NIF, NIAS ink pact to support grassroots innovators

National Innovation Foundation-India, an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, has signed an MoU with the city-based National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) to create a platform for innovators to showcase their technology, network with others, and also develop ideas.

“The collaboration will manifest in a Honey Bee Network hub of National Innovation Foundation (NIF). NIAS will be visiting remote and tribal areas in Karnataka and other parts of the country.

 And using the technology that NIF already has in its database, a list of several thousand innovations, will try and do a match-making of the problem with solutions,” said Dr Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan, assistant professor, Energy and Environment Policy Programme, NIAS, 

He will be steering the collaboration and will be involved in all processes from chalking out activities to implementing them.

“We will also be involved in mutual learning – NIF persons can come here, and NIAS students can do their field work at NIF, with their respective faculty as co-supervisors. We will be using our research expertise in answering key questions; for instance, why do some innovations succeed and others fail to catch on,”  he added.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the new partnerships, Dr Baldev Raj, director, National Institute of Advanced Studies said: “Research and public policy would remain as integral components of the diffusion exercise and National Institute of Advanced Studies has the ecosystem and commitment to fructify this collaboration in mission mode.”