NIF, IITGn join hands

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has recently signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar to foster grassroot level innovations.

According to the MoU, NIF will set up a grassroot innovation centre at the campus of IITG, whereby both undergraduate and post graduate students will work on giving technological upgradation to some of the ongoing grassroot innovations at NIF and help by doing market research, giving necessary inputs in creating a finished product.

"We are basically a technology institute so we hope that this MoU would go a long way in developing an entrepreneurial streak in our students. We have kept it as an optional elective for the students from this academic year," said Sudhir Jain, director of IIT Gandhinagar.

"Technology plays a vital part in the evolution of any product today, so this association will help us explore some new technologies with the involvement and expertise of the faculty at students at IITG," said Vipin Kumar, chief innovation officer at NIF.

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) was founded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in February 2000 with the main goal of providing institutional support in scouting, generating, sustaining and scaling up grassroots green innovations and helping their transition to self supporting activities.