Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission

The Maharashtra Gene Bank project has been taken up with a view to create a live gene bank with both in situ and ex situ components. The project has networked diverse agencies in the country and within the state, and has made special efforts to reach out to people at the grassroot level. The significant achievements in this project include reaching out and organizing people from remote areas and unorganized sectors to undertake constructive work in biodiversity conservation and livelihood, people’s initiative, involvement, motivation and establishment of on ground implementation of biodiversity programme.

There is need to develop high quality yet affordable devices for local manufactures and use. After extensive consultations with engineering and medical professionals RGSTC approved a project to set up Bio-Medical Engineering and Technology Incubation Centre in Maharashtra at IITB, Mumbai. The Commission has also set up two sub centers at College of Engineering, Pune and Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Nagpur. The project has led to the identification of 400 unmet clinical needs and development of proof of concept for 100 devices. This project has also resulted in filing of 53 patents, 16 licensed products, 8 start ups and provided some products to hospitals for clinical studies and taken forward for production and supply.