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A study on the status of semiconductor related research in Indian universities

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E V A L U E S E R V EYour G loba l Knowledge Pa r tne r

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Copyright©2008, India Semiconductor Association

About India Semiconductor Association ISA

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Email: [email protected]

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ISA is the trade body representing the Indian semiconductor driven industry. ISA has around 120 members from the semiconductor driven industry from India and outside. These include design companies, solar fabs, manufacturing companies, VLSI companies, EDA companies and others in the ecosystem like venture funds, legal and academic institutions. ISA aims to establish India as the preferred global semiconductor destination. It is committed towards building global awareness for the Indian semiconductor driven industry and supporting its growth through focused activities. ISA has played a prominent role in supporting the Government of India in the Semiconductor Policy 2007.

The material in this publication is copyrighted. No part of this book can be reproduced either on paper or on electronic media without permission in writing

from the publisher. Requests for permission to reproduce portions of it should be sent to the ISA at the above address.

First Print: March 2008

Published by: India Semiconductor Association, Bangalore

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All content included in this Report, such as text, graphics, logos, images, data compilations, etc. is the property of India Semiconductor Association (“ISA”). The Report is for customers’ internal use and not for general publication or disclosure to third parties. No part of this Report may be given, lent, resold, or disclosed to non-customers or exploited for any commercial purposes. Furthermore, the Report in its entirety or any part cannot be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

without the prior written consent of ISA.

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This report is provided by ISA on an “as is” and “as available” basis. ISA has provided information that is provided by market participants, survey respondents and secondary research of publicly available information. ISA takes no responsibility for any incorrect information supplied to us by market participants (manufacturers or users). Quantitative market information is based primarily on interviews and therefore is subject to fluctuation. No claims are made for the accuracy or applicability of the information to any specific situation.

ISA makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the information, content, materials, etc., included in this report. The user of the report shall do so at the user’s sole risk. In the event the user intends taking any steps that could have an adverse effect on the users business, ISA expressly states that the user should consult its legal, tax or other advisors, in order to protect the interests of the user, which may be specific from case to case. It is emphasized that ISA has participated in preparation of this report in an independent manner and should not be construed as necessarily being reflective of the views or position of any individual member company of ISA or of the representatives of such member companies that may serve on ISA’s executive council or other member forums.

To the full extent permissible by applicable law, ISA disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. ISA will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this report, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages.

A study on the status of

semiconductor-related research

in Indian universities

(2008)

E V A L U E S E R V EYour G loba l Knowledge Pa r tne r

[ ]

Foreword from MCIT

Introduction

As knowledge industries evolve, corporate entities and government bodies start looking to build a strong foundation for tomorrow. The spotlight is on investing for the future by building Intellectual Property and creating resources to strengthen these goals.

The knowledge sector plays a crucial part in the India success story by helping the economy to grow by 8 per cent and creating large-scale quality employment. In more recent times, there has been the acknowledgement of the semiconductor design industry and the growing domestic market for semiconductors. To gain a sustainable advantage, we need to invest and build on research and development right from the university level.

Keeping this background in mind, the India Semiconductor Association (ISA) has undertaken this study to assess the status of the existing semiconductor-related research and infrastructure in select top technical institutes in India. Specifically, the research aims at exploring the experiences and expectations of technical institutes in India. It also takes into consideration ideas from the industry stakeholders to improve the level of semiconductor-related research.

This report has been made possible due to the active participation of several individuals. Dr. Debashish Dutta (Ministry of Communication and Information Technology), Anku Jain (Mediatek), Manoj Dadhich (Freescale Semiconductor) and Sanjeev Keskar (Freescale Semiconductor), Prof. P P Chakrabarti (IIT Kharagpur) and the Intel Education team led by Manav Subodh. From ISA, Dr. Vidya Mulky and Rajiv Jain ensured that our timelines were met. Our thanks also to each academic institute that participated in this study.

Poornima Shenoy President India Semiconductor Association

Letter from Intel

Intel has a global commitment towards quality education that is targeted at both faculty and the student community. Through the years, Intel has partnered with the Government and other stakeholders to promote educational excellence in the communities it operates in.

Intel is committed to education in India. We have trained 770,000 teachers in India, work with 15 state governments and reached out to over 32,000 schools and 240 engineering institutes. In university-level research, we have a focused approach to encourage and support innovation and advancement of technologies that are relevant not just to Intel but also to the growth of the IT industry at large.

India has so far seen limited fundamental research in hi-end technology at the university level. The ISA report seeks to find answers to some key challenges that face semiconductor-related research in the country. The report will further the participation of industry in academia, share industry best practices and promote innovation in our campuses.

ISA and Intel have shown the way for the involvement of industry in fostering talent in the country. I thank ISA and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Government of India for partnering with Intel to conduct this initiative. I sincerely appreciate the enthusiastic response that the participating academic institutes showed in this project.

Sincerely,

Manav Subodh Manager – University Programs Corporate Affairs, South Asia Intel Technology India

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Executive Summary 11

Status of Research 12

Overview 12

Research Fields 13

Research Publications 16

Funding Scenario 18

Overview 18

Types of Funding from the Government and the Industry 19

Industry-Academia Tie-Ups 20

Introduction 20

Types of Existing Tie-Ups 20

Advantages 21

Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) 22

Challenges faced by the Academia 24

Recommendations 28

A P P E N D I C E S

Appendix A – Research Methodology 32

Appendix B – List of Institutes 33

Appendix C – Indicative List of Developing Research Centers 36

Appendix D – Indicative List of Lab Facilities 37

Appendix E – Distribution of Faculty Members in Class A Institutes 40

Appendix F – Funding Programs Initiated by the Government of India 41

Appendix G – List of Technology Business Incubators(TBIs) 44

Appendix H – Comparison of Career in Academics (India vis-à-vis developed economies) 45

Appendix I – Glossary 46

11

I SA - E va l u e s e r ve S tu d y 2 0 0 8

India offers significant potential as a Research and Development (R&D) base for the semiconductor industry. Two key factors responsible are—the presence of premier technical institutes (such as Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore), with access to advanced research infrastructure and experienced faculty, and the availability of a large pool of quality talent.

Around 70–75 per cent of semiconductor research activities in technical institutes in India are concentrated in the top seven institutes—the IISc, Bangalore; the five IITs in Chennai, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Mumbai and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.

Chip design and testing accounts for the largest share—around 43 per cent—of the research. Within this, analog and mixed signal design account for approximately half of the projects executed. Other fields of research include embedded systems, process-related research, Electronic Design Automation (EDA), and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and sensors.

Research activities in technical institutes in India are supported by the government, which contributes to around 85–90 per cent of the total research funding. The industry and private technical institutes, contribute primarily in the form of technical expertise and account for the remaining. However, the research potential of Indian institutes is not fully realized due to bottlenecks faced by the academia. These include limited industry support, lack of adequate infrastructure, and shortage of research scholars and faculty. To enhance the level of research, it is essential to create a win win situation for all key stakeholders.

The Public-Private Partnership model may yield some answers.

