Cooperation between the CSIR and NIF has been boosted by the signing of an agreement for exploiting ways of blending scientific capabilities of CSIR labs with that of people’s knowledge. This MoU, signed by the two organizations engaged into formal and non-formal kind of activities is unique in the sense that formal scientist would help in empowering the grassroots innovators in their endeavor to solve the problems in their own way.

The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Dr R A Mashelkar of CSIR and Prof. Anil K. Gupta, Executive Vice Chairperson of NIF at the office of CSIR in New Delhi on 29 June, 2004.

This agreement entails partnership between the formal R&D and the informal R&D sectors of India, thus opening a new chapter in the field of applying science and technology for social and rural development. The agreement has identified two key initiatives to operationalise this collaboration :

Four taskforces or Research Groups will be set up to augment grassroots innovations in the field of energy, mechanical, herbal and food processing related technologies. These groups will develop time bound plans for adding value to these innovations with shared IPRs wherever feasible and desirable.

CSIR will initiate a scheme for Innovation Fellows jointly funded by NIF and CSIR to work closely with NIF in various areas of technological augmentation of innovations and traditional knowledge at grassroots. 

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