National Research Development Corporation

What National Research Development Corporation does

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) is a Government of India Public Sector Undertaking, established in 1953 and operating under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology. Incorporated as a Section 8 company, NRDC functions as the designated national technology transfer organization, bridging public R&D institutions, universities, and industry to commercialize indigenous technologies through licensing, intellectual property protection, incubation, and grant programs. Its mandate is statutory and embedded across India's R&D-to-industry pipeline through partnerships with DPIIT (Startup India), CSIR, IOCL, defense PSUs, and ASEAN member states.

The organization's core service portfolio comprises technology licensing (5,000+ agreements signed since inception), IP consultancy (2,000+ patents facilitated), grant-in-aid programs including PIII, PDTC, and TDVC (offering up to Rs. 1 crore grant plus Rs. 1 crore equity per project), and dedicated incubation infrastructure (NRDC Incubation Centre, mach33.aero aerospace incubator, InTEC materials incubator). Value-added services include NETRA for technology readiness assessment, the Design Clinic Facility for prototyping, and the System Engineering Facility for Proof-of-Concept validation. NRDC operates from its Delhi headquarters and five outreach centers across India, publishes the Invention Intelligence and Awishkar magazines, and distributes its programs through events, IP clinics, hackathons, and digital channels.

Revenue is generated through licensing fees and royalties on commercialized technologies, IP consultancy fees from PSUs and MSMEs, grant-based promotional programs funded by DSIR (Rs. 12 Crore allocated for 2024-25), seed funding against equity in incubated startups, and consultancy contracts for organizations including DPIIT, IOCL, Ministry of Defense (Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti), ASEAN-India Innovation Platform, APEDA, and Ministry of Heavy Industries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; licensing terms and consultancy rates are negotiated case-by-case. The customer base spans four primary segments — startups and MSMEs, R&D institutions and universities, large industrial enterprises, and individual inventors — with secondary service to PSUs. Headcount is approximately 50 employees.

Name

National Research Development Corporation

Legal name

National Research Development Corporation

Website

https://nrdcindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) is a Government of India PSU under DSIR, established in 1953 to commercialize indigenous R&D through technology licensing, IP consultancy, grants, and incubation services for startups, MSMEs, PSUs, and R&D institutions across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Services

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Deep Tech / R&D Commercialization CVC (FSANAHAL), Defense Acquisition, Procurement & Contracting (BPAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Technology transfer services
• Intellectual property consultancy
• Patent filing services
• Technology licensing
• Innovation incubation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: NRDC acquires technologies from R&D sources, adds value through assessment and validation, and offers them to industries for commercial exploitation through license agreements. Revenue is generated through licensing fees and royalties from commercialized technologies.
2. IP Consultancy Services: Expertise and infrastructure for protection of intellectual properties including patent filing, trademark registration, and IP management for various stakeholders including PSUs and MSMEs.
3. Consultancy Projects: Projects for DPIIT (startup evaluation), IndianOil (startup scheme implementation), Ministry of Defense (Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti), ASEAN-India Innovation Platform, APEDA, and Ministry of Heavy Industries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) is India's primary government technology transfer organization. It acquires technologies from national R&D institutions and universities, validates and adds value to them, and licenses them to industries and entrepreneurs for commercial exploitation. The corporation also provides intellectual property consultancy (patent filing, trademark and copyright registration), operates grant-in-aid promotional programmes for inventors and startups, runs technology readiness assessment (NETRA), design and system engineering facilities, and incubates startups.

Product overview

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) is a Government of India Public Sector Enterprise under DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, established in 1953 as a technology transfer organization. Rather than a single software product, NRDC operates a comprehensive portfolio of technology commercialization services organized around: (1) Core Commercial Services including Technology Transfer, IP Consultancy, and Patent Application support; (2) Promotional Programs including the Programme for Inspiring Inventors and Innovators (PIII) with TDVC and Patent Assistance sub-programs, and Programme for Development of Technologies for Commercialization (PDTC) with BEDP and Seed Funding; (3) Value-Added Services including NETRA readiness assessment, Design Clinic Facility, and System Engineering Facility; (4) Publications including Invention Intelligence (English, bi-monthly) and Awishkar (Hindi, monthly); (5) Incubation Infrastructure including NRDC Incubation Centre, mach33.aero aerospace incubator, and InTEC Bhubaneswar; (6) Outreach Centers including IPFC Visakhapatnam, TISC, and regional centers in Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, and Pune; and (7) Platforms including ASEAN-India Innovation Platform (AIIP). NRDC maintains a technology basket spanning Food & Millet, Life Sciences, Chemical, Electrical & Electronics, Sericulture, Coir, Engineering Sciences, Agro & Food Processing, Glass & Ceramics, Herbal/Personal Care, and Civil Engineering sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PIII (Programme for Inspiring Inventors and Innovators): Government promotional programme under DSIR Grants-in-Aid to recognize and encourage inventive talent in the Country
• PDTC (Programme for Development of Technologies for Commercialization)
• TDVC (Technology Development Validation and Commercialization)
• NETRA (National Establishment for Technology Readiness Assessment)
• Design Clinic Facility
• Invention Intelligence
• Awishkar
• ASEAN-India Innovation Platform (AIIP)