This study aims to assess the status of semiconductor-related research in Indian institutes. The underlying objective is to improve the level of semiconductor-related research. It explores the experiences and expectations of the stakeholders in academia and industry. The study contains findings from extensive primary and secondary research conducted in 89 institutes, shortlisted on the basis of their in-house resources to undertake semiconductor-related research activities. It includes a quantitative analysis of the R&D scenario in technical institutes in India by taking a sample of 320 semiconductor-related projects active during 2005–2007.

Executive Summary

12

A study on the status of semiconductor-related research in Indian universities

Status of Research

This chapter details R&D activities undertaken at Indian institutes categorized under three different categories. It presents the current scenario, emerging trends and lab facilities available in the semiconductor domain.

OverviewThe Indian semiconductor industry, earlier limited to back-end operations, has now developed expertise in processes ranging from logic and architectural synthesis to chip tape-out. Global semiconductor firms and technical institutes are increasingly participating in semiconductor-related research in India.

Global semiconductor firms are setting up R&D centers and entering into collaborations with technical institutes in the country. Such initiatives are aimed at building a robust semiconductor research ecosystem to leverage skilled manpower at low costs. Technical institutes are complementing industry efforts in the field of semiconductor research. These institutes provide a pool of research scholars, experienced faculty and dedicated laboratories.

Based on the level of semiconductor-related research activities, availability of trained faculty and accessible infrastructure, technical institutes in India can be classified into three categories:

• Class A: Developed research centers: These institutes have established research environments and enjoy industrial and government support. These include the five IITs in Delhi, Chennai, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Mumbai; IISc, Bangalore and BITS, Pilani.

• Class B: Developing research institutes: These institutes have adequate lab facilities and M.Tech1 students. They get support primarily from the government and have started to collaborate with industry to conduct research. (Refer to Appendix B)

• Class C: Institutes with potential to conduct research: These institutes have quality B.Tech2 students, but not many postgraduate students. They are in the process of acquiring a suitable research infrastructure and formulating a requisite-syllabus. (Refer to Appendix B)

Source: ISA-Evalueserve Study 2008

Figure 1 shows the classification of institutes on the basis of research activities.

Cl AHigh Low

Class ADeveloped ResearchCenters

Class BDeveloping Research Centers

Support Needed

Active Research

Class CPotential Research Centers

Low High

Figure 1

13


Research Fields The fields in which semiconductor research-related activities are being undertaken can be broadly classified as follows:

• Chipdesignandtesting

• Embeddedsystems

• Process-relatedresearch

• Electronicdesignautomation

• MEMSandsensors

In Class A institutes, the quantum of research activity in a field is proportionate to the percentage breakup of faculity members in that field.

Chip design and testing

Chip design and testing account for around 43 per cent of the total research activities undertaken in Indian institutes. About 78 per cent of these projects are related to chip design and 22 per cent to testing and verification. Approximately 47 per cent of the projects in chip design and testing are on analog and mixed signal.

About 35 per cent of the research in testing and verification is related to testing. It is followed by fault tolerance and verification with a share of 25 per cent each. Timing analysis is another sub-field under testing and verification that is witnessing considerable activity.

Figure 2 depicts a break-up of semiconductor-related research activities in Indian institutes

30%

35%

20%

25%

%ge10%

15%

17.1%

33.2%

Perc

enta

g

0%

5%

Chi

9.5%9.9%12.5%

16.1%

OthersTesting

and Verification

MEMS and Sensors

EDAProcess related

Embedded Systems

Chip Design

1.6%

Research fields

Figure 1


4% 5%

12%

10%

47%

22%

Analog Testing and Verification Digital FPGA Memory Design Others

Figure 3


Figure 3 details the percentage break-up of projects in chip design and testing.

14


Fabrication facilities are not available at Indian institutes. There tends to be a lack of awareness about the possibility of collaborations with industry. In such cases, the developed design has to be sent abroad for fabrication, thus increasing the overhead costs substantially. To address this problem, national nanotech fabrication facilities have been set up at, IISc Bangalore and IIT Mumbai. Such facilities are also being set up at IITs in Kharagpur and Delhi.

Embedded systems

Embedded systems is the second largest field for research in Indian institutes. It covers both hardware and software. This field accounts for approximately 17 per cent of the total number of semiconductor-related projects undertaken in the country. This is primarily due to lower availability of faculty in this field (15–20% of the total faculty in the semiconductor domain) in India.

Process-related research

Process-related research accounts for approximately 16 per cent of the projects undertaken in the country. The current emphasis is on improving and seeking alternatives to silicon substrates for future nano devices. These devices are being optimized by using nanotechnology and new circuit architecture.

Figure 4 presents a break-up of projects in testing and verification.

15%

35%

25%

25%

Testing Verification Fault Tolerance Others

Figure 4


Figure 5 gives a break-up of projects in various applications of embedded systems.


15%

10%

37%

10%

8%8%

12%10%

8%

Control Application Digital Signal Processing Sensor NetworkFPGA Memory WirelessOthers

Figure 5

15


About 46 per cent of the projects in this field are related to material characterization. In addition, IIT Kanpur has undertaken research projects in the organic semiconductor domain, while IIT Delhi is working on design and fabrication of Schottky rectifiers. Institutes are also working on germanium and gallium arsenide substrates.

Material characterization research is generally conducted in IITs and IISc as it requires infrastructural support and expertise available in these institutes.

Electronic design automation

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) accounts for approximately 13 per cent of the research conducted in Indian institutes. Both captive centers and EDA players in the industry actively sponsor EDA-related projects to develop the aptitude of students in advanced software and algorithms.

Research and development activity in EDA is limited to optimization techniques, algorithms and simple design tools.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and sensors

MEMS and sensors are upcoming fields of research in India and account for around 10 per cent of the research conducted in the field of semiconductors. Research in this field is primarily done for electronics, mechanical, and medical applications, such as diagnostic systems and biosensors.

Figure 6 shows a break-up of projects in process-related research.


10%

6%

8%

46%

22%

8%

Characterization Fabrication Modeling

Organic Semiconductor Technology Development OthersOrganic Semiconductor Technology Development Others

Figure 6

Figure 7 shows a break-up of projects in electronic design automation.

5%

29%29%

16%21%

Algorithm Modeling Simulators Tool Design Others

Figure 7


16


Figure 8 depicts an application-wise break-up of research in MEMS and sensors.

17%

30%

23%

30%

Electronics Mechanical Bio/Medical Others

Figure 8


Currently, only a few centers are conducting such research. IIT Mumbai is focusing on fabrication and design of sensors,

whereas IISc Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur are concentrating on developing MEMS chips. A National MEMS Design Center

has been set up at IISc, which has facilities for manufacturing MEMS chips and conducting post-fabrication testing.

Research PublicationsAn analysis of the 165 research publications in the semiconductor domain brought out by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) during 2003–2007, shows that Class A institutes account for 61 per cent, while the industry accounts for 11 per cent of the published research work.

Table 1 presents a break-up of research publications by entities.

Types of institutes/entities Percentage

Class A 61%

Class B 15%

Industry players 11%

Government bodies 7%

Other institutes 6%

The low level of interest among industry players to publish papers can be attributed to the fact that research papers, unlike patents, have limited commercial viability. On the contrary, the academia, which attaches greater importance to knowledge sharing, is more inclined toward publishing papers.

