CAWACH Header

CAWACH - An Overview

The Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) is an initiative by National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

Given the impact of COVID-19 globally and in India, the need of the hour is to support R&D efforts in this direction and end any further damage to the economy. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is supporting innovations offering comprehensive solutions for through the startup-ecosystem.

DST has nominated Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT B to implement Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) to source and support startups having solutions to fight pandemic COVID-19 by way of funding. SINE will be supported by Indian STEPs and Business Incubator Association (ISBA) in implementation of the program.

CAWACH  supports  innovations in the areas of diagnostics, devices, informatics including bio-informatics &  information management systems, any intervention for the control of COVID-19 and/or startup ideas to address/mitigate various challenges faced by country / society due to severe impact of COVID-19.

NSTEDB NSTEDB, DST, Govt. of India

The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), established by Government of India in 1982 is an institutional mechanism, with a broad objective of promoting gainful self-employment amongst the Science and Technology (S&T) manpower in the country and to setup knowledge based and innovation driven enterprises.

DST NSTEDB functions under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology (DST). It has representation from socio-economic and scientific Departments / Ministries, premier entrepreneurship development institutions and all India Financial Institutions.

Objectives:

  • To promote and develop high-end entrepreneurship for S&T manpower as well as self-employment by utilising S&T infrastructure and by using S&T methods.
  • To facilitate and conduct various informational services relating to promotion of entrepreneurship.
  • To network agencies of the support system, academic institutions and Research & Development (R&D) organisations to foster entrepreneurship and self-employing using S&T with special focus on backward areas as well.
  • To act as a policy advisory body regarding entrepreneurship.

SINE IITB SINE, IIT Bombay

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), is an umbrella organisation at IIT Bombay for fostering entrepreneurship and nurturing tech start-ups. It administers a business incubator which provides 'Start to scale' support for technology-based entrepreneurship and facilitates the conversion of research activity into entrepreneurial ventures with a focus towards economic growth, strategic value and social relevance. SINE has a robust incubation program wherein holistic support to start-ups from pre-incubation to commercialisation for a period of 3 years is provided. SINE is a broad-spectrum Technology Business Incubator (TBI) supporting sectors such as of ICT software, Healthcare, Clean tech, Energy tech, Hardware, Media, IOT, Edutech, Mechatronics, Fintech and other emerging sectors.

Established in 2004, SINE has completed 15 successful years and has gained recognition as one of the pioneers of the startup ecosystem in India. SINE has been established as:
– Centre for Excellence (CoE) by DST, GOI
– Bio-Incubator (BIONEST) & BIG partner by BIRAC and DBT, GOI
– Mentor for upcoming incubators- TIDE program by MeitY- GOI

More details: https://sineiitb.org/sine/home


ISBA Indian STEPs & Business Incubators Association – An Overview

ISBA was started a decade ago (2004), by a small motley crowd of Science & Technology Entrepreneur Parks and Technology Business Incubators that were established under the umbrella of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Today it has grown to a membership base of 100+ incubators that are into entrepreneurship development and incubation.

ISBA is registered as a not-for-profit Society under the Societies Registration Act 1860. Its main objective is "To promote business incubation activities in the country through exchange of information, sharing of experience, and other networking assistance among Indian Business Incubators (TBIs), Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks (STEPs) and other related organizations engaged in the promotion of start-up enterprises."

More details: www.isba.in

SINE IITB SINE, IIT Bombay

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), is an umbrella organisation at IIT Bombay for fostering entrepreneurship and nurturing tech start-ups. It administers a business incubator which provides 'Start to scale' support for technology-based entrepreneurship and facilitates the conversion of research activity into entrepreneurial ventures with a focus towards economic growth, strategic value and social relevance. SINE has a robust incubation program wherein holistic support to start-ups from pre-incubation to commercialisation for a period of 3 years is provided.

More details: https://sineiitb.org/sine/home

FITT IIT Delhi FIIT, IIT Delhi

The Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT) is the foremost Industry Interface organization set up by and at IIT Delhi in 1992 as a registered society. FITT has immensely contributed to the promotion of industry engagement programs, technology commercialization and start-up ecosystem from academia. One of the pioneering academia-based technology transfer offices and technology business incubator systems in the country, FITT has a strong footprint in the innovation ecosystem in India having enabled >900 patent filings, >110 Tech transfers, >2000 consultancy projects etc.

More details: https://fitt-iitd.in/

SIIC, IIT Kanpur IIT Kanpur

The incubation Centre at IIT Kanpur, SIIC was set up in collaboration with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to foster innovation, research and entrepreneurial activities in technology related areas. Established in 2000 with the vision of transforming knowledge into wealth.

