IMPacting Research, INnovation and Technology

On November 5, 2015, several IITs and IISc joined hands to launch ‘IMPRINT India,’ a collaborative effort aimed at addressing significant engineering and technology challenges across ten domains crucial for India’s development. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, now known as the Ministry of Education, spearheaded this initiative, recognizing the potential of technology to address pressing social issues.

About IMPRINT

The IMPRINT scheme, launched in November 2015, aimed to tackle significant engineering challenges by transforming knowledge into practical technology solutions (products or processes) across 10 selected technology domains. These domains include health care, energy, sustainable habitat, nano-technology hardware, water resources and river systems, advanced materials, Information and Communication Technology, manufacturing, security and defence, and environmental science and climate change.

Aim

The Ministry of Education, formerly known as MHRD, is leading an effort to revamp engineering education policies.
IISc and 16 IITs are leading the initiative to chart a course for tackling engineering challenges.
Over 25 Ministries have signed an MoU to support research endeavors through IMPRINT.
More than 25 ministries, departments, and councils of the Central Government now support funding for identified projects.
The initiative is gaining momentum, setting a solid foundation for long-term success.
Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of IITs and IISc, the program focuses on nurturing research talent.
Inclusivity is a key goal, with the program already involving Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and planning to encompass all academic and research institutions nationwide in the future.

IMPRINT-2

The IMPRINT-India initiative was seen as groundbreaking and one-of-a-kind.
While there was great enthusiasm for the initiative, it was clear that we needed to streamline the focus, simplify the review and allocation process, and highlight the innovation outcomes of IMPRINT through a user-friendly ‘knowledge portal‘.
As a result, IMPRINT has evolved into IMPRINT-2. This new version has wider goals, clearer rules for joining, and better teamwork among researchers, partners, and stakeholders.
There’s also a realization that IMPRINT-2 should embrace a more inclusive approach by involving a wider range of implementing institutions, adopting a demand-driven strategy for developing solutions, and considering the specific needs of different states in India to facilitate easier adoption of technology and translation for end-users.
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) within the Department of Science & Technology (DST) has been suggested to take on the role of the lead agency for implementing IMPRINT-2.

Scope of IMPRINT-2

Address challenges in different fields by developing innovative products, processes, and technologies.
Collaborate with ministries to create focused projects that tackle key technology areas.
Establish new models for transferring technology to industries and stakeholders effectively.
Regularly evaluate and improve technology challenges, aligning them with the capabilities and requirements of government, academia, and research institutions.
Tailor programs and projects to meet the specific needs of different industries and states in India.
Enhance expertise in priority technology areas within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to bridge the gap in skilled human resources.
Eligible researchers in Government-funded HEIs, including IITs, NITs, IISERs, IIITs, and CUs, can submit proposals as Principal Investigators for IMPRINT-2.
Maintain a comprehensive inventory of stakeholder needs and align them with potential products, technologies, and knowledge developed through the initiative.

Features of IMPRINT-2

Our main goal is to transform knowledge into practical technology solutions.
We’ll be backing approximately 425 projects with budgets of up to Rs. 2 crore each.
The Ministry of Education and the Department of Science and Technology are teaming up to lead the program together.
IMPRINT-2 is open to submissions from all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) funded by the Ministry of Education.
A total of 27 ministries of the Government of India are collaborating as partners in IMPRINT-2.
Projects that have support from industry partners will be given preference.