17


Table 2 presents a break-up of research publications by research field

Research field Percentage

Process-related 47%

Chip design and testing 26%

Embedded systems 13%

MEMS and sensors 5%

EDA 4%

Others 5%

The process-related field accounts for around 47 per cent of total publications in the semiconductor domain, reflecting considerable interest and expertise among faculty members in this field. However, the projects undertaken in this field account for only 16 per cent3 of the total research in the domain, primarily due to lack of research infrastructure.

1 Equivalent to Masters of Science in the US2 Equivalent to Bachelors of Science in the US3 Please refer Figure 2 for the break-up of projects.

18


OverviewThe Government of India plays a significant role in providing funds to these institutes. Government bodies, such as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), channelize funds with the following objectives:

• Developinfrastructure

• Upgradeskillsandknowledgeoffaculty

• Encouragestudentstopatentideas

• Enhanceindustry-academiarelationships

• EstablishTechnologyBusinessIncubators(TBI)

It contributes to approximately 85-90 per cent of the funding in semiconductor research. The balance10-15 per cent of the funds is provided by industry players and other private institutes. Most of the industry support comes in the form of donations or sponsorship of EDA tools by leading EDA vendors. However, this support is limited primarily to the developed research centers.

Figure 9 shows the government (G) and industry (In) support available to different categories of institutes.


Class-A Class-B Class-C

+ Active support from both industry d th t

+ High regional penetration; t th l t b f

+ Active support from the t li it d t f

InG InG InG

and the government

+ Major contributors to academic research in India

- Limited Public Private Partnerships

generate the largest number of B.Techs

- Limited focus on raising the quality of faculty and students

- Lack of knowledge of advanced

government; limited support from industry

+ Good infrastructure, experienced faculty and undergraduate students with sound understanding of basic concepts courses and technologies in

semiconductor domain

concepts

- Historically, limited focus on quality of research and related facilities

Active support Insufficient support Government institutes Private institutes

Figure 9

Funding Scenario

19


Types of Funding from the Government and the IndustryThe various types of funding available to Indian institutes are as follows:

• Monetary funding: The majority of support comes in the form of monetary funding. Institutes receive funds for purchasing equipment and tools, and towards other costs incurred for research-related activities. Funding is provided by the government, industry or independent associations that support research-related activities.

• Funding in the form of EDA tools and lab equipment: EDA tools used for various processes, such as design, testing, simulation and routing and laboratory equipment are provided by the government and the industry.

• Support for infrastructural development: Setting up specialized labs requires substantial capital investment, which is a challenge for most institutes in India. Institutes seek support from the government and the industry to set up semiconductor labs to facilitate research. Various industry players have set up labs in educational and research institutes. For instance, a leading processor manufacturer has sponsored a lab for VLSI design at IIT Kharagpur.

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This chapter explains the nature of tie-ups between the semiconductor industry and technical institutes in the country. In addition, it discusses the role of TBIs in research-related activities.

Introduction

Industry and technical institutes often collaborate to provide a platform for semiconductor research activities. The industry provides monetary and knowledge support, latest technologies, and tools and equipment to institutes. Institutes provide trained engineers and support for the execution of R&D projects and aids in the development of industry and national standards.

Types of Existing Tie-UpsThe Indian industry plays a key role under alliances with research institutes. The role may vary with the nature of the alliance.

• Collaboration with overseas institutes: Indian institutes work in collaboration with overseas universities, primarily in the US, the UK, Germany and Japan. This provides them access and helps them adopt the best practices across the globe.

• Consultancy: The faculty at these institutes also work as consultants. The consultancy projects are broadly of two types:

– Research-based industrial consultancy: In such projects, the faculty conducts research at the institute. Generally, students are also involved in these projects and are paid a stipend for their work,

– On-site industrial consultancy: In such projects, the faculty conducts research at the facility provided by the industry player.

• One-on-one: It refers to the tie-up between an academic institute and an industry player. In this form of tie-up, only customized research is undertaken, and both the faculty and students are given an opportunity to interact with the industry.

• Consortium: This form of a tie-up is between an academic institute and multiple industry players. These players provide funds to the institute, which conducts research on specific topics provided by the industry. This is the most effective model to foster an environment for applied research. However, such tie-ups are currently not very popular. At present, there are only two major VLSI consortia—AVLSI consortium at IIT Kharagpur and VLSI consortium at IIT Mumbai—operational in India.

Industry-Academia Tie-Ups

21


Collaboration with overseas institutes Consultancy One-on-one Consortium

Tie-ups between The faculty at the A tie-up between an A tie-up between an

Type of tie-ups

pIndian and overseas institutes for research on common topicsIdentification of best practices in

d i t

yinstitutes helps in solving some issues faced by the industryResearch-based industrial consultancy and on-it lt

pacademic institute and an industry player Research done for an industry player

pacademic institute and several industry playersResearch done on problems common to several players

Des

crip

tion

academia to encourage research

site consultancy

Degree of industry participation

D

Figure 10


Figure 10 depicts the different types of tie-ups that exist between technical institutes and the semiconductor industry.

AdvantagesIndustry-academia tie-ups offer significant advantages to both parties.

Benefits to institutes

Institutes are the key beneficiaries of such tie-ups. They gain assistance in developing the R&D infrastructure and designing the curriculum. Some of the key advantages of such tie-ups are as follows:

• Assistance in curriculum design and starting new courses: The industry assists institutes in designing their curricula. This is a step towards producing graduates who are familiar with industry standards and the latest tools and technologies. Moreover, institutes also gain access to customized courses and training programs initiated by the industry.

• Exposure to challenging research topics: The faculty and students get the opportunity to work on real-time complex problems faced by the industry and, thereby, improve their domain knowledge and skills.

• Industry mentorship and support in filing patents and market innovation: Students and the faculty gain access to expertise and funds from industry players for filling patents and market innovations.

Benefits to industry

The industry gains from such tie-ups in the following ways:

• A low cost alternative to screen ideas: Companies can conduct research activities on projects by utilizing the know-how of faculty members and students at relatively low costs. Further, it also allows the industry to conduct research in an area where it does not have a ready talent pool.

22


• Supply of trained manpower: Such tie-ups ensure the availability of professionals trained in advanced tools and equipment used in the industry. Students equipped with such knowledge and skills have a shorter learning cycle when they join the industry.

• Access to a multi-disciplinary ecosystem: Through such tie-ups, the industry gets access to students and faculty from different fields of engineering.

Technology Business Incubators (TBIs)The tie-ups elaborated in the preceding section are further facilitated by platforms such as TBIs. A TBI provides start-up businesses mentorship, incubation, patenting and external funding support. They create a conducive environment for research through the following activities:

• Initiating industry-funded projects

TBIs help faculty members undertake R&D projects on individual or joint proposals in collaboration with the industry.

• Setting up work groups

TBIs help set up dedicated work groups that undertake multiple projects in areas that have research potential, particularly from the point of view of industry requirements.

• EstablishingjointR&Dcenters

TBIs help in the establishment of joint R&D centers with help from industry or the government.

