Proposal for Technology based

Entrepreneurship Development
Program [TEDP]

SUBMITTED BY

DR. B.L. LAKSHMI MEERA

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

COIMBATORE INNOVATION AND BUSINESS INCUBATOR

[A DST CATALYSED TBI, HOSTED BY KCT, COIMBATORE]

FORGE.FACTORY, G FLOOR, KCT TECH PARK,

#3 ATHIPALAYAM ROAD, CHINNAVEDAMPATTI, COIMBATORE 641049 TAMIL NADU

#1 NAME AND ADDRESS OF TRAINING INSTITUTION

Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator (CIBI)

FORGE.FACTORY, G Floor, KCT Tech Park,

#3 Athipalayam Road, Chinnavedampatti, Coimbatore 641049 TAMIL NADU

www.forgeforward.in/ info@forgeforward.in / +919443354312

#2 NAME OF THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Dr. B.L.Lakshmi Meera

Program Director,

Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator [FORGE]

e: meera@forgeforward.in

m: +91-9003977441

#3 NAME OF THE TECHNOLOGY AREA/ PRODUCT / PROCESS FOR TEDP

In FORGE, we are excited about the power at the convergence of hardware & software/digital
technologies to solve real-world problems at scale, overcoming the several challenges that are inherent to
our citizens, factories, industry, society, cities, and governance. Over the past 2.5 years we have built
capacity at multiple levels covering:

• physical infrastructure spanning 20,500 sq.ft offering world-class co-working facilities for startups and
innovators;

• lab facilities spanning 6,000 sq.ft offering support for full-spectrum hardware innovation, engineering,
design, and fabrication;

• activation services to create a pipeline of innovative ideas covering innovation/idea challenges,

prototyping & design clinics, skills & competencies development programs for students, educators,
professionals etc. at state and regional level backed by state government and private sector funds;

• incubation programs including mentoring & advisory services covering technology training, domain
expertise, design & innovation, business & entrepreneurship;

• ecosystem services bringing together investors, funds, corporates, industry associations, institutions,
partner incubators etc. to collectively organise and fund programs aimed at expanding the value addition
offered to innovators & sectors and at accelerating their success and growth;

We are now prepared to catalyse the growth of hardware/product enterprises that leverage the power of
digital/IoT/computing technologies to solve real-world problems aimed at delivering social impact and
creating economic gains.

#4 SOURCE & INSTITUTION FOR IMPARTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR TEDP

In FORGE we have comprehensive capacity and resources to offer in-depth technical training, guidance,
and mentoring in areas of Hardware/Software/Digital technologies covering diverse set of domains
including Electronics, IoT, Computing (AI/ML, BigData, Apps, Mobile, Cloud), Digital Fabrication, AR/VR,
UAVs (Drones), Automation & Robotics.

We intend to partner with a diverse set of corporates/enterprises, technology providers, R&D institutions
etc. who shall bring deep technical expertise and domain expertise in the target sectors which have huge
potential for creating innovation led enterprises.

Target sectors include:

#1 Smart factories [Intelligent Machines] [Textiles, Automotive, Industrials, Engineering Goods]

#2 Smart cities

#3 Precision Agriculture

#4 Healthcare [Diagnostic Devices, Delivery

#5 Social Impact [Wellness & Assistive Devices]

#6 Railways

Technical experts shall be deputed by these partners to engage with participants both as trainers and as
mentors during the TEDP program and also in the subsequent incubation program offered by FORGE.

#5 TERMS AND CONDITIONS & FEE FOR IMPARTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR
TEDP

Technical Experts from partner organisations (Industry, labs, institutions etc.) shall be deputed for a nominal
professional fee of Rs. 10,000 per day for offering training and mentoring services to the TEDP program. In
special cases involving IPs developed by partner organisations, there will be a Non-Disclosure Agreement
signed between FORGE and the partner organisation. In such scenarios the participants of the TEDP
program shall also sign a simple Confidentiality Agreement in which they shall accept the terms laid out by
the partner organisation pertinent to protection and privacy of their IPs.

Beyond the training context, when it comes to Technology Licensing, FORGE shall receive a non-
commercial license of the IP from the technology partner to facilitate the setting up of necessary lab/
equipment infra so as to be able to effectively provide training for potential innovators and in their
prototyping activities. Post graduation of the TEDP program the participants shall enter into a commercial
license of the IP directly with the technology partner, and FORGE shall facilitate a smooth process of
contract negotiation, legal documentation, and processes.

#6 SOURCE /INSTITUTION FOR IMPARTING ENTREPRENEURIAL INPUTS FOR TEDP

We firmly believe that in order to truly enhance the odds of success of startups, it is imperative to enhance
the skills of founders encompassing prototyping, design and innovation, financial planning, business
strategy, customer acquisition & sales, fund raising, and managing the many facets of commercial
operations. 

‘Focus on Founders’ is the mantra in FORGE and our primary objective is to develop a comprehensive
suite of courses & curriculum delivered through experiential learning format to aid and guide aspiring,
active, and ambitious startup founders with the skills needed to prototype, launch, and ultimately scale their
ventures.

MINIMUM VIABLE BUSINESS (MVB)

A FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING SCALABLE ENTERPRISES

“Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art, it is a practice”,

- Peter Drucker
While there is growing interest in entrepreneurship in India, many startup founders lack the basic
skills required to make a ‘business’ out of their ideas. In FORGE, we have set out on a mission to empower
innovators and startup founders in practicing a systematic approach to convert their innovative ideas into
profit generating businesses and into high-growth enterprises. Startup Founders - unlike small business
owners or entrepreneurs building conventional enterprises, should focus more importantly on building a
scalable enterprise that which has the potential for achieving higher revenue growth with lower fixed and
operating costs, compared to already existing business models.

