Program Journey
| Proposed Timeline | Stages of Product Development | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 – Mid June | TRL 1 & 2 - Basic Research + Technology Concept Formulated - Idea formulation, refinement, and finalization - Idea validation with 10 users/farmers & feedback analysis |
Workshops / Training Programs / Mentoring Sessions / Field Visits / Paper Publications / Attending Competitions / Patent Filing |
| Mid June – Mid July | TRL 3 - Experimental Proof of Concept - Develop the PoC - Sketch the product diagram |
|
| Mid July – August | TRL 4 - Lab-scale demonstration (“low fidelity”) - Finalize idea and develop a prototype - Create conceptual product design/3D model - Test prototype appearance & gather customer feedback - Internal functionality testing in the lab - Assess manufacturing feasibility |
|
| September | TRL 5 - Lab-scale Validation (“high fidelity”) - Develop and test actual prototype with 10+ users/farmers - Identify manufacturing costs - Identify market channels - Calculate initial product pricing |
|
| October – November | TRL 6 - Prototype system tested in intended environment - Assess prototype efficiency & iterate as needed - Redesign model (if necessary) - Conduct prototype testing with 20 end users/farmers - Refine cost model - MVP testing - Analyze materials for manufacturing - Identify and finalize the manufacturing process |
|
| December 2025 | TRL 7 - Full-scale system demonstrated in relevant environment - MVP testing, branding, and marketing - Create product website, trademarking, licensing - Conduct product soft launch & early sales - Refine Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy - Final product ready for mass manufacturing |
|
| January 2026 | TRL 8 - Product ready for commercialization - Mass manufacturing of the product - Develop final market-ready product - Refine pricing and sales strategy - Initiate product sales - Set up distribution, brand building, and online presence |
|
| February 2026 | TRL 9 - Commercialization - Achieve product-market fit - Identify key growth metrics - Map funding requirements |
AgriNext Innovation Challenge
Nurturing Innovators for Future
Key Aspects of the Problem Statement & Project Titles:
Agriculture is the backbone of India's economy, yet over 82% of farmers are small and marginal, facing challenges like limited resources, high input costs, and low productivity. Due to their small landholdings, they cannot afford large agricultural machinery, highlighting the need for affordable, scalable solutions tailored to their needs. To address this, we are developing a range of innovative low-cost agricultural machines and precision Agri-tech devices at Siddaganga incubation foundation in collaboration with Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT). The proposed projects include:
- Design and Development of Mini rotovator with L-shape soil cutter(Secondary tillage)
- Development of Smart/IoT based water controlling cum metering system for aeroponics/Hydroponics (Irrigation management)
- Design and Development of Liquid nano-fertilizer applicator machine (Fertilizer application)
- Design and Development of advanced mini pesticide duster sprayer (Pesticide Application)
- Design and Development of Mini harvester based on force of cutting (Harvesting machine)
Applications are invited exclusively for First and Second-year students.
Conditions:
Teams should consist of Maximum: 4-5 members and can be formed within the same discipline or as a multidisciplinary group (For example, if the lead innovator is from the Chemical department, they can collaborate with interested students from other departments to work on the innovation).
Selection process:
The selection process will include a formal interaction and presentation with the applicants.
Program Benefits:
- Guidance for Prototype Development
- Gain In-depth Knowledge in Research & Development
- Research Paper Publication Support
- Access to Networks
- Funding & Grant Support
- Intellectual Property (IP) Support
- Field trails / Market access
- One-to-One mentoring
- Exposure visits
Expectations from students:
- Professionalism to follow the program timeline
- Commitment
- Active participation in all the activities
- Desire to develop & complete the product
- Entrepreneurial mindset
Last date to apply: 15th April 2025
Contact Information
Contact E-mail: Lab@siddagangatbi.com
Contact number: 9480440953
Register by 15/04/2025