IIT-Bombay streamlines technology licensing

To ensure that its technologies end up benefiting the society and are commercialised on a larger scale, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), has streamlined its technology licensing process.

A website has been created to enable interested parties and potential licensors to review its research and development efforts available for licensing, and express their interest online. They can view the details of the patents and published patent applications, which have not been licensed so far.

“The idea is to make the process more systematic and user-friendly, so that the industry finds it simpler to get information on the technologies developed by the institute at one place,” said an IIT-B official.

What’s more, for the first time, IIT-B is also advertising all its intellectual property (IP) which can be licensed. The aim is to publicise, track, and license technologies similar to what is done by universities abroad, said the official.

Around 55 Indian patents and 30 international ones have been granted to IIT-Bombay. Currently, there are over 138 Indian patent applications filed by the institute. Over 100 technologies have been licensed to IIT-B in the last six years.

“More efforts need to be made if we want to reach critical mass. We have several technologies which are of great use to the society, but there may not be awareness regarding them,” said an IIT-B faculty. Further details can be accessed at www.iitb.ac.in/licensing.