In FORGE we have developed several skills and competencies development programs aimed at addressing
this fundamental need, and to inculcate ‘entrepreneurship skills’ for both first generation
startup entrepreneurs as well as for students, educators and researchers.

For a Startup Founder (CEO), making their startups attractive for early-stage investments (angel/seed) is an
exercise in showcasing the 3 P’s of startups:
• POTENTIAL for building a high-growth enterprise
What is the scalable business model to solve a BIG Problem?
• PROOF that makes the potential look real
What smallest scale business shall prove the viability of the business model?
• PLAN to build this proof
What is the Operating & Financial plan to prove viability?
To enable, equip and empower these Startup CEOs we have created the MVB framework or methodology, a
set of basic concepts and tools that make business planning and strategy simple yet effective, light-weight
yet rigorous, and analytical yet visual.
FORGE has created the MVB BootCamp - a workshop organised in 2 or 3 days, to offer a hands-on learning
program for active or aspiring startup entrepreneurs and enterprise intrapreneurs, in the presence of experts
and mentors with deep experience in business, venture funding, technology, and entrepreneurship.
In this bootcamp, participants learn to apply the elements of the MVB framework to create actionable plans
aimed at achieving their Proof-of-Product, Proof-of-Business, and Proof-of-Scale milestones.
During the course of the bootcamp, participants are offered 1-on-1 mentoring sessions in eight different
tracks covering critical areas for startups as Problem-Solution Fit, Product-Market Fit, Tech Stack, Target
Market Planning, Customer Acquisition & Sales, Business Model Validation, Investor Pitch, and Fund
Raising.
Over the past 24 months 1000+ startup founders have attended the MVB BootCamps, workshops,
and seminars that FORGE has organised with 50+ partners in the ecosystem across 15 cities in India.

#7 VENUE OF TEDP PROPOSED

Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator [CIBI]

FORGE.FACTORY, G Floor, KCT Tech Park,
#3 Athipalayam Road, Chinnavedampatti, Coimbatore 641049 TAMIL NADU
w: www.forgeforward.in
e: info@forgeforward.in
p: +91-9443354312

#8 HAS THE ORGANISATION CONDUCTED SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN PAST

No.

#9 IF YES, NO. AND DATE OF SANCTION

Not applicable;

#10 TARGET GROUP FOR TEDP

#1 Early stage startups with a basic or advanced prototype of an innovative solution looking for incubation
support;

#2 Micro, Small IoT or IT services companies that are looking at a transition from a pure services business
model to an innovation led product/solutions business model;

#3 Researchers & Educators who wish to convert their industrial consultancy projects

#4 Graduates with Engineering or Technology degrees/diplomas who have a strong intent and passion to
become entrepreneurs that harness the power of technology to make deep impact to the society and
economy;

#11 EXPECTED NO. OF PARTICIPANTS

FORGE is confident of operating/delivery each TEDP program to up to 35 participants, and offer a highly
personalised and intensive learning, skills & competencies development covering technical, innovation, and
entrepreneurship areas.

We seek the express approval of EDII/DST to permit us to increase the batch size of each TEDP program
from 25 to 35 participants. However we have estimated the TEDP program costs and revenue on the basis
of 25 participants in each TEDP.

#12 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The profile of the potential candidates for the TEDP in terms of the criteria and attributes of the individual is
presented below:

#1 AGE

- 21 to 35 years

#2 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

- A minimum of 8 to 10 years of professional work experience either in operational, technical or

business roles in the sector where the innovation/startups is anchored in;

- A track record of above average performance in the various roles supported with a minimum of 2
professional reference letters from organisational managers or leaders;

- In exceptional cases wherein a professional with fewer years of experience but with demonstrably
higher level of Technical skills proven with an advanced prototype with higher degree of innovation;

#2 STAGE IN THE LIFECYCLE

- Intermediate to Advanced stage of prototype development and early customer trials;

- Bootstrapped with self funding or financial support from other individuals purely on the basis of
familial, professional or social ties;

#3 PROGRESS ACHIEVED

- Prototype Development: Minimum of 3 to 6 months of full-time effort and commitment into building
the prototype after a rigorous exercise of ‘problem validation’ and ‘customer discovery’;

- Progress scope & documentation: Progress achieved supported with good quality documentation
to present the insights, strategies, and plans covering definition of problem statement, target
customer(s), product concept and roadmap, and the preparation towards becoming ready for
production and commercial launch;

- Team Building Plan: A well thought out plan for the core team with persons bringing complementary
skills that are very critical to converting the innovation into a profitable business and sustainable
enterprise;

#4 SECTORS & TECHNOLOGIES

- Sector preferences: Agri (Precision Agriculture), Manufacturing (Intelligent Machines), Smart Cities,
Healthcare (Diagnostics & Delivery), Logistics & Transportation, Indian Railways, Social Impact,
MSME (IT, Finance, Marketing & Sales)

- Technology choices: Hardware-IoT, IT/Software Systems, Enterprise SaaS/Cloud computing,

Advanced Computing (AI,ML, Data sciences/analytics), and Automation & Robotics

#13 PROCESS OF SELECTING THE CANDIDATES TO BE ADOPTED

Described in the section below.

