged the industry to forge powerful partnerships with the national laboratories and to create knowledge networks with academic institutions to promote research and development and to gain entry into global market. It was decided that the Technology Development Board should institute a ‘National Award for successful commercialisation of indigenous technology’ by an industrial concern. The national award consists of two components: (i) to the industrial concern who successfully commercialised the indigenous technology and (ii) to the developer/provider of such technology. Each component will carry a cash award of five lakh rupees.

M/s Shantha Biotechnics Private Limited, Hyderabad, was awarded the National award – 1999 in recognition of their success in commercialising the production of recombinant DNA based Hepatitis-B vaccine, health care product. As a consequence of their research and development efforts in developing the technology for producing the vaccine, the company’s in-house R&D unit, as technology provider, was also presented the National Award.