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R&d pilot funding

R&D Pilot Funding

Government of India is making all out efforts to promote R&D in STEM projects across different departments and its agencies. A comprehensive primer with collection of various funding opportunities is presented here. Some of the schemes are ongoing and while some are window based. DoT, MeitY, DST, DPIIT, inter alia, have several schemes for Startups / MSMEs to fund R&D, Pilots in Digicom technology products.

There are several private funding agencies and VCs in the ICT sector who may be tapped for large and angel funding needs.


Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme, launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 1st October 2022, is aimed for domestic companies and institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions, to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas.

List of open proposals – R&D scheme (application window open from 1st October to 31st December 2022)

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Key Resources

List of Public funding opportunities

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List of Private investment players

Importance of Public Funding

Tax incentives and public funding/subsidies are a few very potent ways to stimulate innovations and research & development towards creation of indigenous manufacturing eco-system in emerging telecommunications technologies. This is also able to address market shortfall in meeting the R&D expenditure above the social optimum. Academic findings confirm the importance of public funding as it helps companies to integrate their internal expertise with external information sources generated through external R&D expenditure.

 5G HLF, inter-alia, had suggested that in addition to issuing invitation for 5G trials, the government need to make significant follow-up efforts to ensure successful trials that advance India’s 5G progress. For instance – constitution of a Trials Oversight Committee for each of the major trial with representatives from the OEM, lead TSP and related entities.  

Taking this 5G HLF recommendation one step ahead, the Startups-MSMEs Action Plan has proposed 4 components in Technology Trials and PoC arena:  

  • Pilots and Trials – for integrated / individual solution in a small scale (<10 crore);  
  • Consortium programs to develop commercial grade new technologies;  
  • Overseas capability demonstration and market access;  
  • PoC in lieu of deployment experience 

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