#14 METHOD AND SOURCES TO BE ADOPTED IN IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECTS

The scouting and generation of a pipeline of prospective candidates for the NIDHI-SSS program shall be
operated through different programs enumerated and describe below*:

* Number per year;

SOURCE #1 TAMIL NADU INNOVATION GRAND CHALLENGE

[APPLICATIONS = 50] [ADMISSIONS = 25]

In order to activate a strong pipeline of innovative ideas that aim to solve the most pressing problems faced by
consumers, citizens, government, industry, and planet, EDII (Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute, a
Society established by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu) and FORGE have launched the Tamil Nadu Innovation Grand
Challenge (TNIGC) program to seed the next generation of breakthrough ideas that apply the power of technology to
offer innovative solutions. TNIGC is planned and executed as a full-fledged managed innovation program including
generation of problems statements, ideation camps, hackathons, prototype incubation, product/business acceleration,
grant funding, and seed capital investments. The chosen sectors are precision agriculture, intelligent machines &
factory automation, railways, smart cities, assistive devices, and social impact, basis the high potential to create
technology powered social impact and economic gains.

SOURCE #2 TAMIL NADU STUDENT INNOVATORS PROGRAM

[APPLICATIONS = 100] [ADMISSIONS = 25]

To seed the next generation of breakthrough ideas that apply the power of technology to offer innovative solutions, and
to catalyse the emergence of innovators and entrepreneurs from students in higher technical/engineering education,
EDII and FORGE launched the Tamil Nadu Student Innovators (TNSI) program. The entire program is structured
around helping students refine their innovative ideas through a rigorous process of problem validation & customer
discovery by learning and applying the principles of design thinking. Students prepare for designing, engineering, and
building Minimum Usable Prototypes (MUPS) that are useful, usable, and also feasible for permanent deployment or
usage, and this helps in sizing the problem and paves way for estimating the value (customer value proposition) of their
innovation. By aiming to get more than 300 students (100 innovative ideas) involved in building prototypes, we create a
larger pool of skilled engineers from which we hope to identify those students with higher potential to become
innovators and possibly also the next generation of entrepreneurs too.

SOURCE #3 [PROTOSEM - MICROINNOVATORS]

[ENGINEERING FINAL SEMESTER PROGRAM FOR CATALYSING INNOVATIVE STUDENT STARTUPS]

[APPLICATIONS = 40] [ADMISSIONS = 10]

PROTOSEM (short form for Prototyping Semester) is a first-of-its-kind program bringing Incubator and Academia
together to catalyse technology intensive innovation directly within the scope of the engineering curriculum, innovation
aimed at engineering tech enabled solutions for real-world industrial problems. In addition to enhancing their
employability, the program outcomes shall create a higher level of confidence among these students to pursue
innovation and entrepreneurship as their primary career path after graduation.

Around 45 to 50 students in the final semester of their engineering course undergo a full-fledged semester long
program completely managed by FORGE, on the topic ‘Hardware/IoT Product Design and Engineering’. The students in
teams of 3/4 per team, ideate, design, and engineer permanently deployable/usable solutions (referred to as MUPs -
Minimum Usable Prototypes) with the guidance of industry experts during the intensive 14 week program that will also
involve skills and competencies development in the areas of hardware/IoT/computing engineering, innovation, product/
industrial design. They learn the tools and methods of the managed innovation process through experiential learning,
covering aspects of problem identification & definition, problem validation & sizing, customer discovery, value
proposition hypothesis, estimation and testing etc. that bring a structured and systematic approach to innovation and
enhancing the odds of tech and commercial success.

ProtoSem [MicroInnovators], is offered exclusively for students selected through a rigorous process of screening and
competitive evaluation, as a full-time, residential pre-incubation program to activate innovative ideas into permanently
deployable solutions to test and validate the market and business potential. Based on the progress/merit of the
students, upon graduation they are offered extended incubation support to complete customer trials, to develop a
business execution model, and to get ready for seed capital and business acceleration. Between Jan and Dec 2018,
FORGE aims to support the prototyping and incubation of 10 to 15 ideas/startups from students through this program,
and aims to prepare 3 to 5 of them to become ready for Seed capital investments.

SOURCE #4 [HACKLICENSE]

[A PRE-INCUBATION PROGRAM TO ACTIVATE LARGE SCALE PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT]

[APPLICATIONS = 50] [ADMISSIONS = 25]

In much the same way we have seen the growth of thousands of micro and small IT/Software services companies in
India over the past few decades, we are seeing the emergence of several IoT/Hardware services businesses. The
opportunity to exploit is in converting these IoT services companies into IoT products/solutions startups that are
enriched with the potential to become high-growth enterprises of the future.

FORGE in partnership with several industry associations and ecosystem networks and platforms, is directly targeting
such upcoming IoT services companies and offering them HackLicense - a 3 to 6 month admission to our innovation
lab facilities combined with training, mentoring, and advisory services covering technology, design, product
engineering, innovation, IP, and market/business planning areas, aimed at offering them a platform to activate their
innovative ideas and to fast-track the design, development, and deployment of prototypes.

Through this model FORGE aims to support the ACTIVATION of a minimum 50 prototypes (MUPs) every year, and it is
expected that 15 to 20 of these will qualify for Incubation with Seed capital support.

