AKRUTI Programme is in operation for 18 years under DAE-Societal initiative for encouraging entrepreneurship among technically oriented educated human resource, in rural and interior areas, by sharing the knowhow of societal spin-off DAE- BARC Technologies. Since the inception of this programme, it is popularly known as AKRUTI Programme. AKRUTI is an acronym for Advanced Knowledge and RUrban Technology Implementation initiative This programme has potential to generate the essential facilities in interior areas which are generally only available in cities and provide livelihoods for youth in their native place without migrating to urban areas.

Brief History

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in the year 2007has launched DAE-Societal Initiative for utilization of Non-Power Applications (NPAs) and Spin-off technologies in the area of water, agriculture, food processing and agri-land improvement through urban and rural waste management. Within this frame work, the structured program called "AKRUTI” has been formulated by BARC, Trombay, Mumbai. Initially, it was implemented through technically oriented NGOs for techno-economic growth of the rural sector, as one of the many schemes experimented for large scale deployment of BARC technologies under major programmes of Department of Atomic Energy and Vision of DAEfor social outreach and awareness.

AKRUTI Programme demonstrates the usefulness of BARC technologies for rural and urban sector leading to societal benefit at an affordable price. Technically oriented human resource in rural and urban sector can deploy technologies for their use under the guidance of BARC Scientist and Engineers. This programme has potential to encourage techno-preneurship based on DAE- BARC Technologies and provides livelihoods for villages in village itself.

AKRUTI Programme implementation will be done through ‘AKRUTI Kendra’ to create structured and scalable network of DAE-BARC based RUrban Technology and to provide easy access to modern technologies to all Rural and Urban Sectors.

AKRUTI Kendra can be setup by the academic institutes/ Govt. Organization/ PSU/ Science Park/ Mega Food parks to encourage entrepreneurship among its students/ visitors/ farmers/ educated, skilled youth and, also, to nearby rural areas to create awareness about the facilities available in the Kendra and help technically oriented youth to have first-hand experience in observing, evaluating and try-out making BARC technology products in the Kendra.

Kendra will be the first point of contact with DAE-BARC for budding entrepreneurs for registering their firm and applying for commercialization of license for BARC technologies.

Scope of AKRUTI Kendra

AKRUTI Kendras are technology Display, Dissemination, Demonstration and Training Centres. BARC will grant a non-commercial, non-exclusive revocable license to run the AKRUTI Kendra and to train the budding entrepreneurs. The AKRUTI Kendra can promote all BARC technologies, provided it deputes faculty and instructors having the domain knowledge and arranges required machinery, consumables, and instruments within its campus. AKRUTI Kendra enroll members (herein after called KRUTIK) from local population and other people interested to gain knowledge. To obtain commercial license, AKRUTI Kendra must be a legal entity as a firm/ company. It will be a training centre for technologies with non-commercial license, and production centre for commercial licensed technologies. KRUTIK members work under its umbrella by manufacturing the products, either using resources of AKRUTI Kendra or in village and sell it on the strength of commercial license obtained by the AKRUTI Kendra.

Eligibility Criteria To Set Up AKRUTI Kendra

AKRUTI Kendra can be established with Education Institute, any company under CSR Funding or any individual or any company with self-finance after evaluation by BARC.

It will function under budget neutral mode as far as DAE-BARC is concerned.

Technical know-how and Technical expertise will be provided by DAE-BARC.

Infrastructure, Finance and Manpower has to be arranged by collaborating agency.

Scope of work on technology related activities will be in both farm and non-farm technologies related to rural and urban sector.

The modalities to incorporate technologies from other R&D Centres of different departments will be worked out, subsequently in consultation with concerned departments so that proper co-ordination and cooperation is established within these department for the same purpose.

All AKRUTI Kendra will create a good network of information and will create strong technology backup for all sections of society .

Steps To Set Up AKRUTI Kendra

BARC grants a non-exclusive revocable license to Education Institute, any company under CSR Funding or any individual or any company on receiving expression of interest to demonstrate and run the facility, to train its faculty members (KRUTIK) in BARC developed technologies. The AKRUTI Kendra may become a legal entity within 3 years by its registration as a firm/ company and must obtain commercial license for the technologies by paying Technology Transfer Fees, to market the manufactured products and to ensure sustainability of AKRUTI Kendra.

Details of all DAE-BARC Technologies are available at DAE-BARC website.

Link for Technologies:

https://technologies.britatom.gov.in  

https://barc.gov.in/technologies

BARC will publish an Expression of Interest (EOI) advertisement in its website and the probable Kendra needs to apply by EOI along with an Institutional Information form (IIF).

