Page 133 - CTB-1 10 May

PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE 133
MANDATE
• Provide financial assistance to industrial concerns and other agencies attempting commercial application of indigenous technology or adapting imported technology for wider domestic applications.
• Provide financial assistance to
such research and development institutions engaged in developing indigenous technology or adaption of imported technology for commercial application, as may be recognized by the Central government.
• Perform such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central government.
TDB supported M/s Cocoslabs Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore for advanced video analytics for low-cost thermal cameras
TDB supported M/s Nanoclean Global Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi for the project proposal Nasomask semi-automatic N95 Production Machine
with international R&D institutions such as WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology) Spain, The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC)-UK, ANVAR-France and Department for International Development (DFID)-UK to provide a platform
as well as funding to Indian industrial concerns. TDB also joined hands with BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council), TIFAC (Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council), and Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA) to provide fast-track technology to Indian industries.
SUCCESS STORIES
First Indigenous Hepatitis Vaccine: Although
the World Health Organization had recommended that every child be vaccinated for Hepatitis B by the early 1980s, at a price as high as USD$23 a dose, most Indians families could not afford the vaccine. Shantha Biotechnics Limited, a pioneering Indian biotechnology company founded in 1993, saw an unmet need domestically, and developed novel processes for manufacturing Hepatitis B vaccine. In 1997-98, TDB extended financial support that changed the ecosystem of this vaccine. The ingenious development and manufacturing of the vaccine resulted in reduction of the prices to less than $1/dose. Further expansion enabled low-cost mass vaccination globally through organizations such as UNICEF. In 2009, Shantha sold over 120 million doses of vaccines.
First Electric Car: Reva Electric Car Company, Bangalore, approached TDB with a proposal in 2000-01 to develop an indigenous battery-operated car. The board extended financial support for this pioneering project. While the manufacturing and research on electric vehicle has gained traction in recent times, Reva with a driving range of 80km then was launched in 2001, with TDB’s backing,
as India’s first electric car, far ahead of its time!!! The success of the project lay in the fact that it
is environment friendly and a reliable option for commuting, but at that time there were very few market players in this domain and India was able to mark its presence in this sector.