Program objectives:

• Demonstration of strong commitment to convert the innovative idea into a MUP and to get ready for the startup
journey;

• Significant progress achieved in MUP development and trials demonstrating the potential to become used/deployed
by the target customer on permanent basis, and thereby completing rigorous validation/estimation of the target value
proposition;

• Assessment of potential of the innovation to become a commercially viable product and the potential of the team/
individual to build a profitable enterprise;

SOURCE #5 [BASECAMP - ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATORS]

[A PRE-INCUBATION PROGRAM TO ACTIVATE LARGE SCALE PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT]

[APPLICATIONS = 50] [ADMISSIONS = 25]

BaseCamp is a 3-day residential program organised by FORGE for Educators to learn core skills involved in
innovation and entrepreneurship, and aimed at gaining actionable awareness of the systematic process of
developing ideas into market ready products and into launch ready businesses. Educators participating
shall learn through case-studies, group activities, individual exercises, and through guidance from mentors,
how to think about the Idea to Enterprise journey in a structured way, how to validate the potential of a
product in the market, how to prepare for launch, how to make revenues predictable and profitable, and
confidently kill off any doubts once and for all.

In 3 days participants shall learn the steps involved in turning an idea into a PRODUCT IDEA & a BUSINESS
IDEA, designing a BUSINESS Model and preparing a BUSINESS PLAN for execution and launch. The
program offers substantial skills and competencies development in the areas of ideation, problem
validation, customer discovery, prototyping tools and techniques, design thinking, innovation, business
idea/model generation, business idea pitch preparation & presentation etc.

#15 DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM

#1 PROGRAM OVERVIEW
STAGE #1 SOURCING OF APPLICATIONS [WEEK# 0 TO WEEK# 4]

STAGE #2 SCREENING OF APPLICATIONS BY TEAM FORGE [WEEK# 5]

STAGE #3 SELECTION AND REGISTRATION FOR THE PROGRAM [WEEK# 6]

STAGE #4 TEDP Program Delivery [WEEK# 7 TO 12]

STAGE #5 DEMODAY FOR PARTICIPANTS [WEEK# 13]

STAGE #6 SELECTION TO FORGE.FELLOWS/ FORGE.FIRST [WEEK# 14]

#2 DURATION [6 WEEKS] TEDP PROGRAM CURRICULUM & DELIVERY

WEEK #1 MUP IDEATION & CONCEPT DESIGN [DESIGN THINKING, INNOVATION FUNDAMENTALS]

WEEK #2 HARDWARE 101 [INTRODUCTION TO HARDWARE PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT]

WEEK #3 IOT BASICS [CIRCUITS, SENSORS, COMMUNICATION, PROGRAMMING]

WEEK #4 IOT ADVANCED & COMPUTING [DATA ACQUISITION, CLOUD, API INTEGRATION, APPS, AI/ML, DATA
SCIENCE]

WEEK #5 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

WEEK #6 ENTERPRISE 101 [VALUE PROPOSITION, MARKET/REVENUE PLANNING, BUSINESS MODEL, BUSINESS
EXECUTION PLANNING]

#3 DATE OF COMMENCEMENT
TEDP #1 15TH JUNE, 2018
TEDP #2 15TH SEP, 2018
TEDP #3 10TH JAN, 2019

#4 COURSE CONTENT
WEEK THEME TRAINING SCOPE
#

1 [MUP IDEATION AND #Training

CONCEPT DESIGN] • Startup 101

• Problem Validation and User Discovery

• Concept of Minimum Usable Prototypes

• MUP Problem brief

• MUP canvas

• Human centric design

• Customer Interaction

#Visits
• Field visit #1

#Showcases
• Technology Showcase #1

• Product Showcase #1
2 [HARDWARE 101] #Training
• Electronic Circuit Design

• PCB Designing

• Circuit Simulation Tools

• Graphical Programming

• Open source Hardwares

• Sensors, Actuators and Interfaces

• Science of Choosing sensors and actuators for MUP

• Design, Test and Measurements tools

#Visits
• Field vist #2

#Showcases
• Technology Showcase #2

• Product Showcase #2
3 [IOT BASICS] #Training
• Embedded Systems 101

• Edge Computing

• Wireless Communication Protocols - LoRA, Zigbee, Wifi,

Bluetooth

• IoT 101

• Basics of Data storage

• Python Programming

• Open source softwares

#Case Study
• Connected Vehicles

#Showcases
• Technology Showcase #3

• Startup Showcase #1
4 [IOT ADVANCED & #Training
COMPUTING] • IOT 201

• Data Acquisition and Server Connectivity

• Cloud Computing

• Java and jQuery Programming

• APIs Integration

• App Development Basics

• Data Science Basics

• AI & ML Basics

#Case Study
• Smart Cities

#Showcases
• Startup Showcase #2

• Technology Showcase #4
5 [INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT #Training
DESIGN AND • Design for Manufacturability

DEVELOPMENT] • Design for Testability

• Bill of Materials Optimisation

• UI & UX 101

• Testing and Debugging

• Digital Fabrication 101

• 3D modelling & printing

• Power Tools 101

#Case Study
• Apple Products [UI & UX]

#Showcases
• Product Showcase #3

• Startup Showcase #3
6 [ENTERPRISE 101] #Training
• MVB 101

• Value proposition

• Customer segmentation

• Pricing

• Revenue and business model

• PitchClinic

#Showcases
• Entrepreneur Showcase #1

• Entrepreneur Showcase #2

#DemoDay [Pitch]
#16 FACULTY PROFILE WITHIN THE ORGANISATION AND OUTSIDE FACULTY TO
BE DRAWN

Week#1
Week#2 Week#3
[MUP Ideation and Concept
Hardware 101 IoT Basics
Design]

