Call for proposals under TTDF Scheme 2023

The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme has been notified by the Department of Telecommunications on 01.10.2022 to support and encourage Research and Development in Telecom products and technologies with a view to achieving Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to further the call of Hon’ble PM for ‘Jai Anushandhan’. Proposals for support under the TTDF scheme are invited from companies, start-ups, R&D and academic institutions, singly or in partnership, focused on R&D in telecom products and technologies that lead to telecom IP creation (both implementational and standards-essential types) and / or telecom products at high TRL levels. Only companies/start-ups headquartered in India (not a subsidiary of a foreign company) and Indian R&D/academic institutions are eligible to receive funding from TTDF. Academic institutes should preferably have industry partners for proposals involving commercialization of the technology/product developed.

The proposed products or technologies should be state-of-the-art (Example in 2023, 5G systems, or coherent/high-speed (>400 Gbps) optical communication systems, would fall in this category) which are currently imported, or manufactured in India only in limited quantities. They could also be semiconductor SoCs or modules, Example- transceivers, modems, advanced antennas, that are currently imported in large quantities by manufacturers of end-products. In this latter category, a collaborative partner who is a potential consumer of the SoC/module would make the proposal strong, in as much as a proposal where the potential market is entirely export-oriented would be weak without evidence of prior export successes. Proposals are also sought for providing innovative cost-effective solutions for telecom services in rural and remote areas. Proposals could also be made for conducting pilot field trials of products that are ready for commercialization. It is expected that security features as applicable would be incorporated by design into the proposed product/technology and not as an afterthought.

In addition to the above, the proposals could be for R&D in next-generation technologies (e.g. 6G wireless technologies such as Ultra-High-Speed wireless communications in the mid-band spectrum or ultra-wide band communications in mm-wave and terahertz bands, ultra-wide band, low latency and space division multiplexed optical systems, quantum technologies for communications, new user-interface and sensor technologies for mobile phones, and so on), involving generation of IP (particularly standards-essential IP) and / or demonstration of proof-of-concept prototypes. Proposals in this category that are aligned to the Bharat 6G Vision released recently by DoT are welcome.

Proposals of apps to improve services offered on telecom networks, or for import substitution of a mature subsystem or telecom system component, or for improving the cost-effectiveness/efficiency of deployed telecom networks should be preferably submitted to the Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS) scheme of DoT at https://dcis.dot.gov.in/ .

The proposals must be submitted online on TTDF portal. If the proponents wish to submit additional information in the form of pictures, videos, etc which do not fit into the size limit, upload them in the public cloud, make it accessible to anyone who has the links, and include the links in the proposal at the appropriate places.

Important Links -

TTDF Guidelines - https://usof.gov.in/web_assets/img/ttdf_guidelines.pdf

Bharat 6G Vision Document - https://dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/Bharat%206G%20Vision%20Statement%20-copy%202_1.pdf

DCIS Guidelines - https://dcis.dot.gov.in/assets/document/DCIS_Guidelines2.0.pdf