• Providingsupporttostart-ups

Entrepreneurs with ideas can start research at incubation centers, while simultaneously working on establishing their own set-ups. Support provided by such incubation centers include:

– Administrative support and office facilities

– Expertise in legal, financial, business and technical fields

– Commercial support, i.e. access to market research, liaising with venture capitalists, etc.

Table 3 presents an indicative list of active incubators in Indian institutes

S No. Institute Incubator name Year of establishment

1 IIT Kharagpur Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park 1982

2 NIT Trichy Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park 1983

3 IISc Bangalore Society for Innovation and Development 1991

4 PSG Coimbatore Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park 1998

5 IIT Delhi Technology Business Incubator 2000

6 IIT Mumbai Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2005

7 BITS Pilani Technology Business Incubator --

8 IIT Chennai Technology Business Incubator --

23


Table 4 presents an indicative list of successful start-ups

S No. Institute Company Field

1 IISc Bangalore PicoPeta Simputers Pvt. LtdHardware and software solutions to various business domains

2 IISc Bangalore Esqube Communication Solutions Pvt. Ltd. IP creation in sensors, signals and systems

3 IIT Mumbai Powaii Labs Technology Pvt. Ltd. EDA

4 IIT Mumbai Embedded Robot Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Artificial vision software protocol

5 IIT Chennai Neuro SynapticsIP creation and solutions in the area of neuro-technology

6 IIT Chennai Midas Communication Technologies Ltd. Telecommunications solutions

7 PSG Coimbatore Onspec-Legend VLSI design

In India, TBIs can play an important role in facilitating research-related activities in technical institutes. For example, similar incubation centers in the US have been known to add value to industry as well as the company. They have enabled academic institutes to augment financial resources, while increasing their research activities. In addition, they have helped industries in different domains flourish. Many successful companies of today were set up and nurtured in this environment.

In order to enable speedy commercialization of R&D and establish closer interaction between R&D institutes, academia, and industry, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has set up 28 TBIs at various Indian institutes.

Exhibit 1: School of Entrepreneurship at IIT Kharagpur

In an effort to inculcate entrepreneurship skills among students, IIT Kharagpur has proposed to start a School of Entrepreneurship from the academic year 2008. Around 20 students interested in starting a business would be admitted through the Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) and provided training in management, finance and innovation, besides the regular B.Tech course.

24


Challenges faced by the Academia

Semiconductor research potential in India has not been fully realized due to certain challenges faced by technical institutes. The issues include

• Scarcesupplyofresearchscholarsandfaculty

• Limitedindustrysupport

• Lackofaresearchinfrastructure

Figure 11 depicts the roadblocks to semiconductor-related research in India.

Research scholarsFaculty Research scholars

Alt t th

Low stipend

Faculty

I ffi i t i d t i l t i i

Uncompetitive salaries

Low awareness

Alternate career paths

Low recruitment

Insufficient industrial training

Focus limited to Class A institutes

Semiconductor-related research potential is not

fully realized

Limited mentorship

Industry support

Figure 11Source: ISA-Evalueserve Study 2008

25


The key reasons for the challenges mentioned above are as follows:

• Limited research in semiconductor-specific areas:

– Limited awareness about the importance of semiconductor research and its recognition by the government: Semiconductor research in India received official support in 1998 with the launch of the government’s SMDP program (Exhibit 2). Ever since, there have been about 200 research scholars every year, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years.

– Lack of research infrastructure: Owing to the absence of advanced facilities for fabrication, testing and verification, projects do not get completed or get delayed. As a result, chip designs are sent to overseas locations for fabrication or hardware testing, which involves additional cost and time.

• Scarce supply of research scholars and faculty: There is a shortage of research scholars in the field of semiconductors. Historically, only about 5 per cent of M.Tech students enrol for a PhD degree—only 35 PhDs were awarded in the field of semiconductors during 2002–2005. Moreover, the student-to-faculty ratio in Indian institutes is 12:1, which is considerably lower than the level prescribed by the government (9:1). The plausible reasons for the low number of research scholars and faculty have been summarized below.

– Lower remuneration in academia compared to industry: Most college graduates find better-paying jobs in industry vis-à-vi’s stipends available for pursuing post-graduation. The average monthly stipend paid to a M.Tech student is INR 5,000 (USD 130) and that to a Ph.D student is INR 9,500 (USD 240). By contrast, a graduate earns an average monthly salary of INR 30,000–35,000 (USD 760–890). Similarly, the remuneration paid to the faculty by the government is less than what is paid to their counterparts in industry or teachers abroad. This leads to up to 20 per cent attrition among faculty members.

– Inclination of students to study abroad: Most students graduating from technical institutes in India prefer to pursue M.Tech and Ph.D courses in universities in countries such as the US, that are perceived to provide better infrastructure, the latest curriculum and better career opportunities.

– Biased perception among students: There is lack of awareness among students about career prospects after completing Ph.D. Students often associate a doctorate degree with a career in academics and assume lack of other career options.

• Limited industry support

– Focus limited to Class A institutes: The industry tends to support Class A institutes that offer a better return on investment than Class B or Class C institutes.

– Limited mentorship by industry: Generally, the industry provides support by donating EDA tools and equipment. However, there are a few programs aimed at training the faculty and students on these software.

Industry support is limited to institutes that have the requisite in-house abilities to sustain effective research and development. Class B and Class C institutes experience higher degree of challenges as compared to Class A institutes. These institutes find it difficult to attract trained faculty and quality students.

26


Figure 12 depicts the cyclic nature of challenges affecting semiconductor-related research activities Class B and Class C institutes.

Despite limitations, initiatives from different stakeholders have started yielding results, fueling hopes of a better research environment. Examples of such initiatives are presented in the following exhibits.

Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3 highlight the initiatives undertaken by the government and the industry, respectively, to ensure the availability of trained engineers.

Exhibit 2: Government initiative: SMDP

Scarce supply of trained faculty

Class B and Class C Institutes

Lack of research activities

Scarce supply of quality students

L k f i d tLack of industry support

Figure 12


The Special Manpower Development Programme (SMDP) was started in 1998 by the Department of Information Technology (DIT) to facilitate the availability of trained manpower in VLSI design and related software. The program is being executed in different phases. Phase I was initiated in 1998 and covered 19 institutes (7 resource centers and 12 participating institutes). Phase II was initiated in 2004–2005. The number of institutes under the purview of SMDP increased from 19 to 32 institutes (7 resource centers and 25 participating institutes).

The activities initiated as part of SMDP include the following:

• Developmentoflearningmaterials

• Institutingdoctoratedegreeprogramsinelectronicsinparticipatinginstitutes

• StartingM.TechprogramsinmicroelectronicsandVLSIdesign

• StartingcoursespertainingtoVLSIdesigninB.Tech,MTechandPhDprograms

• Instruction enhancement programs, special short-term courses and workshops for the faculty toupdate them with the latest technology

• Designanddevelopmentofchipsbystudents

• Participationbythefacultyandstudentsininternationalconferencestopresentpapers

Further, during Phase II of the program, the infrastructure in the participating institutes is being upgraded by providing necessary resources, such as the latest EDA tools and hardware platforms.