Internal Resources Internal Resources Internal Resources

#1 Vishwanath
#1 Vignesh
#1 Vignesh

#2 Dr.B.L.Lakshmi Meera
#2 Mr.Selvakumar
#2 Selvakumar

#3 Ashwini Metri
#3 Mr.Dinesh
#3 Dinesh

#4 Dinesh
#4 Mr.Ashok
#4 Satish

External Resources
#1 Sudhakar
External Resources External Resources
#1 Vasanth Kumar
#1 Selvakumar

#2 Vivek
#2 Ganesh

#3 Antony
#3 Jagadeesh

Partners
# SPREAD, Bangalore Partners Partners
# BOSCH, Coimbatore
# ThoughtWorks, Coimbatore

# NI, Bangalore
# Fluxgen, Bangalore

# VI Solutions, Bangalore

Week#5
Week#4 Week#6
Industrial Product design and
IoT Advanced and Computing Enterprise 101
Development

External Resources Internal Resources Internal Resources

#1 Manjunatha Hebbar
#1 Vignesh
#1 Vishwanath

#2 Dorai Thodla
#2 Selvakumar
#2 Dr.B.L.Lakshmi Meera

#3 Karthick
#3 Dinesh

#4 Selvakumar
#4 Ashok

#5 Sharath
External Resources
External Resources #1 Pradeep

Partners #1 Rithesh
#2 Vivek Singh

# Probyto, Coimbatore
#2 Ranjitha

# Buoyanci, Bangalore
#3 Prof.Alex
Partners
# ThoughtWorks, Coimbatore #4 Mr.Ravishankar
#1 Jazz Factory, Hyderabad

#5 Mr.Raju
#2 Prezantium , Coimbatore

Partners
# Workbench Projects, Bangalore

# NID, Bangalore

# DYP-DC, Pune

# NilaTech, Coimbatore
#17 NAME OF THE OTHER SPONSORING AGENCIES APART FROM DST, IF ANY

None;

#18 METHODOLOGY FOR MONITORING AND FOLLOWUP OF THE PROGRAM TO

BE ADOPTED AFTER THE CONDUCT

The participants of the TEDP program are evaluated by a jury of experts on DemoDay (the graduation day
of the TEDP program) and are offered admission to a pre-incubation program in FORGE. The program is
offered either in a fully-residential basis or in virtual+visitation basis.

[PHASE-1] HACKLICENCE [3 TO 6 MONTHS]

[RATIONALE]
+ A bridge phase to prepare the students to create/present a stronger case for incubation;

+ Evaluate the commitment to put strong effort and to achieve significant progress on achieving innovation
milestones;

[OUTCOMES]
+ Demonstration of strong commitment to convert the innovative idea into a MUP and to get ready for the
startup journey;

+ Significant progress achieved in MUP trials with one or few usage/deployment on permanent basis, and
rigorous validation of the target value proposition;

+ Assessment of potential of the innovation to become a commercially viable product;

[PHASE-2] LAUNCHPAD [2 MONTHS]

[RATIONALE]
+ A pre-incubation program to help the innovators prepare for graduation to either the FORGE.FIRST
Incubation program or the FORGE.FAST Acceleration/Seed program:

1. Incorporate the startup company and prepare for admission to the FORGE.FAST program to
raise seed capital and go through an intensive business acceleration program;

2. Extended tech/product incubation program to achieve sufficient progress on product readiness

and market launch through the FORGE.FIRST program;

[OUTCOMES]
+ Rigorous assessment of the potential of the team/individual to build a profitable enterprise;

+ A startup company is incorporated and is setup to raise Seed capital from FORGE through the
FORGE.FAST program and/or Seed capital from Angel investors;

+ Emergence of strong signs of there being a well defined market and significant progress achieved with
lead generation, apart from becoming ready for the first-batch of factory manufactured products with
negotiated contracts with the suppliers;

#19 BRIEF WRITE-UP ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

FORGE is an initiative promoted by Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator (CIBI).

CIBI is a not-for-profit Company, promoted by the Ramanandha Adigalar Foundation, which was
established by the late Dr. N. Mahalingam, Founder Chairman of the Sakthi Business Conglomerate, and
hosted by the Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore.

CIBI is a Technology Business Incubator (TBI), supported and catalysed by the Department of Science &
Technology, Govt. of India under the NSTEDB scheme.

CIBI at its core aims to make young minds aspire to a career as innovators and entrepreneurs – enable and
empower them with infrastructure, skills, ecosystem support, market access, capital and other resources
necessary and critical to their journey and success. As the world embraces technology and upstarts run by
youth across the globe are challenging the economic order, CIBI aims to empower the youth of India to
pursue high-technology intensive innovation and innovation led entrepreneurship.

CIBI shall build competencies & capabilities through programs, partners, and people in the strategic areas
of Innovation Labs, Technology & Product Incubators, Business Accelerators, Sector Incubators, Startup
Grant, and Seed Fund.