EOI and IIF forms

Responsibilities of BARC

AKRUTI Kendra Technology Document (AKTD) :

BARC agrees to supply the technologies for rural and urban deployment, in the form of documents, drawings, literature and advice as detailed in the AKRUTI Kendra Technology Document (AKTD), which will be handed over to the institute/ company, at the time of signing of this Agreement. Additional technologies, without License fee, may be provided for dissemination of knowhow on establishing relevant and necessary facilities for the deployment and satisfactory performance of AKRUTI Kendra by BARC for non-commercial activities.

Technical Guidance & Training :

Training to instructors of AKRUTI Kendra will be arranged by BARC on selected technologies for which institute shall create infrastructure/ provide access to its laboratories to impart training at the Kendra. Accommodation for the instructors deputed by institute for training at BARC, may be provided as per the availability of guest house for a period not exceeding the man-days assigned for training depending on technology. The request for additional training might be arranged on approval of BARC. BARC officers on visit to AKRUTI Kendra for providing training, lectures, exhibitions and in outreach events shall be given TA/DA by BARC as per their entitlement.

Responsibilities of AKRUTI Kendra

1. THE INSTITUTE, is responsible for execution and co-ordination of all AKRUTI activities at their end by creating infrastructure, arranging resources, personnel, equipment, consumables and technical documents, brochures in local language.
2. THE INSTITUTE, should obtain necessary local statutory clearances if required for any activity to be carried out under this Agreement.
3. THE INSTITUTE, should support in spreading the BARC’s concept of AKRUTI Programme through villages, interior areas, industry and government organization on its own.
4. THE INSTITUTE, should enroll members, (herein after called ‘KRUTIK’) in their AKRUTI Kendra from local community, students, retired personnel, ex-servicemen, faculty, entrepreneurs to support its activities, encourage individuals to register as a firm or legal entity and help in explaining, demonstrating and applying for license for suitable spin-off technology. In due course, KRUTIK members can also form a registered association and apply for license from BARC for commercialization of technology.
5. THE INSTITUTE should register its AKRUTI Centre within 3 years as an enterprise and apply for commercial license from BARC for select technologies by paying Fee and signing Agreement for each technology. KRUTIK individual members would be able to manufacture the products under registered AKRUTI license and sell under AKRUTI Logo. The responsibility of the product quality should rest with AKRUTI Kendra under commercial license terms & condition. No Fee should be payable if technology is utilized for display, demonstration, and promotion.
6. The license for establishing an AKRUTI Kendra will not be considered as the transfer of technologies for commercialization but a societal activity for creating awareness.
7. No license fee is to be charged for a license for setting up of AKRUTI.
8. Institutes and organizations will be provided technology documents for selected technologies and their staff will be trained for the dissemination of any of the spin-off technologies available for transfer.
9. Initially, on signing of Agreements, a set of Technology Documents will be handed over for the technologies which do not need special training to deploy.
10. As AKRUTI Kendra at the start, will be an extension of the parent institute/ organization for advanced knowledge dissemination, it will not have commercial license and will not sell the product.
11. No Technology transfer fee is payable by the institute/ organization to BARC as the Kendra is a facility for knowledge dissemination for BARC technologies with no cost to BARC and does not lead to commercial gain by the Institutes.

Operation of AKRUTI Kendra:

Operating as the Institute’s non-commercial facility :

THE INSTITUTE should create facility using own resources, as no financial support, material or equipment, prototypes should be provided by BARC. No license fee will be payable by THE INSTITUTE to BARC for the technologies adopted by the Kendra for Dissemination. Institute may charge nominal fee to AKRUTI members to give access to the facilities as per Institute rules. It may also utilize financial grants to the institute and CSR funds but would not manufacture and sell the products, being an integral part of the institute.

Operating as registered facility with commercial license :

THE INSTITUTE should establish AKRUTI Kendra within 3 years, as a registered enterprise for promoting start-up in rural, urban and interior areas as well as to the students. It would manufacture and sell products on applying and obtaining commercial license from BARC for the desired technologies. The individuals as members of the Kendra, may manufacture the product using the license, marking and logo of the registered AKRUTI Kendra under supervision and responsibility of the registered Kendra and get compensation/ honorarium from Kendra. There is no restriction on the technologies which may be licensed to registered AKRUTI Kendra, subject to evaluation by developer division on the competency of the Kendra. Further-