27


Table 5 lists the number of B.Techs, M.Techs and PhDs graduating from SMDP institutes (1999–2005).

1999–2000 2000–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–2005

B.Tech 768 907 1,015 1,066 1,050 1,035

M.Tech 122 168 180 204 190 190

PhD – – – 15 10 10

Source: MCIT

Exhibit 3: Initiatives undertaken by the industry

The industry has started specialized courses in the field of semiconductors. Some companies have formed collaborations with educational institutes in India, established training centers and finishing schools to offer courses on various software and hardware tools.

Table 6 depicts an indicative list of finishing schools

Institute Company Course offered

Accel Ltd. Chennai Postgraduate diploma in VLSI design

Benns Technologies Bangalore Part-/full-time course in VLSI

Bitmapper Pune Diploma in VLSI design

Calorex Ahmedabad Course in VLSI ASIC chip design

CDAC Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, PuneCertificate course in digital and analog VLSI design, diploma in VLSI and embedded systems

Dayananda Sagar Institutions, School of Professional Enhancement Program

BangalorePostgraduate diploma in advanced technology – semiconductor (PG DATS)

Ei Labz Bangalore Diploma in embedded systems

ISM TechnologiesBangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ernakulam, New Delhi

Advanced diploma in embedded software engineering, & advanced diploma in VLSI design & verification

RV-VLSI Design Center BangaloreAdvanced diploma in ASIC design & engineering & certificate IC mask layout & completion certificates

Sandeepani Bangalore, HyderabadPostgraduate diploma in VLSI design, corporate training, workshop and seminars, and on-site customized training

TIIT (TTM Institute of Information Technology)

Bangalore, Hyderabad, DelhiDiploma in logic-engineering (front-end) and diploma in layout engineering (backend) directly from UCSC, Cadence and TIIT.

Vedant Chandigarh, LucknowCourse in front-end and back-end design, including analog and mixed signal design

VEDA Institute of Information Technology

HyderabadMS in VLSI, MS in embedded systems, diploma in VLSI logical and physical design

To improve the research environment in India, the following issues need to be addressed:

• CreatinganR&Decosystem

• Increasingawarenessabouttheimportanceofandrecognitionforsemiconductor-relatedresearch

• RealizingthepotentialoftheavailabletalentpoolinClassBandClassCinstitutes

These issues are discussed in detail in the recommendations section.

28


This study recommends a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to develop a conducive environment for semiconductor R&D in India. Figure 13 depicts the recommended Public Private Partnership model that can help leverage synergistic competencies of the government, technical institutes and the semiconductor industry in the country.

Figure 13 presents the recommended Public Private Partnership model

Recommendations

Government Foster research environmentGovernment of India

Employment

Address academic issues effectively

Organize seminars/conferences

Public Private Partnership

opportunity

Defense R&D

Competitive remuneration

Human resources

Customized R&DSustained funding

TrainingFaculty

TBIs

Better stipends

LabsIndian

semiconductor industry

stipends

Pursue higher studies

Tools and equipment

Technical institutes in India

Research scholar

Figure 13Source: ISA-Evalueserve Study 2008

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According to the model, the government should play a pivotal role in encouraging research activities by providing funds for establishing an infrastructure and executing of research projects. The industry, on its part, can provide technical expertise and funds for lab equipment. Such collaborations between the government and the industry will facilitate development of scholars, faculty and infrastructure in institutes through the following measures.

Enhancing the research infrastructure • Develop dedicated research centers: Dedicated semiconductor research centers with centralized research

facilities catering to different semiconductor domains should be established. This will help industry leverage the multidisciplinary facilities for research in a synergistic manner.

• Align semiconductor laboratories at institutes with industry standards: The government and the industry should channelize funds to improve the infrastructure at research laboratories so that they match with industry standards. For instance, research in Indian institutes is being carried out at 130nm, whereas the industry is working on 45nm. There is a need to bridge this gap by developing and maintaining the requisite research facilities.

• Set up semiconductor research focused institutes: The government should establish institutes specialized in semiconductor research-similar to the Indian Institute of Nano Sciences (IINS) being setup in Bangalore, Mohali and Kolkata. These institutes will provide resources for advanced research, thereby attracting research oriented faculty and scholars.

• Setupsemiconductor-relatedresearchinR&DSpecialEconomicZones(SEZs): The government should focus on the development of R&D SEZs, which will provide fiscal incentives to the semiconductor industry players. These SEZs should aim at building a complete electronics ecosystem by bringing together research institutes, design centers, and manufacturing and testing facilities in the same campus to maximize benefits derived from research activities. Exhibit 4 presents an example of a research ecosystem that includes the industry, research institutes and incubators.

Exhibit 4: Gandhi city – R&D SEZ being set up in India

Technical entrepreneurs together with industry players are setting up Gandhi City, a 1,000-acre special economic zone (SEZ) dedicated to R&D in Bangalore at an investment of USD 600 million. The SEZ aims to house the complete ecosystem for research activities, which will include industry, research institutes and incubators. The research in Gandhi City will be focused on pharmaceutical, automotive, aviation and technology sectors.

Improving the status of faculty and research scholars• Create awareness about job avenues for PhD holders: The government and industry bodies should work towards

creating awareness among students about career opportunities in semiconductor research in India. This will be required to meet the increasing manpower demand from upcoming semiconductor R&D centers in the country.

• Provide performance-based incentives: The industry and the government should jointly encourage faculty and students to pursue research by offering performance-based incentives. Consultancy work from semiconductor firms as a source of revenue generation should be promoted. Royalties from patents should also be shared with the faculty and students.

• Facilitate the involvement of industry executives: Some of the strict guidelines should be relaxed to allow executives from industry to join academia. For example, to become a professor, a PhD degree should not be mandatory for a person with relevant industry experience. Institutes benefits from such industry participation as it helps bring practical knowledge to research institutes.

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• Encourage mentorship by Class A institutes: Class A institutes can provide guidance to Class B and C institutes by extending their support in research fields such as process-related, MEMS and sensors, that are currently limited to Class A institutes.

• Establishment/endowment of chairs to educational institutes to support research

Exhibit 5 depicts an example of the Public Private Partnership model in the semiconductor domain.

A leading semiconductor firm enters into a three-way partnership to promote entrepreneurship.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and a leading semiconductor firm have entered into a three-way partnership. Under this joint venture, they are jointly investing a pool of INR 21 million (USD 525,000) to build a technology business incubator in the country.

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33


Appendix A – Research MethodologyThe nature of the research objective suggested a qualitative as well as quantitative research design using mainly in-depth face-to-face and telephonic interviews with faculty members and institute staff.