FORGE THE 360D INCUBATION ENTERPRISE

The incubation enterprise launched by the Coimbatore Innovation & Business Incubator (CIBI), was founded
with the vision to foster the emergence of innovation powered enterprises that integrate technology
efficiency (powered by the tech & tools covering connected devices, intelligent machines, advanced
computing, artificial intelligence, factory automation & industrial robotics, data sciences & analytics, and
digital business) with the timeless business potential of several sectors with huge potential for innovation
led disruption. FORGE is envisioned as a holistic incubation enterprise offering innovation, incubation,
acceleration, and investment services to transform innovative ideas into successful enterprises with
potential for growth, impacts and profits.

FORGE has achieved steady and significant progress in our vision to become a 360D Incubation Enterprise,
built on the 3 pillars of our strategy and operations - value creation & delivery, revenue generation, and self-
sustainable growth. Founded on this principle is our strategy to build a multi-level portfolio of programs that
combine to offer a comprehensive suite of services throughout the startup lifecycle from Ideas to
Enterprises.

Value Creation/Addition Program

Coworking & Lab Services FORGE.FACTORY
Prototyping Services FORGE.FELLOWS
[TECH+DESIGN+BUSINESS]
FORGE.FORCE
Training & Advisory Services
Incubation Services (EIR) FORGE.FIRST
Fund + Acceleration Services FORGE.FAST
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SHANKAR VANAVARAYAR PROMOTER M. BALASUBRAMANIAM PROMOTER

PRESIDENT, KCT MANAGING TRUSTEE, RAF,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SAKTHI GROUP CORRESPONDENT, KCT
MD & VICE CHAIRMAN,THE SAKTHI GROUP

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

CHAIRMAN OF BOARD
GOPAL SRINIVASAN
CHAIRMAN - TVS CAPITAL & TVS ELECTRONICS

DST REPRESENTATIVE (EX-OFFICIO) GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADER

HARKESH MITTAL JEFF HOFFMAN
SECRETARY, NSTEDB - DST FOUNDER, COLORJAR & EXL CENTER,
REGIONAL ENTREPRENEUR EX-CEO, PRICELINE.COM
RAJSHREE PATHY EMERGING BUSINESS LEADER
Founder INDIA DESIGN FORUM MASOOD HUSSAINY
PARTNER INCUBATOR LEADER CEO, TATA ADVANCED SYSTEMS LIMITED
KUNAL UPADHYAY ARJUN CHOWGULE
CEO, CIIE, IIMA-A & INFUSE VENTURES ED, CHOWGULE & CO
ENTREPRENEURS ARUN ALAGAPPAN
SONIA MANCHANDA PRESIDENT, TI CYCLES
COFOUNDER, SPREAD & DREAM:IN GEORGE ALEXANDER
BHAIRAVI JANI SENIOR VP, MUTHOOT GROUP
DIRECTOR, SCA GROUP GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM REPRESENTATIVE
PARTHIBAN V ALEX MITCHELL
MD & CEO, BULL MACHINE UK-ECYE & PRESIDENT(UK)(G20/YEA)
PRINCIPAL, KCT (EX-OFFICIO)

MANAGEMENT TEAM

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER VISHWANATHAN SAHASRANAMAM

HR/ADMIN MANAGER (EA TO CEO) AMOGHA DINESH
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
AUDITOR N. SUBRAMANIAN
COMPANY SECRETARY (CONSULTING) SWETHA SUBRAMANIAN
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER (CONSULTING) MEENA S
ACCOUNTS MANAGER (CONSULTING) PRIYAA B
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM DIRECTOR DR. LAKSHMI MEERA
PROGRAM MANAGER YOGANANTH GOPALAKRISHNAN
PROGRAM/BD ASSOCIATE DIVIJAA PARTHIBAN
TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
TECH MANAGER (CONSULTING) VIVEK POOVALINGAM
LAB MANAGER VIGNESH
TECH ASSOCIATE SELVAKUMAR
IT ASSOCIATE VIVEK GUNASEKARAN
LAB ASSOCIATE ASHOK KUMAR
OPERATIONS
MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIVYA KANDASAMY
OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE ARUNDHATHI MOHAN
CREATIVE DESIGNER RAMPRABHU S
VIDEO EDITOR SHAMEER
ANIMATION DESIGNER HASAN
FACILITIES SUPERVISOR RAMESH
In FORGE, we have adopted a 3-stage process for accelerating innovative ideas into enterprises with
potential for investments, growth, and profits.

STAGE#1 [ACTIVATION]
[FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR PROTOTYPING & STARTUP ACTIVATION]
A pre-incubation program offered to individuals/teams with limited tech/innovation skills and/or target
sector/domain expertise to support rapid prototyping of innovative tech enabled solutions. The primary
goals are to test the potential of the proposed solution to deliver a compelling value proposition while
attempting to solve a real world problem, to serve a significantly large target market, and to become
commercially viable.

STAGE#2 [INCUBATION]
[INCUBATION PROGRAM FOR PRODUCT ACCELERATION & LAUNCH]
An incubation program modelled and executed as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence program is offered to
seasoned professionals either as individuals/teams to help ease their transition from a corporate
professional career to entrepreneurship. The selected beneficiaries are expected to possess higher order
technical skills and high degree of target sector/domain expertise, and the 3 to 6 months program aims to
help them fast-track achieving market launch readiness for their products, and to prepare them for
operating a full-fledged business.

