Innovation for India Awards is MIF’s biennial program that aims to showcase and celebrate currently hidden, potentially game-changing Indian innovations, offering them a getaway to recognition and a symbol of excellence in innovation.
2016
Business
Concept Medical has developed MagicTouch DCB, a novel drug delivery device using a balloon to deliver ‘Sirolimus’ which prevents lesions in heart arteries. This drug delivery is based on nano-carrier technology called Nanolute technology.
The Jury underlined the revolutionary technology’s potential to become a global gamechanger. It was particularly impressed by the fact that Concept Medical has already been granted 23 patents across the world for their innovation.
Business
Green India Building Systems & Services (GIBSS) provides building systems that help businesses reduce operating costs by up to 60% through a suite of energy efficient products in the areas of air conditioning, hot water generation, and lighting.
The Jury was impressed by the savings and scale of opportunity presented by geothermal technology; the fact that GIBSS has been able to create a proprietary database for geothermal properties across India; and, that its technology can be implemented across all subtropical climate countries.
Business
Xcellence in Bio Innovations & Technologies (xBITS) has developed RightBiotic, an affordable point-of-care (PoC) device for testing antibiotic sensitivity of pathogens found in human urine which lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs). The device gives sensitivity results within four hours versus 24 hours of a standard test.
The Jury was impressed with the cost reduction and time reduction that xBITS offers for PoC diagnostic tests for urine, and the portability and affordability of RightBotic which allows its use across India, including parts where current diagnostic facilities may not be available or be too expensive.
Business
Nearly 250 million children in India are deprived of quality education and functioning facilities such as libraries and laboratories. Agastya International Foundation addresses this problem through its Lab on Bike (LOB) program, wherein a company-trained instructor reaches schools in rural areas on a motorbike equipped with a Lab in a Box (LIB)—a set of 10 theme-based boxes covering a variety of topics in science.
The Jury was impressed with the reach of Agastya’s LoB program, and the transformational impact Agastya’s science projects have on students.
Social
Eram Scientific Solutions are trying to address the grave issue of open defecation through the development of unmanned, fully automated e-Toilets. Eram Scientific’s e-lite 14, especially designed for schools, is a modular pre-fabricated public toilet made of mild steel and integrated with user-friendly electronic interfaces.
The Jury liked the overall concepts of e-toilets with remote functioning and monitoring, and auto cleaning. It was even more impressed by ERAM Scientific’s grasp on the need to lower the costs for its e-toilets. (It subsequently has launched a lower cost version for schools.) Given how Eram Scientific’s innovations fit well with the government of India’s Swachh Bharat objective, the Jury saw the company playing a key role in addressing the issue of unhygienic sanitation in urban areas.
Social
The Better India is an online news platform focusing only on positive news from across the country. It showcases unsung heroes, change-makers, and grass-root innovations catalysing significant on-ground impact.
The Jury was impressed with the overall concept of only providing positive news, which it felt was the need of the hour. It also liked the fact that The Better India highlights the achievements of unsung heroes from across the country, and the positive impact it has on readers.