1. Kendra may help a prospective licensee in explaining, demonstrating the technologies, registering the applicant’s firm/ company (if not registered) and submit application form on behalf of his/ her company. On successful transfer of technology to such applicants, BARC shall pay 30% of TT Fee to registered AKRUTI Kendra for this service.
2. Kendra may arrange training in its facility for new licensees through its trained instructors. BARC shall pay 40% of TT Fee for this service. In summary, if applicant is supported fully from the application stage to training, AKRUTI Kendra will be entitled to receive 70 % of TT Fee.
3. AKRUTI- Kendra will organize and participate in the events, seminars, talks, workshops, and represent DAE-BARC in exhibitions in its vicinity by executing work orders placed by BARC/DAE at no profit no loss basis.
4. AKRUTI- Kendra being a registered facility with commercial license from BARC, may facilitate training in their labs or workshop on BARC Technologies on payment of usage charge and manufacture and sell products, on commercial terms as a licensee.
5. Laboratory or workshop utilisation charge can be taken by AKRUTI Kendra from other licensees, start-ups, consultants, hobbyist, trainee students and faculty.
6. AKRUTI - Kendra shall apply to IT department for 80G Certificate and CSR funding eligibility.
7. Each AKRUTI- Kendra shall give undertaking to give access, support, guide, motivate all BARC licensees bringing own raw material, on payment of some facilitation fee not exceeding Rs.500/_ per day in their Kendra if facility exists. Products made by trainee licensees may be sold by AKRUTI- Kendra if raw material is provided by the Kendra.

KRUTIK Members

Individuals or association of individuals can enroll with nearest AKRUTI Kendra as KRUTIK member. The KRUTIK member can manufacture and sell products only under supervision, trade-mark and logo of a registered AKRUTI Kendra having BARC commercial license for desired technology.

Parent organization running an unregistered AKRUTI Kendra may enroll interested members from community including farmers/ industry or farmers associations/ entrepreneurs/ hobbyist/ technicians for providing either free or paid access to the facilities under its control.

The enrolled members would get identity as KRUTIK member of specific AKRUTI. Institutes running the Kendra can pay honorarium to KRUTIK member trainers, demonstrators, and lecturers as per the parent organization’s rules. All the employees of unregistered Kendra shall be reporting to parent institutes and all expenditures/revenue receipts and auditing would be the responsibility of parent Organization.

A company-initiated AKRUTI Kendra first need to become a registered legal entity to function both as (a) training facility (b) production facility and, therefore, would also be required to take commercial license as well, for the set of technologies it intends to disseminate, even if it does not intend to manufacture and sell products.

AKRUTI Technologies

BARC is a premier Multidisciplinary R&D Centre under the Department of Atomic Energy. Government of India, engaged in research with the objective of generating knowledge and techniques for nuclear power production, advancement of nuclear science, use of radioisotopes in industry, health and agriculture, research in frontier areas of science and technology.

R&D in Nuclear Energy at BARC has not only generated a comprehensive Indian Nuclear Power Program but also has led to huge knowledge wealth in terms of large number of Non-Power Applications (NPAs) and spin-off technologies (Spin-offs) for societal and industrial benefits. Under the framework of DAE Societal initiative, based on the development of NPAs and Spin-offs in medical, food preservation, waste management, other industrial and rural applications at BARC, a structured programmme has been evolved for Advanced Knowledge and RUrban Technology Implementation (AKRUTI). Under AKRUTI programme, entrepreneurs have deployed NPAs and Spin-offs and developed technopreneurship in rural and urban areas. It is now increasing and widening the opportunities for entrepreneurship. This addition will provide participation of more people, thereby contributing to GDP through bottom up development model.

Link for Technologies:

https://technologies.britatom.gov.in  

https://barc.gov.in/technologies

Consultancy

For increasing the rural awareness and benefits of radiation processing, AKRUTI Kendra on separate request can avail consultancy service for irradiation of agro produce once on trial basis for sample quantity without charges.

For increasing the spread of new varieties developed by BARC, sample seeds shall be made available to AKRUTI Kendra on separate request as per the suitability in his region.

Over the years nuclear techniques evolved as an indispensable discipline providing powerful tools for water resources management. The climatic and hydrologic diversity in India provides unlimited opportunities for application of isotope techniques; be it in arid Rajasthan, Himalayan mountainous region, coastal Orissa and West Bengal, alluvial deposits in the Ganga plane, urban centres or hard rock of peninsular India. For increasing awareness on use of scientific methods like Isotope Techniques in Hydrological Investigations, preliminary exposure to AKRUTI Kendra shall be made available on separate request as per suitability in his region.

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