The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) commemorated its 72nd Foundation Day with a landmark milestone—the inauguration of the Systems Engineering Facility (SEF) on 31 December 2025. The occasion not only celebrated NRDC’s rich legacy spanning over seven decades but also reaffirmed its forward-looking vision of strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem through structured technology development, deep-tech commercialisation, and robust support for startups and MSMEs.
The Foundation Day celebrations were graced by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, as the Chief Guest, along with senior leadership from NRDC, academia, industry, and innovation bodies.
NRDC’s Seven-Decade Journey and Renewed Strategic Focus
Addressing the gathering, Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, NRDC, reflected on the organisation’s evolution since its establishment in 1953. He highlighted NRDC’s pivotal role as a national interface between publicly funded research institutions and industry, facilitating the translation of scientific research into commercially viable products and services.
Emphasising the changing contours of innovation, Cmde. Rastogi noted that NRDC is sharpening its focus on deep-tech commercialisation, institutional capacity building, and end-to-end innovation support. He underlined that NRDC’s initiatives are closely aligned with national priorities such as Viksit Bharat@2047, Startup India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, aimed at creating globally competitive, indigenous technologies.
He reiterated NRDC’s commitment to developing robust frameworks that bridge the persistent gap between laboratory research and market deployment, enabling innovators, startups, and MSMEs to scale technologies efficiently and sustainably.
NRDC–INCOSE MoU: Strengthening Systems Engineering Capability
A significant highlight of the event was the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NRDC and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE). This collaboration marks a major step toward strengthening systems engineering practices in India, fostering knowledge exchange, and building capabilities critical for managing complex, multi-disciplinary technologies.
The partnership is expected to enhance innovation outcomes by embedding global best practices in systems engineering across technology development programmes supported by NRDC.
Inauguration of the Systems Engineering Facility (SEF)
The centrepiece of the celebrations was the inauguration of the Systems Engineering Facility (SEF)—a transformative national initiative of NRDC. The SEF has been established through a strategic collaboration with Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCoE), Maharashtra, positioning it as a unique platform that integrates academia, industry, and innovation ecosystems.
The facility was formally inaugurated by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi in the presence of Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), CMD, NRDC; Mr. Prasanna Ramamurthy, President, INCOSE; Dr. G. N. Kulkarni, Director, PCCoE; and senior officials from NRDC and partner institutions.
In her address, Dr. Kalaiselvi emphasised the growing importance of systems engineering in today’s complex technological landscape. She highlighted that as technologies become increasingly integrated—spanning hardware, software, data, and human interfaces—systems engineering plays a critical role in ensuring reliability, scalability, and successful deployment. She noted that facilities like SEF are vital for accelerating innovation and ensuring that indigenous technologies mature into deployable, industry-ready solutions.
Empowering Startups, MSMEs, and Innovators
The Systems Engineering Facility has been conceptualised as a national platform to empower incubated startups, MSMEs, and innovators by addressing one of the most critical challenges in innovation—the transition from ideas and prototypes to validated, market-ready technologies.
By institutionalising structured systems engineering practices, SEF offers end-to-end support across the innovation lifecycle, including:
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Requirements analysis and stakeholder alignment
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System architecture and design
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Modelling and simulation
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System integration
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Verification and validation
This holistic approach enables innovators to reduce technical risks, optimise performance, shorten development timelines, and improve the likelihood of successful commercialisation.
Technology Transfer and Licensing Milestones
The Foundation Day celebrations also showcased NRDC’s core mandate of facilitating technology transfer and strengthening industry participation in publicly funded research outcomes. The event witnessed the signing and exchange of key technology licensing agreements, reinforcing NRDC’s role as a bridge between research laboratories and industry.
Among the notable transfers was an electric tractor technology developed by CSIR–Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), West Bengal, which was licensed to M/s Mistrijee Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Patna, in the presence of Dr. Naresh Chandra Murmu, Director, CSIR–CMERI.
Another important licensing agreement involved a sustainable vegan leather alternative developed by CSIR–National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, licensed to M/s EcoSolutions Pvt. Ltd. Developed entirely from plant-based resources and agro-residues, the technology represents a significant step toward sustainable materials and circular economy solutions. The exchange took place in the presence of Dr. Nishy P., Chief (Business Development), CSIR–NIIST.
Recognising Excellence Within NRDC
Celebrating its people, NRDC honoured employees for excellence, innovation, and outstanding contributions.
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The Best Employee (Non-Technical) award was conferred on Ms. Khushboo (Public Relations & Corporate Communications) for significantly enhancing NRDC’s brand visibility and outreach.
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The Technology Presentation Award was presented to Ms. Prithee Niharika, Deputy Manager, as winner, and Ms. Priyanka Aswal, Senior Technical Assistant, as runner-up.
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The award for the Naming and Logo Designing Contest for the AI-enabled Technology Exchange platform was presented to Dr. Akanksha Jain, Deputy Manager, NRDC.
Seed Funding and MSME Support Initiatives
Further strengthening its support to innovation-driven enterprises, NRDC announced seed funding support of ₹30 lakh each to:
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VoltWorks Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for its automotive-grade VoltWorks Powertrain electric vehicle solution, and
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Tri Nano Technologies for its advanced nano-coating technology for solar panels, which enhances efficiency while significantly reducing maintenance requirements and resource consumption.
In addition, NRDC launched the MSME–Technology Transfer Facilitation Centre, a dedicated initiative to empower MSMEs by providing financial support of up to 70% for IP protection and technology acquisition. The programme aims to reduce innovation-related costs, enhance competitiveness, and enable faster commercialisation of advanced technologies.
A Forward-Looking Vision
The 72nd Foundation Day celebrations and the inauguration of the Systems Engineering Facility underscore NRDC’s continued commitment to fostering a robust, inclusive, and future-ready innovation ecosystem in India. By integrating structured systems engineering practices, facilitating technology transfer, and extending targeted support to startups and MSMEs, NRDC is enabling indigenous research to evolve into scalable, market-ready solutions—strengthening India’s journey toward technological self-reliance and sustainable growth.
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