Network Member
Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI)
India
Incubator Overview
| Objectives |
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Affect policymaking
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Commercialize research
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Create jobs
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Develop profitable enterprises
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Provide income generating opportunities for disadvantaged populations
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Raise the awareness of potential entrepreneurs
Social impact particularly in rural India
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| Description |
RTBI has emerged from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras' informal incubator - The TeNet Group - that has been at the forefront of innovations in technology for the developing world for the past twenty years now (www.tenet.res.in). Comprising of faculty members from the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Department of Computer Science at IIT Madras, the Group has not only conceived RTBI but has been closely involved in idea generation, technology development and prototyping, design of the business model and even in the selection of the pilot as part of the their mentorship at RTBI. Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, founder member of the TeNeT Group and Chairman of RTBI has indeed provided leadership to this Incubator Initiative.
RTBI was conceived as the “Incubator Initiative” for rural technology and business by the TeNeT Group and was registered as a Society in October 2006 with a grant from the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and InfoDev Grant III-41 (2006-07). A Board comprising of IIT Madras faculty, industry leaders and development professionals governs RTBI (List of Members of the Board may be provided upon request). RTBI has partnered with many organizations that are in the capacity of a donor, client, knowledge resource or affiliate. RTBI’s partners include DST, UNDP, InfoDev, IFMR, ICICI, SBI, IBM, TI, Tenet Group of Companies, among others.
RTBI’s primary aim is to incubate businesses and technologies that will generate wealth in rural areas, improve the quality of life and enhance well being. The development of rural areas is crucial for the overall development of India and the focus at RTBI is to bridge the divide between urban and rural India leveraging ICT as an enabler in products and/or services that enhance education, health delivery, and access to financial services as well as livelihood generation in rural areas. It is therefore organized as a flat structure with numerous developmental verticals or teams catering to the above. Senior management in strategy, planning, technology, incubation, finance, accounting, administration and research support these teams.
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| Interests |
The Rural Technology Business Incubator (RTBI) works towards
1. Doubling India’s Rural GDP
2. Facilitating affordable technology development appropriate to the rural context
3. Enabling startup entrepreneurs to build rural inclusive business models
4. Mediating between urban enterprise and rural potential through rural database and research
5. Building models of best practices in sector specific business incubation
6. Focus sectors include Agriculture, Health, Finance, Education, Vocational Training, Business Processing, Manufacturing and Information and Communication Technologies for rural India.
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| Services |
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Facilities: ICT services
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Facilities: Office space
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Facilities: Shared laboratories
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Facilities: Shared workshops
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Facilities: Special rates with service providers
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Finance: Equity Financing
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Finance: Linkages to financiers
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Finance: Seed Capital
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Incubation and Business Development: Business management and development advisory services
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Incubation and Business Development: Incubation program for non-resident clients (virtual incubation)
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Incubation and Business Development: Incubation program for resident clients
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Incubation and Business Development: Mentoring/coaching
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Incubation and Business Development: Pre-incubation services
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Networks and Synergy: Facilitation of linkages between incubates
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Networks and Synergy: Networking events
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Networks and Synergy: Referrals to business professionals
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Technology Transfer: Help with commercializing technology
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Technology Transfer: Help with intellectual property/patent advice
Other:
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| Year Opened |
2006
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| Type |
NGO
(This incubator is associated with a technology park)
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| Model |
Not-for-profit
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| Sectors |
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Agriculture
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Information and Communication Technologies
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Manufacturing
Other:
Health, Education and Training, Finance, Artisan/Contemporary Crafts & Research
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| Target Population |
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| Advocacy |
This organization actively works to improve innovation and entrepreneurship policy and regulation
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Incubator Statistics
| Space |
|
|
Business Incubator |
Technopark |
| Buildings |
0
|
0
|
| sq.m. available in total |
1200
|
0
|
| sq.m used for incubator services/admin |
800
|
0
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| sq.m. rented by client firms |
400
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0
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Note: We do not offer rental space (virtual incubator)
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| Clients |
| |
Business Incubator |
Technopark |
| |
On-Site |
Off-Site |
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| Number of client firms |
3
|
2
|
0
|
| Number of employees in client firms |
25
|
16
|
0
|
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| Graduation |
| |
Last Year |
Total* |
| Number of graduated firms |
0
|
0
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| Number of employees in graduated firms |
0
|
0
|
| Companies still in operation 3 years after graduation |
0
|
0
|
*since beginning of incubator operation
Note: Does not keep track of the companies graduated
Note: Does do not use a graduation model for our incubator
Note: Is in regular contact with (most of) the graduated firms
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