A total of 89 institutes were covered in the study. These institutes were shortlisted on the basis of the availability of in-house resources to conduct semiconductor-related research at the postgraduate level. Further, extensive secondary research was conducted to build a comprehensive understanding of the top technical institutes in India in the following fields of semiconductor-related research:

• Chipdesignandtesting

• Process-relatedresearch

• Embeddedsoftware

• Electronicdesignautomation

• MEMSandsensors

The following major factors were emphasized upon in order to draw logical implications:

• Availableinfrastructure/labfacilitiesforresearch

• Industry-academiacollaborationinresearch

• Funding

• Availabilityoffaculty

• Researchpublications

• InterestofstudentsinpursuingresearchandP.G./Ph.Dcourses

• Settingupofincubationcenters

A total of 320 semiconductor-related projects carried out during 2005–2007 were studied to qualitatively analyze the research activities being undertaken in different fields in the selected institutes.

Appendices

34


Appendix B – List of InstitutesTable 7: Classification of institutes

Developed Research Centers – Class A

S. No. Name of the institute Place

1 IndianInstituteofScience(IISC) Bangalore

2 Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

3 Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai

4 Indian Institute of Technology Chennai

5 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

6 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

7 BITSPilani(InassociationwithCEERIPilani) Pilani

Developing Research Centers – Class B


1 BengalEngineeringCollege,Shipbur Kolkata

2 DhirubhaiAmbaniInstituteofInformation&CommunicationTechnology Gandhinagar

3 Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jadavpur University Kolkata

4 InternationalInstituteofInformationTechnology(IIIT) Hyderabad

5 Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

6 Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

7 Institute of Technology, BHU Varanasi

8 MSRamaiahSchoolofAdvancedStudies Bangalore

9 National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Tirchy

10 National Institute of Technology Surathkal

11 PSGCollegeofEngineering Coimbatore

12 PunjabEngineeringCollege Chandigarh

13 Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology Patiala

Potential Research Centers – Class C


1 DelhiCollegeofEngineering Delhi

2 Dr.B.RAmbedkarNationalInstituteofTechnology Jalandhar

3 G.SInst.ofTechnology Indore

4 MotilalNehruNationalInstituteofTechnology Allahabad

5 National Institute of Technology Durgapur

6 National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur

7 National Institute of Technology Rourkela

8 National Institute of Technology Calicut

9 National Institute of Technology Bhopal

10 National Institute of Technology Hamirpur

11 National Institute of Technology Jaipur

12 National Institute of Technology Warangal

13 National Institute of Technology Kurukhetra

14 National Institute of Technology Silchar

15 SardarVallabhbhaiNationalInstituteofTechnology(NIT) Surat

16 VisvesvarayaNationalInstituteofTechnology(NIT) Nagpur

35


Other institutes


1 AmityCollegeofEngineering Noida

2 Apeejay Institute fo Technology GreaterNoida

3 B.M.S.CollegeofEngineering Bangalore

4 B.M.S.CollegeofEngineering Bangalore

5 BharatiVidyapeethCollegeofEngineering Pune

6 BirlaInstituteofTechnology,Mesra Ranchi

7 BurlaEngineeringCollege Burla

8 ChatrapatiShahuJiMaharajUniversity Kanpur

9 CochinUniversityofScienceandTechnology(CUSAT) Cochin

10 CoimbatoreInstituteofTechnology(CIT) Coimbatore

11 CollegeofEngineering&Technology(CET) Bhubaneswar

12 CollegeofEngineering,Guindy(CEG) Guindy

13 CollegeofEngineering Pune

14 CollegeofEngineering Roorkee

15 CollegeofEngineering Thiruvananthapuram

16 GIT Belgaum

17 GovernmentCollegeofTechnology(GCT) Coimbatore

18 Harcourt Butler Technological Institute Kanpur

19 IIIT Bangalore

20 IIIT Kolkata

21 IIIT Pune

22 InstituteofEngineering&Technology Lucknow

23 JNTUCollegeofEngineering Hyderabad

24 JamiaMiliaIslamiaUniversity Delhi

25 Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida

26 JNNCollegeofEngineering Shimoga

27 JSS Academy of Technical Education Noida

28 Kalasalingam University Krishnankoil

29 KalingaInstituteofIndustrialTechnology(KIIT) Bhubaneswar

30 MadrasInstituteofTechnology(MIT) Chennai

31 MaduraiKamrajUniversity Madurai

32 ManipalInstituteofTechnology Manipal

33 ModiInstituteofTechnology&Science Laxmangarh

34 MSRamaiahInstituteofTechnology Bangalore

35 National Institute of Engineering Mysore

36 National Institute of Technology Srinagar

37 Osmania University Hyderabad

38 P.E.S.CollegeofEngineering(PES) Mandya

39 P.E.S.InstituteofTechnology(PESIT) Bangalore

40 PondicherryEngineeringCollege Pondichery

41 PondicherryUniversity Pondichery

36


Other institutes


42 PuneInstituteofComputerTechnology(PICT) Pune

43 PuneUniversity Pune

44 RashtreeyaVidyalayaCollegeofEngineering(RVCE),Bangalore Bangalore

45 ShanmughaArts,ScienceTechnology&ResearchAcademy(SASTRA) Thanjavur

46 SikkimManipalInstituteOfTechnology Gangtok

47 SriJayachamarajendraCollegeofEngineering(SJCE) Mysore

48 ThiagarajarCollegeofEngineering Madurai

49 UniversityVisvesvaraiahCollegeofEngineering(UVCE) Bangalore

50 UttarPradeshTechnicalUniversity Lucknow

51 Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute Mumbai

52 VelloreEngineeringCollege Vellore

53 Vishwakarma Institute of Technology Pune

37


Appendix C – Indicative List of Developing Research CentersTable 8: An indicative list of developing research centers in different research fields

S. No.

Institute name Chip design and testing

Embedded systems

EDA Process-related

1 IITRoorkee P P – P

2 IITGuwahati P P – P

3 IIIT Hyderabad P P P –

4 NIT Trichy P P – –

5 MSRamaiahSchoolofAdvancedStudies,Bangalore P P – –

6 PSGCoimbatore P – –

7 Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology P – – –

8DhirubhaiAmbaniInstituteofInformationandCommunicationTechnology,Gandhinagar

P – – –

38


Appendix D – Indicative List of Lab FacilitiesChip design and testingTable 9: An indicative list of lab facilities for chip design and testing

Lab Type (Sponsor) Equipment/Capabilities

BITS Pilani

OystersLab(OLAB)CentreforVLSIAndEmbeddedDesign*

ThislabconductsR&Dandcreatesintellectualpropertyfor industrial use. It has connected all the three campuses of BITS and has an industrial center in Bangalore.

IIT Chennai

VLSIDesignLab

• Altera,Actel,andXilinxtoolsforFPGAdesignanddevelopment

• View-logictoolsthatrunonSUN4.0andDECAlphaSystems

• Synopsys,CadenceandTannertools

IIT Delhi

VLSIDesignToolsandTechnology(VDTT)Lab

• Digitalhardwaredesignlab

• ICprocessinglab

• VLSIdesignlab

IIT Kharagpur

AVLSI Lab

• Sun Enterprise-450 server

• 10SunUltra-60dualprocessorworkstations

• 50SunRayThinClients

• Semiconductorparameteranalyzer

• Networkanalyzer

• Logicanalysissystem

• Noisefiguretestset

• DigitalstorageCRO

• Multipurposetestequipmentandaccessories

• EDAtools

IIT Mumbai

TCSVLSIDesign&CharacterizationLaboratory

TATAConsultancyServices

• Capacitancemeters,bridgesandplotters

• Sourcemeasureunitsandscanners

• Scopes,signalanalysers,pulseandfunctiongenerators,etc.