Products and services

• Technology Transfer
• IP Consultancy
• Patent Application
• Programme for Inspiring Inventors and Innovators (PIII)
• Technology Development Validation and Commercialization (TDVC)
• Patent Assistance
• NRDC Incubation Centre
• Programme for Development of Technologies for Commercialization (PDTC)
• Basic Engineering Design Package (BEDP)
• Seed Funding
• NETRA (National Establishment for Technology Readiness Assessment)
• Design Clinic Facility
• System Engineering Facility (SEF)
• mach33.aero Aerospace Incubation Facility
• Innovative Technology Enabling Center (InTEC)
• NRDC Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC)
• WIPO - Technology Innovation Support Centre (TISC)
• NRDC @ Guwahati (North East Centre)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 5000 license agreements signed with entrepreneurs since inception
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC associated with IOCL for implementing their Start-up Scheme from identification of startups, hand-holding to product launch. Also jointly hosting hackathon for Development of Affordable, Efficient & Scalable Indoor Cooking Device powered by Solar Energy.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC assists DPIIT's Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB) for technically evaluating startup applications for availing benefits of tax exemption under Section 80IAC. Over 7500 applications assessed till date.
• WIPO GreenflagshipTechnology or IntegrationNRDC joined WIPO Green as Technology Partner for Promoting Indian Technologies Globally for Sustainable Development. NRDC Unveiled Visionary Model for Greener and Sustainable Future at WIPO Green Symposium @ Geneva.
• Department of Science and Technology (DST)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDST has entrusted NRDC to manage and coordinate the ASEAN-India Innovation Platform (Research Innovation component) under ASEAN-India Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Program.
• ASEAN Member StatesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC creating databank of technologies from India and ASEAN countries, conducting selection and validation of technologies through expert committees, organizing capacity building training on Technology and IP management.
• Ministry of Heavy IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC signed MOU with Ministry of Heavy Industries for IPR management of Capital Goods Scheme for Enhancement of Competitiveness.
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC entered into MoU with APEDA for mentoring and monitoring export oriented agri-based startups.
• Ministry of Defense (Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC set up IP facilitation cell at DGQA for protecting and managing IPs created in Indian defense sector.
• CSIRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIR technologies showcased for commercialization. CSIR-NAL collaboration for mach33.aero aerospace incubation facility. Resource persons from CSIR deliver lectures during IPR training programs.
• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoA signed for IPR consultancy in Patent filing for BDL technologies and organizing capacity building training programmes for IPR awareness. 20 software copyright applications registered, patent applications at various prosecution stages.
• Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDC providing IP filing consultancy for MIDHANI technologies. Out of 8 patents filed, 6 granted. Organized capacity building training for 240 officials from R&D and Production departments.
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoA for technology collaboration and IP management.
• NIFTEMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoA for technology collaboration in food processing sector.
• Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoA for IPR service facilitation.
• TRIFEDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoA for tribal technology commercialization support.
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPR services provided to the steel PSU.
• Hindustan Shipyard LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPR consultancy services provided to the shipbuilding PSU.
• Ordnance Factories BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPR consultancy services provided to defense manufacturing organization.
• Andhra Pradesh Electronics and IT Agency (APEITA) & Atal Incubation CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU for promoting IP management, innovation management and technology transfer commercialization, training & capacity building.
• Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurs (FISE), BengalurucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for mach33.aero - specialized aerospace startup incubation facility at CSIR-NAL Campus, Bengaluru. Supported by Tata Trust.
• Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprise (Mo MSME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Mo MSME to establish Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) for promoting awareness and adoption of IPR amongst MSMEs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• T-Hub (Technology Hub): Indian state-backed startup incubator with technology transfer and IP support elements; comparable as a regional technology commercialization hub but focused on digital and software-led startups rather than NRDC's sector-spanning R&D outputs.
• IKP Knowledge Park: Indian life-sciences and deep-tech technology incubator that licenses IP and incubates startups — comparable to NRDC's incubation and IP facilitation activities, particularly for biotech and deep-tech sectors, with a more private-sector operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Society: German government-funded applied research organization that commercializes R&D through licensing and contract research; comparable to NRDC as a publicly funded R&D-to-industry bridge, but far larger and operating across multiple applied-research institutes.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) / NITI Aayog: Government of India flagship initiative that creates Atal Incubators across the country; comparable to NRDC in operating a pan-India innovation and incubation infrastructure, though broader in scope and policy-oriented rather than transactional.
• CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research): Largest publicly-funded R&D organization in India and NRDC's principal upstream supplier of licensable technologies; comparable as a government R&D commercialization ecosystem participant but operating in a different layer (R&D generation vs. technology transfer).

Regional players

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australian national science agency that commercializes publicly funded R&D through licensing and spinouts; functionally analogous to NRDC's role, though operating from Australia and at significantly greater scale.
• Max Planck Innovation: German technology transfer office for Max Planck Society that licenses academic IP to industry; comparable in function to NRDC's technology licensing and IP commercialization activities, though operating in Germany and serving a single research network.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish government-owned applied research organization that licenses technologies and IP to industry; comparable to NRDC's government-backed R&D commercialization role, though based in Finland and significantly larger in scale and applied research output.

Direct peers

• BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council): Government of India enterprise under DBT that funds and incubates biotech startups and facilitates biotech R&D commercialization — directly comparable to NRDC as a government-mandated Indian R&D-to-industry commercialization intermediary, but focused on the biotechnology sector.
• Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF): U.S. non-profit technology transfer organization that licenses university research to industry — direct functional analogue to NRDC's technology transfer and IP licensing model, though U.S.-based and university-affiliated rather than government.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nrdc-india
• Xx.com/nrdcindia1953
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalresearchdevelopmentcorporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about National Research Development Corporation