More details: https://siicincubator.com/

HTIC, IIT Madras HTIC IIT Madras

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC), a multi-disciplinary R&D centre, is a joint initiative of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

More details: https://htic.iitm.ac.in/ or https://htic.iitm.ac.in/mti/

Venture Centre, NCL, Pune Venture Center

Entrepreneurship Development Center (Venture Center) hosted by CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune is India's largest inventive enterprises and science business incubator.

More details: http://venturecenter.co.in/

IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad IKP

IKP Knowledge Park is a not-for-profit, 200-acre Research Park and Incubator headquartered in Hyderabad. More details: https://www.ikpknowledgepark.com/

KIIT-TBI, Bhubaneswar

KIIT KIIT Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), recipient of National Award for TBI in 2017 is a non-profit Section (8) incubator established in 2009.

More details: https://www.kiitincubator.in/

PSG-Science & Technology Entrepreneurial Park (PSG-STEP)

PSG STEP Over 2 decades of empowering and enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region, PSG-Science & Technology Entrepreneurial Park [PSG-STEP] – the incubation centre of PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, has been established in the year 1998, with the support from National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board [NSTEDB], Department of Science & Technology [DST], Government of India.

PSG-STEP is one among vibrant incubators with inclusive incubation facilities and hosts NIDHI-CoE in Advanced Technologies, Nanotechnology – Research, Innovation and Incubation Centre, BioNEST – the bioincubator with the support of BIRAC, TIDE 2.0 – the initiative supported by MeITY.

More details: http://www.psgstep.org/

VIT-TBI, Vellore VIT

Vellore Institute of Technology-Technology Business Incubator (VITTBI) was established in 2004 at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore with the support of DST. VITTBI has a mature incubation program and has been catering the needs of hundreds of innovators and startups in its region.

More details: https://bit.ly/2UWdLlW

Supported Products & Solutions

  1. High thrust products and solutions
    • High impact products based on frugal innovations that address COVID-19 challenges
    • Ventilators and PPE
      • Portable ventilators, Respirator, Resuscitator, Pulse oximeters, Oxygen concentrators and other peripheral medical equipment such as Contactless thermometers & Stethoscopes, Patient monitoring system, accessories
      • Personal Protective Equipment (Masks, Shields, Suits, Goggles, Linen and disposable gowns, gloves, lab shoes), relevant medical accessories
    • Sterilizers and Disinfectants: Sanitizers, Disinfectants and allied systems such as Booths / Community disinfectant stations / chambers, Bio-hazardous waste management solutions, Large scale sanitization and sterilization, Surface sterilization units (preferably automated & IoT enabled)
    • Diagnostic: Rapid Antibody & Antigen diagnostic kits, Other diagnostic kits, Genomics based mapping solutions, Reagents, Safe sample collections
    • Informatics: Health care information systems, Movement tracking & tracing, Crowd management, Geofencing, Logistics, any containment solutions involving software / mobile applications, Patient tracking / monitoring systems
  2. Any solution that addresses / mitigates various challenges faced by country / society due to severe impact of COVID-19
  3. Product / solution near-ready, ready for deployment or manufacturing scaleup or repurposing of existing products and services that can be quickly deployed

Who can Apply?

Eligibility Criteria

  1. Less than 7 years in existence
  2. The startup should have DIPP recognition with Startup India, In case the startup does not have DIPP recognition while applying in the CAWACH program, the startup should ensure DIPP recognition before availing of funding under the CAWACH program
  3. Founders of applicant company should have at least 51% Indian shareholding
  4. Should have qualified team in place
  5. Preferably at revenue stage or has raised fund earlier
  6. Preferably to have already deployed or ready to deploy product within a few of weeks
  7. Startups which are not incubated at any Incubation centres will have to associate with one of the Satellite or Affiliate centre for the entire project duration. The startup is required to give an undertaking on the same while submitting the application form.
  8. List of documents to be submitted by the startup while filing the application form
    • Company Registration certificates
    • GST registration certificate
    • KYC of promoters – Aadhar card and PAN Card
    • Shareholding pattern
  9. The below documents to be submitted by the startups after selection under CAWACH program
    • Constitution documents – Memorandum of Association and Article of Association.
    • Annual report for previous 3 years
    • Bank statements for 6 months
    • Proof of business address
    • Reference from an established incubator or institution

Funding Mechanisms

Quantum of Funding:

Mode of Funding:

Selection & Funding Process:

Application CLOSED