It was on 11th May 1998, that India had a prideful accomplishment of successfully conducting Nuclear Missile Test at Indian Army’s Pokhran range. It’s after this 1998 monumental event that our Former Prime Minister of India, Late Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared India a full Nuclear Country. Since then, 11th May is being observed as National Technology Day, with an aim to commemorate the achievements of scientists, researchers, engineers and all others involved in the field of science and technology.
To celebrate this special day, the Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India by the virtue of its mandate, honours technological innovations that have helped in the national growth under the aegis of ‘National Technology Award’ from the year 1999. The second category for SSI units was introduced in 2000, which was later renamed as ‘MSME’ category. Further, in order to recognize and reward the remarkable work done by startup incubator, DST instituted ‘Technology Business Incubator’ category in 2004. From 2017 onwards, the ‘start-up’ category has been introduced to encourage & promote technologies developed by start-ups having potential for commercialization. Similarly, from 2021 onwards a new category for ‘Translational Research’ in Science and Technology has been introduced by TDB.
For the year 2023, TDB has invited applications from Indian companies for National Technology Awards under five categories such as Main, MSME, Startup, Translational Research & Technology Business Incubator. These awards are conferred to various industries for successful commercialization of innovative indigenous technology. This annual honour provides a platform of recognition to the Indian industries and their technology provider who work to bring innovation to the market and help in contributing to the vision of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat”.
- National Technology Award (Main)
For the successful commercialization of indigenous technology. This award will be given to an industrial concern which has successfully developed & commercialized an indigenous technology on or after April 2017. In case, the technology developer / provider and technology commercializer are two different organizations, each one would be eligible for award of ₹25 Lakh and a trophy.
i. Cash Award of ₹25 Lakh
ii. Number of awards: One
- National Technology Awards (MSME)
This award will be given to MSMEs which have successfully commercialized a product based on indigenous technology on or after April 2017.
i. Cash Awards of ₹15 Lakh
ii. Number of awards: Three (including one reserved for Women led MSME)
- National Technology Awards (Start-up)
This award will be given to a technology start-up for promising new technology with potential for commercialization.
i. Cash Awards of ₹15 Lakh
ii. Number of awards: Five (including one reserved for Women-led Start-up)
4) National Technology Awards (Translational Research)
This award is given for outstanding contribution of Scientists in commercializing innovative indigenous technologies.
i. Cash Awards of ₹5 Lakh
ii. Number of awards: Two (one is to be reserved for Translational Research by Women Scientist)
- National Technology Awards (Technology Business Incubator)
To recognize and reward outstanding contribution in techno-entrepreneurship development by way of promoting innovative technology driven knowledge intensive start-up enterprises in different technological areas.
- Cash Awards of ₹5 Lakh
- Number of awards: One
The awards will be presented on National Technology Day on 11th May, 2023.
For applying visit- https://awards.gov.in/
Last date to apply- 15th January 2023 by 5:00PM.