• Automaticandmanualprobers

• Photoluminescenceset-up

• SEMwithprobingstation

Jadavpur University, West Bengal

ICDesignandFabricationCenter

• Sunultraandsolarisworkstation

• Cadenceuniversitytools

• Sabermixedsignalsimulator

• SynopsysHLDtools

• XilinxalliancesoftwareandFPGAdevices

39


PSG College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore

VLSIDesignCentre

• Sunworkstations

• MotorolaMPC860powerPC,XilinxFPGAboard

• FPGAadvantage6i

• IntusoftICAP/4Ver8/1.7

• Xilinx6.2,6.3ISE

• TANNERtoolsPro

• VHDL&Verilog–Modelsimsimulator

Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology

VLSIDesign&CADLab

Embedded systemsTable 10: Lab facilities for embedded systems

Lab Type (sponsor) Equipment/capabilities

IIT DelhiEmbedded Systems Laboratory

IIT Kanpur

Networked and Embedded Systems Laboratory

IIT Mumbai

EmbeddedRealTimeSystemsLab

• HandelC-basedDK1designsuite

• Ccompilerformicrocontrollers

• Xilinxfoundationtools

• Real-TimeLinux

• Microcontroller-basedplatforms

• FPGAplatforms

• Radiocontrolledflyingairshipkits

NIT Nagpur

Embedded Systems Lab

• KIELIDE

• ORCAD

• 89C51-baseddevelopmentboard

• UC–Flashprogrammer

• UC–Uniproprogrammer

NIT Trichy

Embedded Systems Lab

• PIC,ARM,Intel8051microcontroller

• Keilsimulationsoftware

• PowerPCkits

• Facilitates assembly level programming on microcontrollers,interfacingofmemory,andI/Osystems

Companies with which BITS has collaborated to establish this lab are OpenSilicon, Broadcom, Magma, Mentor Graphics, and Sun

Microsystems.

40


Process-related and MEMS & sensorsTable 11: Lab facilities for process-related and MEMS & sensors

Lab Type (Sponsor) Equipment/Capabilities

IISc Bangalore

NationalMEMSDesignCentre

• Cleanroom(Class1000andClass100)facility

• Fully shielded 8-inch wafer probe and cascade RF probestation

• C-V,I-V,andtransistorreliabilitymeasurementset-up

• MEMSProFullcustomICdesigntools

• ISEmicroelectronicssimulationsuite

• PolyMumps

IIT Chennai

MicroelectronicsandMEMSLab

• Class100cleanroom

• Maskalignerandexposuresystem

• Diffusionandoxidationfurnaces

• Devicecharacterizationandencapsulationfacilities

• MBEsystem

• RIEsystem

• EllipsometerandDLTSsystem

MaterialCharacterizationLab

• Stabilized X-ray generators with microprocessr controlledvertical diffractometer

• Atexture

• Ganiometer

• Portable Rigaku strainflex residual stress analyser withretained austenite attachment

• CompleteJCPDSphaseanalysis

IIT Mumbai

MicroelectronicsandMEMSLab

• Cleanroom(Class100)facility

• Devicecharacterizationandencapsulationfacilities

• Furnacesandoxidationfacilities

CharacterizationLab

41


Appendix E – Distribution of faculty members in the Class A institutes Figure 14: Distribution of faculty members according to research areas in Class A institutes

Table 12: The number of faculty members across semiconductor research fields in Class A institutes

S.No Field of research The number of faculty

1 Chipdesign 41

2 Testing and verification 5

3 MEMS 11

4 Sensors 2

5 Process-related 20

6 Embedded systems 17

7 EDA 20

11%

16%

38%

16%

%19%

MEMS and Sensors Process-related Embedded SystemsEDA Chip Design and TestingEDA Chip Design and Testing

Figure 14


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Appendix F – Funding Programs Initiated by the Government of IndiaConferencesSupportProgram

Inaddition to sponsoring researchactivities, theMinistryofCommunicationsand InformationTechnology (MCIT) alsoprovides funds for conducting conferences, seminars, workshops, symposiums, etc. Such funding is provided to the academia,R&Dinstitutes,registeredprofessionalbodiesandNGOs.

Table 13: Details of funding for conferences/seminars

S.No. Category of event Maximum funds available (in INR)

1International level – events organized by organizations with core strength and specialization in the subject

2,00,000(USD5100)

2National level – event should have participation of experts ofreputefromvariousstates/unionterritories(UTs)ofthecountry,andnational-levelorganization/institutes

1,00,000(USD2500)

3Regionallevel–eventshouldhaveparticipationofexpertsfromneighboringstates/UTs

50,000(USD1300)

SupportforInternationalPatentProtectioninElectronicsandIT(SIP-EIT)

ThisprogramhasbeeninitiatedbytheDepartmentofInformationTechnologyandaimsatsupportingsmallandmediumenterprises(SMEs)ininternationalpatentprotection.Underthisprogram,thegovernmentwillfundupto50percentofthe total patent cost. The program is focused att extending support in the process of acquiring patents for innovations made in the fields of IT and semiconductors. The support is provided to registered micro, small and medium enterprises, and technology incubation centers registered as companies.

FundforImprovementofS&TInfrastructureinUniversitiesandHigherEducationalInstitutions(FIST)

Thisprogram, initiatedby theDepartmentofScienceandTechnology (DST), aimsat improving the infrastructure andfacilities to promote research and development activities in technical institutes in India. All engineering colleges and technical institutes that offer postgraduate courses and have been functioning for at least five years are eligible for these funds. Under the program, funds will be granted to provide optimal infrastructure facilities such as adequate laboratory space (no fresh constructions), state-of-the-art laboratories, essential equipment and upgrade of existing facilities,databases, scientific books, etc.

Assistance for participation in international conferences

Thisprogram,initiatedbytheDepartmentofScienceandTechnology(DST),providestravelassistancetoIndianscientistsworking in academic institutes and national laboratories. The scientist applying for the program should have an accepted paper for presentation or an invitation to chair a session or as a keynote speaker, and should not have availed financial assistanceformDSTinthelastthreeyears.Aspartofthisprogram,thedepartmentfunds50percentoftheinternationalair fare.

43


TechnopreneurPromotionProgramme(TePP)

ThisprogramhasbeenjointlyinitiatedbytheDepartmentofScientificandIndustrialResearch(DSIR)andtheDepartmentofScienceandTechnology(DST).Itsobjectiveistohelpyoungtechnopreneursconvertanoriginalinventionintoworkingprocesses or prototypes. This program is available for any Indian innovatorwho owns a ‘start-up’ company/industry,where thecompany’sannual turnoverdoesnotexceed INR3million (USD75,000).Theprogram isalsoavailable forworkingindividuals,withinnovativeideas.Theycanavailthisfacilitybyprovidinga‘NoObjectionCertificate’fromtheiremployers.

This program offers financial support for patents and designs. It also provides technical consultancy, fabrication assistance, and networking with related laboratories.