STAGE#3 [SEED INVESTMENT + ACCELERATION]

SEED CAPITAL & BUSINESS ACCELERATION PROGRAM
A business accelerator program offering seed capital (convertible debt & equity), extensive advisory &
consulting support aimed at scaling up the business operations and in becoming full-fledged enterprises.
Startups selected either from FORGE.FELLOWS or FORGE.FIRST or through direct entry to the accelerator
cohort, shall be enrolled in a 3-6 month program and select startups shall be offered Seed capital on entry.
The accelerator program shall culminate in a DemoDay, wherein the startups in the cohort shall pitch to a
jury comprising of Members of the Forge Investment Council (FIC) and partner investors from Angel/VC
funds. Top startups shall raise additional Seed capital from FORGE with the possibility of additional co-
investment from Angel/VC partners.

[TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION & BUSINESS - ADVISORY & CONSULTING]

We firmly believe that in order to truly enhance the odds of success of startups, it is imperative to enhance
the skills of founders encompassing prototyping, design and innovation, financial planning, business
strategy, customer acquisition & sales, fund raising, and managing the many facets of commercial
operations. 

‘Focus on Founders’ is the mantra in FORGE and our primary objective is to develop a comprehensive
suite of courses & curriculum delivered through experiential learning format to aid and guide aspiring,
active, and ambitious startup founders with the skills needed to prototype, launch, and ultimately scale their
ventures.

The factory for the modern age makers, tinkerers, inventors, and designers to forge innovative ideas into
technologies, products, businesses, and enterprises. Built over 20,500 sq.ft this is currently India’s largest
incubator for Hardware innovations and startups. This houses HWjunction - the most comprehensive lab for
full-spectrum hardware innovation offering equipment, tools, and resources in IoT, electronics, desktop
fabrication, 3D printing, drones, and automation & robotics, to support the design, development, and
testing of ‘manufacturing’ ready prototypes.

TOTAL AREA 20,500 sq.ft + 2,000 sq.ft

COWORKING FACILITIES 12,000 SQ.FT

- COWORKING DESKS [100 SEATS]

- COWORKING CABINS [16 CABINS = 75 SEATS]

- EVENT CENTRE #1 [100 SEATS]

- EVENT CENTRE #2 [200 SEATS]

- MEETING ROOMS [4]

INNOVATION LAB FACILITIES 6,000 SQ.FT

HWJUNCTION #1

[IOT/ELECTRONICS LAB + TRAINING CENTRE]

HWJUNCTION #2
[6 LABS]

[COMPUTING + AUTOMATION/ROBOTICS + DRONES + IOT/ELECTRONICS +

AR/VR + AI/ML]

HWJUNCTION MINI

[ELECTRONICS + HARDWARE TOOLS + 3D PRINTING]

HWJUNCTION DFAB
[DIGITAL FABLAB]

The labs together can concurrently seat upto 100 persons, and this is in
addition to the seats available in the coworking facilities indicated above;

INCUBATOR OFFICE 500 SQ.FT

COMMON FACILITIES 2,000 SQ.FT

- RECEPTION

- DRY PANTRY

- LOUNGE + SITOUTS

- LIBRARY

CAFETERIA FACILITIES 2,000 SQ.FT

In addition to this area, we have another 2,000 sq.ft dedicated Cafeteria in an
adjacent building. This is used for serving meals during our events, and also as
a cafe’ area for our incubatees to work, meet and relax informally.
SERVICES OFFERED TO INCUBATEES
# TYPE OF SUPPORT DESCRIPTION

1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT + Access to full-spectrum innovation lab offering rapid prototyping services
for innovative ideas in Hardware/IoT/Computing domains;

+ Access to full-time team of technical professionals to support with the

selection and usage of lab equipment, provisioning of components and
supplies to fast-track prototyping activity at the lowest cost;

+ Access to a large pool of experts in tech, target sectors, design, and

innovation areas;

+ Access to a curated set of vendors, suppliers and providers with

subsidised rates for products and services;

2 BUSINESS SUPPORT + Admission to competencies development programs the form of

workshops and seminars organised by FORGE aimed at enhancing
knowledge and skills in the areas of product management, marketing,
customer acquisitions & sales, business planning & operations, financial/
investments planning, pitching & fund raising etc.

+ Office Hours for innovators and entrepreneurs to engage with business/

sector experts and successful entrepreneurs;

+ Access to a very large network of corporates, investors, funds, industry

associations etc.;

3 FINANCIAL SUPPORT Incubator Grants [Self & Sponsored]

+ Under the FORGE.FELLOWS program FORGE has started offering Grant
support of up to Rs. 5 Lakhs in the form of in-kind support to cover
expenses including boarding & lodging, usage of lab equipment/tools,
prototyping expenses, professional fees for experts, legal/statutory
expenses etc.;

+ FORGE as part of its MoU with EDII (GoTN) is entitled to receive Grants
for the FORGE.FELLOWS program and currently we have received
sanction for 3 Grants each of Rs. 5 Lakhs to be offered to the winners of
the TN Student Innovators program organised in 2017. We expect that in
2018 the number of Grants (referred to as EDII-TN Innovation Fellows)
shall be increased to 10.

