By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : Many technological innovations and research findings by Indian and British varsities will no longer remain confined to laboratories and will find their way to the market thanks to monetary help and advice from the UK India Business Council (UKIBC).
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who arrives in India Sunday, will unveil a unique angel investment network during his visit.
“Educational institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), top varsities and medical colleges will get an opportunity to collaborate with their counterparts in the UK to make a laboratory product available in the market,” said Britain-based entrepreneur Karan Bilimoria, a member of the UKIBC.
“Innovations, start-ups and similar developments will be identified, supported and funded across the border. It’s my dream that this kind of collaboration will help identify and enable the Microsoft of tomorrow. I am sure the next generation Microsoft will emerge from India,” Bilimoria told IANS.
Bilimoria, who is a member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, said the effort would help students and individual innovators commercialise their dream projects.
“They will get seed money to move out of the laboratory and commercialise it. The network will also help them get the copyright and finally patent registration,” he said.
Bilimoria said the British premier would give out the details of the network members and financial aspects.
He said Britain is home to many great innovations. Cambridge University, for example, has produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world.
A recent report published by a British university said that 100 world changing innovations have come from British universities in last 50 years.
“Similarly, institutions like the IITs are a great source of innovation in India. The network will help the innovators set up their own laboratories and if they grow big, then it will facilitate its listing on the London Stock Exchange,” said Bilimoria, the owner of Cobra Beer.
“You know, a lot of varsities from the UK and India are forging agreements for student exchange and research work. This angel network will certainly boost this effort,” he added.