Emeritus fellowship This isaprogram initiatedby theAICTE toencourageemeritusprofessors’participation in improving thestandardofteaching and research in technical institutes in India. Under this scheme, the emeritus professors have to select an institute where they have to teach and encourage innovation among students. They are paid a monthly honorarium of INR10,000(USD2504)andanannualcontingencyofINR30,000(USD760).Inaddition,theyareallocatedagrantofINR50,000(USD1300),whichisusedfordevelopmentalactivitiesintheinstituteandtheirtravel,stay,etc.Thesepaymentsare in addition to the superannuation benefits which they are entitled to. The key responsibilities of emeritus professors include the following:

• Contributingtothedevelopmentoflearningresourcematerials,manuals,reports,monographs,referencebooks,hand-books, codes of practice and standards in various fields

• Teachingaminimumofonecourseinaninstitute,whichisfacingfacultyshortage

• Providingmentorshiptoprojects

• UndertakingR&Dintheirfieldsofexcellence

• Developingknowledge/innovativeschoolsofthoughtinthefieldof‘technicaleducation’

Researchpromotionscheme

AICTEhasaresearchpromotionschemeunderwhichitprovidesfundsforconductingresearchincolleges.TheamountoffundingvariesfromINR0.5million(USD12,700)toINR2million(USD51,000),dependingontheimportanceoftheproject.The funding forsuch research isgivenunder theNationallyCoordinatedProjectsScheme.Suchprojectsareundertaken by national level institutes and are carried out in coordination with institutes located in different parts of the country.ThefundinginsuchprogramsvariesfromINR0.5million(USD12,700)toINR4million(USD102,000).

Industry-InstitutePartnershipCell(IIPC)

AICTEprovidesfundsforsettingupIndustry-InstitutePartnershipCellsininstitutes.TheIIPCaidsinstitutesinupdatingcurricula, conducting R&D, developingmanpower development, andmost importantly, acquiring brand name/equity.This cell also helps the faculty in generating revenue by providing them with consultancy projects. Under this program,

4 Currencyconversionrate:1USD=39.25INR

44


AICTEprovidesamaximumofINR0.5million(USD12,750)toinstitutestohelpthemmeetmanpowerandtravelcosts,administrativeoverheads,programs/eventexpensesandcontingenciesforamaximumperiodoffiveyears.

Special assistance schemes

UGCprovidesfundsforimprovingthequalityofteaching,researchandinfrastructureininstitutesthroughtheseschemes.TheamountoffundingundertheseschemesrangesfromINR0.4million(USD11,000)toINR10million(USD255,000).These funds can be used for recurring and non-recurring expenses in institutes. Every year, UGC provides about INR300million (USD7.6million) to improve the infrastructureof five institutesunderaprogramforuniversitieswithpotential for excellence.

Researchfundingcouncilforresearchprojects UGCprovidesfundsforresearchprojectsunderthisscheme.TheamountoffundingvariesfromINR0.1million(USD2,500)forminorprojectstoINR1–1.2million(USD25,500–30,500)formajorprojects.TheclassificationofprojectsasmajororminorisdonebytheResearchFundingCouncil.

45


Appendix G – List of Technology Business Incubators (TBI)Table 14: An indicative list of TBI centers in Indian institutes

S. No. Institute Incubator name

1 Bannari Amman Institute of Technology Sathyamangalam Technology Business Incubator

2 BasaveshwarEngineeringCollege,Bagalkot ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

3 BITS,Pilani Technology Business Incubator

4 BITS,Mesra ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

5 CentreforBiotechnology,AnnaUniversity Technology Business Incubator

6 GuruNanakCollegeofEngineering,Ludhiana ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

7 Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

8 IndianInstituteofChemicalTechnology Technology Business Incubator

9 IISc, Bangalore SocietyforInnovationandDevelopment

10 IIT,Mumbai Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

11 IIT,Chennai Technology Business Incubator

12 IIT,Delhi Technology Business Incubator

13 IIT, Kharagpur ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

14 IIT,Roorkee ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

15 J.S.S. Academy of Technical Education Technology Business Incubator

16 KonguEngineeringCollege,Erode Technology Business Incubator

17 KrishnaInstituteofEngineering&Technology Technology Business Incubator

18 MaulanaAzadCollegeofTechnology,Bhopal ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

19 NationalInstituteofDesign Technology Business Incubator

20 NIT Bhopal ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

21 NITCalicut Technology Business Incubator

22 NIT Surathkal ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

23 NIT Tiruchirapalli ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

24 PMCollegeofTechnology,Thanjavur Technology Business Incubator

25 PSGCollegeofTechnology,Coimbatore ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

26 SJCollegeofEngineering,Mysore ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

27 Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

28 UniversityofPoona,Pune ScienceandTechnologyEntrepreneursPark

29 Vellore Institute of Technology Technology Business Incubator

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Appendix H – A Comparison of Careers in Academics (India vis-à-vis US/Europe)

US/Europe India

Pay structure

In terms of salary, US professors are in the top 15 per cent of the employed workforce in the country. In addition, they also earn from consultingworkandIProyalties.Theaverageannual salary paid to a professor in the US rangesfromUSD70,000toUSD85,000.

MostprofessorsinIndianuniversitiesareunder-paid (considering their high educational qualifications)andonlyafewprofessorsearn from royalties and consulting jobs. If we consider purchasing power parity, the average annual remuneration paid to a professor in IndiacomestoaroundUSD22,000–30,000.

Research budget

Typically, the US spends 2.6 per cent ofitsGDPonR&Dandthisfundingisefficiently channelized and judiciously distributed among all the universities.

India spends only 1 per centofitsGDPonR&D.ThisfundingislimitedtotheClassAandClassBinstitutes,anddoesnotsatisfy all the necessary needs, such as stipends and salaries of the research staff.

Infrastructural support

US universities have state-of-the-art research facilities, with access to chip fabrication and testing. A campus also provides faculty members and students residential area with all the facilities, thus creating a conducive environment for academia.

MostoftheuniversitiesinIndiadonothave elementary lab facilities. Apart from a few institutes, campuses do not support residential areas and other facilities required by family members of the faculty.

47


Appendix I – Glossary

AICTE–AllIndiaCouncilForTechnicalEducation

BITS – Birla Institute of Technology and Science

CEERI–CentralElectronicsEngineeringResearchInstitute

CVD–ChemicalVaporDeposition

DepartmentofS&T–DepartmentofSignalandTelecommunication

DST–DepartmentofScienceandTechnology

EDA–ElectronicDesignAutomation

FPGA–FullyProgrammableGateArrays

IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IISc – Indian Institute of Science

IIT – Indian Institute of Technology

INR–IndianNationalRupee

IP–IntellectualProperty

ISA – India Semiconductor Association

MEMS–MicroElectroMechanicalSystems

MHRD–MinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment

MOS–MetalOxideSemiconductor

NGO–Non-GovernmentOrganization

NIT – National Institute of Technology

SMDP–SpecialManpowerDevelopmentProgram

TCS–TataConsultancyServices

UGC–UniversityGrantCommission

VLSI – Very Large Scale Integration

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