4 LEGAL & IPR + FORGE offers complete professional services support for startups
SUPPORT covering all matters covering company law, statutory, accounting and
taxation. Our Company Secretary (Consulting) offers these services
directly to the startups/innovators on a discounted fee basis;

+ FORGE also has on-boarded a few professional services firms and

practising IP Lawyers that advise and consult the innovators/startups on
matters concerning IP exploration, litigation, trade secrets, trademarks
etc. These services are offered on a preferential basis with discounted
fees. We expect to setup a full-fledged IP Cell in FORGE more on the
lines of a Centre of Excellence for IP;

5 NETWORKING + FORGE organises several ecosystem/community programs that brings

SUPPORT together multiple stakeholders that are crucial to the success of our
incubatees. In addition we have a very active presence in major social
media platforms and professionally managed digital marketing
communications which helps us connect and create widespread
awareness covering key stakeholders in the ecosystem.
 MANAGED In FORGE we believe very firmly that by following a structured and
INNOVATION systematic process (in addition to enhancing the skills of the innovators/
PROCESS founders) the odds of success of innovative ideas can be significantly
enhanced. By learning to apply tools and by practising effective techniques
the incubated innovators and startups with the guidance of resident and
consulting experts advance through a series of milestones covering
problem identification, customer discovery, customer segmentation, value
testing, market sizing, product pricing & revenue modelling, customer
acquisition & sales, business execution model, financial & investment
planning etc.

CUMULATIVE YEAR-WISE DETAILS OF ENTREPRENEURS ASSISTED

Year-wise details No. of Resident Details of seed funding No. of Graduate No. of other
since inception Entrepreneurs provided (source/ Entrepreneurs entrepreneurs assisted
(Incubatees) quantum*) (external/
promoted venture funds
raised)

2015-16
10 + Seed funding not 2 [50]
(Oct’15 - Mar’16) offered;
(Virtual incubation model
+ Access to incubation implemented through
facilities, labs and the 3-day MVB

services offered at BootCamps followed by

mentoring/advisory
discounted prices;
sessions over phone/
internet or in-person)

2016-17
24 + Grants (in the form of 5 [150]
(Oct’15 - Mar’16) in-kind contributions (Virtual incubation model
and offerings) for implemented through
Prototyping & Early- the 3-day MVB
BootCamps followed by
Stage tech
mentoring/advisory
innovations have been
sessions over phone/
offered;

internet or in-person)
+ Access to incubation
facilities, labs and
services offered at
discounted prices;

2017-18
30 + Grants (in the form of 6 [300]
(Oct’15 - Mar’16) in-kind contributions (Virtual incubation model
and offerings) for implemented through
Prototyping & Early- the 3-day MVB
Stage tech BootCamps followed by
mentoring/advisory
innovations have been
sessions over phone/
offered;

internet or in-person)
+ Access to incubation
facilities, labs and
services offered at
discounted prices;
#20 COST ESTIMATE

Program Operating Expenses [per TEDP]

S.No Budget Heads Cost (Rs.)

1 Entrepreneurship Training [Expert Fees] [Rs.10,000 per day * 10 days] 1,00,000

2 Technical Training [Expert Fees] [Rs.10,000 per day * 20 days] 2,00,000

3 Travel & Factory Visits 40,000

4 Food & Beverages [Rs.250 per person/day * 25 persons * 30 days] 1,87,500

5 Stationery and Materials [Rs. 3000 per week * 6 weeks] 18,000

6 Facilities Cost [Rs. 5000 per day *30 days] 1,50,000

7 Demo Day Expenses 75,000

8 Administrative Expenses 30,000

Total 8,00,500

Program Revenue [per TEDP]

S.No Particulars Cost (Rs.)

1 TEDP DST Grant 3,00,000

2 Participant Fee [Rs. 20,000 * 25] 5,00,000

Total 8,00,000

Program Budget [3 TEDPs, 6 weeks each, 25 participants per TEDP]

S.No Operating Expense Heads for TEDP 3 TEDPs Total TEDP

Budget Grant
(Rs.)

1 Entrepreneurship Training [Expert Fees] 3,00,000 2,92,500

2 Technical Training [Expert Fees] 6,00,000 3.15,000

3 Travel & Factory Visits 1,20,000 90,000

4 Food & Beverages 5,62,500 0

5 Stationery and Materials 54,000 0

6 Facilities Cost 4,50,000 1,12,500

7 Demo Day Expenses 2,25,000 0

8 Entrepreneurship Training [Expert Fees] 90,000 90,000

Total 24,01,500 9,00,000

#21 NEAREST BRANCH OF UNION BANK OF INDIA

UNION BANK OF INDIA

15/196 SATHY MAIN ROAD SARAVANAMPATTI COIMBATORE

TAMIL NADU

BRANCH: SARAVANAMPATTI

IFSC CODE: UBIN0561886

#22 COMPLETE ADDRESS OF THE ORGANISATION IN WHOSE NAME DEMAND

DRAFT / CHEQUE SHOULD BE GIVEN
COIMBATORE INNOVATION AND BUSINESS INCUBATOR [CIBI]

FORGE.FACTORY, G FLOOR, KCT TECH PARK,

#3 ATHIPALAYAM ROAD, CHINNAVEDAMPATTI, COIMBATORE 641049 TAMIL NADU

WWW.FORGEFORWARD.IN/ INFO@FORGEFORWARD.IN / 9443354312

#23 ANY OTHER INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE PROPOSAL

UNDERTAKING
I confirm that I am authorised by the Board of Governors of CIBI to submit this proposal to EDII, Govt. of
India, DST and to enact the contents of the proposal upon receipt of due approval and sanction. I confirm
that the above mentioned information is true. I shall be responsible for the supervision of the overall process
apart from providing all required reports and information to EDII/DST, in a timely manner.

NAME : VISHWANATHAN SAHASRANAMAM

DESIGNATION : CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

DATE : 29TH, JANUARY 2018

PLACE : COIMBATORE