Agri-Business Incubation Unit at ICAR-IIAB

ICAR-IIAB, Ranchi is a premier institute located at Garkhatanga, Ranchi for sustainable agriculture through innovative techniques to overall increase the agricultural productivity. It aims to serve the nation in the mandated area of conducting basic, strategic, applied and adaptive research; development and training in agriculture via innovative ways.

Under the auspices of the XIIth Plan Scheme of the National Agricultural Innovation Fund (NAIF – Component II), ICAR launched the Agri-Business incubation (ABI) Centre. The goal of this program is to provide the necessary physical, technical, business, and networking support to facilitate emerging agri-businesses and entrepreneurship as well as to incubate novel, commercial, and potentially game-changing innovations. The program also offers services to help incubate and improve their business ideas and validate their products before launching a full-fledged business.

The mission of ABI at ICAR-IIAB is to Improve the well-being of the agritech stakeholders with improved and innovative agriculture-based products and services through technology commercialization and entrepreneurship development in order to realize the larger goal of fostering Agri partnership and innovation in the field of agriculture by creating entrepreneurial ecosystems for current and future entrepreneurs. The main objective of the ABI is to create more opportunities for self-employment and make entrepreneurial communities more competitive and prosperous for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The other major activities of ABI are recognizing agriculture-based innovative business ideas, promising technologies, and potential business ventures; entrepreneurship development programs, and providing following business incubation support to entrepreneurs.

Technological and Business Mentoring: ABI at ICAR-IIAB provides mentorship to entrepreneurs during the incubation period at the institute. Mentors help in ideation (generation, validation, and improvement), product/prototype development and refinement, pilot scale testing (for processed products), and validation based on feedback from beta customers. Technical guidance is provided throughout the incubation process. In addition, ABI also helps in registration/certification.

Capacity Building and Skill Development: ICAR-IIAB has well-developed laboratories and farm infrastructure for conducting hands-on training on agriculture-based technologies. Incubates can undergo skill training in potential technologies.

Funding Facilitation: ABI assists the incubates in the development and/or improvement of business plans, pitch preparation, and project presentation to attract grants, seed funders, angel investors, or venture capitalists. Linkages will be developed among entrepreneurs and government funding agencies. Brand building: ABI extends its support to incubate logo design, product promotion, and market networking to a certain extent.

Intellectual Property Management: ABI helps incubates in the protection of intellectual property issues if any arise during the period of incubation at ICAR-IIAB. Mentors will help in filing the patent/trademark of the process/product/brand developed during incubation.

INCUBATION PROCESS

  1. Admission of Incubates
  2. Technological Mentoring Facilities & Services
  3. Product Prototype Development
  4. Test Marketing of products via beta customers
  5. Product Refinement
  6. IP protection & Management
  7. Initiation by incubates for starting their business

INCUBATION STAGES
Stage 1:
Invitation of technology from mentors

Stage 2:

  1. Invitation of interest of entrepreneurs / Display on website
  2. Application submission
  3. Interview / video conferencing along with ABI committee and mentors
  4. Credentials of Incubates

Stage 3 : Brief details of technology from mentors based on application/ video conferencing
Stage 4 : Recommendation of the committee
Stage 5 : Approval from competent authority

Stage 6 :

  1. Letter of admission to the selected candidates
  2. Acceptance of agreement by the incubatee for ICAR-IIAB -ABI
  3. Admission fee payment (If any)

Stage 7: Technology package from mentors
Stage 8: Finalization of License, royalty formalities and work share
Stage 9: Incubation phase
Stage 10: Work progress (monthly/ quarterly/yearly)
Stage 11: Completion of legal formalities before technology handover
Stage 12: Exit of incubatee
Stage 13: Start of business by incubatee
Stage 14: Yearly audit by IIAB (for sale and royalty if any)

WHO CAN APPLY?

  1. People with innovative and novel ideas in agriculture production and utilization to be translated into entrepreneurship.
  2. People willing to start entrepreneurship on available agricultural technologies.
  3. Entrepreneurs/enterprises who are already running their startups or businesses and want to further refine, modify, advance and value addition in their products
  4. Enterprises want to add new ventures in agriculture production and utilization
  5. People/firms which want ICAR- IIAB- ABI services/facilities (consultancy, mentorship, technical and IP management etc.), support and/or hand holding.

HOW TO APPLY?
To apply please fill the following google form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG5W77mB8I9SzUJrMBYJO-8zVdB8ocoyK2tzHhfDpb_f-8dQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

INCUBATION ACTIVITIES

ICAR- IIAB- ABI Committee Members

Infrastructure at ABI

For further information contact:
Dr. Sujay Kademani
Scientist
ICAR-IIAB, Ranchi