BITS Pilani Introduces PhD DRIVE Course To Foster Deep Science & Tech Startup; Check Details Here

New Delhi: An innovative PhD program has been launched by BITS Pilani that will lead to the formation of a firm based on the PhD research. 

According to BITS Pilani, the PhD program will concentrate on developing startup businesses in deep technology and deep science that will address some of the most important societal and commercial problems. 

This is consistent with BITS Pilani's long history of pioneering advances in higher education over the past 60 years, such as the Practise School concept, the first dual-degree programs, or more modern pedagogical approaches.

Students with skills in technology and science and a clear intention to be founders of a firm will be accepted to the new program, which will be known as PhD-DRIVE, short for Deep-tech Research, Innovation, Value generation & Entrepreneurship. 

The program will offer entrepreneurship training, an incubator, cash for developing a service or product, and, most importantly, access to the BITS alumni network for additional investments.

Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani said, “Our brightest scholars and researchers must apply their ground-breaking work to address the most pressing issues facing humanity. We haven't done enough as a nation to support deep technology and deep science initiatives, where it takes a long time for a firm to become profitable. With this new program, we hope to encourage PhD candidates to pursue innovative business ventures in addition to academic careers after receiving their degrees”. 

By 2030, 100 firms will be incubated through this program, according to Prof. Rao. Alumni from BITS Pilani have so far founded more than 7400 valuable firms throughout the world, including 13 unicorn startups and a decacorn.

He further added, “Solutions for problems with homeland and cyber security, healthcare, the environment, agriculture, space exploration, and energy are some of our current focus areas. These sub-domains include several topics linked to industry 4.0, food technology, and climate change, among others. The goal is to make cutting-edge technologies, such quantum physics and nanotechnology, useful to the general public. The PhD students enrolled in this startup track will work at a BITS Pilani centre of excellence or specialised lab in these fields.”

To keep the PhD scholars on the path of forming a startup and to provide them with opportunities to seek additional funding, BITS Pilani and its technology business incubators, such as the DST-supported PIEDS, the BIRAC-supported BGIIES, and the DST NM-ICPS-supported BioCyTIH, will collaborate with a variety of partners, including investors, government labs, industry experts, corporates, and BITS alumni.

One of the top venture capital firms, Speciale Invest, which specialises in investing in deep tech startups, has already indicated their early support for the initiative. "Academia is a breeding ground for deeptech innovations, and as a leading deeptech investor in India, we are excited to partner with BITS Pilani in an innovative program to foster the next generation of deep science and deeptech entrepreneurs," said Vishesh Rajaram, managing partner of Speciale Invest. 

Rajaram further adds, “For the present decade of India Deep Tech to be successful, developing holistic entrepreneurs who comprehend technology and business would be a crucial link. We look forward to actively supporting PhD students in their efforts to develop, build, iterate, and commercialise innovations that will have a significant impact on India and the rest of the world. We have invested in a number of deeptech startups at the early stage, including those in spacetech, electric mobility, batteries, robotics, semiconductors, among other areas.” 

The scholars will work in a number of the centres of excellence that BITS has already established, including those for medical diagnostics and infectious diseases, bio-cyber-physical systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and semiconductors. 

The scholars would receive a grant for prototyping as well as a substantially larger stipend to assist them throughout the program. Under the guidance of the Prof. Dr. Suman Kapoor Memorial Charitable Trust, Suresh Kabra, a member of the 82–87 class, has chosen to financially support three female Ph.D. candidates with novel ideas in the field of biological sciences. 

Kabra said, “There is a vibrant entrepreneurship culture at BITS Pilani among undergraduate students and among alumni. The deep scientific innovation ecosystem on its campuses will do well if Ph.D. and post-doc researchers are encouraged to launch a business. This is a step in the right direction because the industry needs to put the foundational research being done at the Ph.D. level into practise." 

This program will accept applications throughout the year, and announcements will be announced on the BITS website and its social media pages. In order to secure financial and mentorship support, BITS Pilani makes use of its robust alumni network and business partners. 

A prestigious college, BITS Pilani has campuses in Pilani, Dubai, Goa, Hyderabad, and Mumbai where it provides courses in science, technology, and management. 

It established the cutting-edge, international BITS School of Management (BITSoM) in 2021, and in 2023, it started to provide law programs through the BITS Law School (BITSLaw). Through its Work Integrated Learning Programs, it also provides courses to professionals working in more than 300 firms.

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