MSME Multiplier Grants Scheme

The Indian Government has introduced over 50 startup schemes to help boost the start-up mission in India. Multiplier Grant Scheme was brought into effect to promote industries by collaborating with state of the art Academic and Government R & D institutes, who are engaged in the activity of developing products/packages. In this article, we will discuss the various aspects of Multiplier Grants Scheme (MGS).

Objectives of the Multiplier Grants Scheme

• To establish links between the industry and the institutes and further nurture and strengthen them.
• To promote industry-oriented Research and Development (R&D) at Institutes.
• To encourage the development of indigenious products and further accelerate their development.
• To bridge the gap between R&D/Proof of concept and commercialisation/globalisation.

Process Under the Multiplier Grants Scheme

• Idea Generation and Submission of the Project Proposal
• For collaborative research to happen, the idea for the same should originate from the industry or the industry consortium.
• Academic institutions or the R&D bodies that intend to undertake the industry-specific research will have to submit the project proposal under the Multiplier Grants Scheme to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology jointly with the industry/industry consortium.

Multiplier Grants Scheme

The Indian Government has introduced over 50 startup schemes to help boost the start-up mission in India. Multiplier Grant Scheme was brought into effect to promote industries by collaborating with state of the art Academic and Government R & D  institutes, who are engaged in the activity of developing products/packages. In this article, we will discuss the various aspects of Multiplier Grants Scheme (MGS).

Process of Initiation

The idea for collaborative research must be submitted jointly by the Industry and R&D institutes as a project proposal to the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DEIT) under MGS scheme. The proposal is generated for innovation in modules or services in the field of E&IT. The proposals should be able to predict the framework for commercialization.

To find out the R&D capabilities of institutions taking up collaborative research under MGS, it is vital to look into the following:

• Level of professional courses in ICTE(B.Tech/M.Tech/PhD) being conducted by them.
• Prior Research Work/projects undertaken.
• of papers published.
• Collaboration with industry, if any.
• The institution should be in existence for a minimum period of 5 years.

The result of the proposed idea must be feasible and practical. All the proposals should contain data on the market survey of the modules or services anticipated to be established. The industry should have the manpower for absorption of technology and infrastructure for production in-house. The proposal must have detailed concrete plans to be implemented.

Release of Grants

The Government grants, for the individual industry, would be limited to a maximum of Rs. 2.0 Crores per project and the duration of each project could considerably be less than 2 years. It would be Rs. 4.0 Crores and 3 years for industry consortium. The contribution of industry and grant-in-aid from DeitY would be provided to academic/R&D institution(s) alone. The formal agreement for sharing of IPRs/know-how and royalty/lump sum between the institute(s) and industry must be signed prior to the release of the first installment of Grant-in-aid. The institution(s) /industry would submit the periodic report to DeitY for a minimum period of 5 years on the status of IPRs created.

Proposal Implementation

Proposals will be invited based on the disposal of funds, for maximum of three times in a year. A Working Group fixed by the Department shall inspect and verify the respective proposals and suggest the Department for suitable financial support. The WG might invite extra Domain Experts, considering the proposals made.  A Project Review & Steering Group (PRSG) shall periodically manoeuvre and analyse the technical and financial progress of the project, favouring release of Grants

The grants under the proposed scheme and the application to submit the proposal would be based on the Terms & Conditions placed.  The details of the scheme, including current status, would be made available on the Department website.