BITS Pilani does it again. This time with an innovation in the #PhD programmes. The question we asked ourselves is, why should all PhD programmes in the country be to produce university #professors? So we devised a new PhD Programme. A #PhD Programme for the #startup track, named as PhD-DRIVE (Deep-tech Research, Innovation, Value generation & Entrepreneurship). Our senate approved this in its last meeting. What do we propose to do under this PhD, startup track. With Ph.D. #DRIVE , we want Ph.D. scholars to become #entrepreneurs along with becoming an innovator, and not just look for an academic career post their PhDs. How do we plan to do this? We will have two tracks of #admissions into the PhD startup track. (i) One track will be to match students having a flair for entrepreneurship and #technology development and associate them with a faculty member working on a high #TRL (Technology Readiness Level) project having TRL above 3 or 4. (ii) The second track will be to admit students who have an idea for a #deeptech startup and wish to execute their ideas using the resources and mentorship provided by #BITS #Pilani campuses. All students will undergo training on new #venture creation, #economics, #business model writing and #team building in addition to their technology research. Idea is to orient these students from the beginning towards a start-up creation. These students will receive 50% higher #stipend as compared to regular PhD scholarships in the country. They will also receive a generous #contingency grant for prototype building. We expect these students to file enough #patents and protect as much IP as possible. BITS #alumni and #Venturecapitalists will be involved with the students' from the beginning to groom them on the new venture Creation and identification of the problem. What do we wish to accomplish? It will be our endeavor to build 100 Deep-Tech / Deep Science Startups, from innovative Ph.Ds. in the fields of #Semiconductors, Human #Diseases, #Environment and #Climate Change, #Biotechnology, #Water Resources, #AI/ML #Food-technology, #quantum physics, #Space, #5G and #telecommunication, #Industry 4.0 and #Additive #Manufacturing, #Agriculture, #antimicrobialresistance, and #pharmaceuticals. The Programme will be supported by #corporates, #alumni, and #VCs. We already have committed support from our partners Vishesh Rajaram, Managing Partner, Speciale Invest, Suresh Kabra, Batch of 82-87 through Dr. Suman Kapur Memorial Charitable Trust and interest from many among our alumni and VC network. Await a call for admissions under the PhD-DRIVE scheme. The news as covered by @hChhapiaTOI, @timesofindia is attached. @bitspilaniindia @BITSPilaniDubai @bitshyd @BITSAA @bitsgoa #BITS #bitspilani #pilani

To feed more people, we need high-yielding crops, but not at the environment’s expense. These @FoundationFAR - @ocpgroup Disruptive Fertilizer Technology Fellows are researching ways to revolutionize the #fertilizer industry. bit.ly/463pJh8 @wieland @UShashvatt @Johan