India today is buzzing with innovation – from elite research labs to frugal startups solving real-world problems. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Innovation without commercialization is a half-won battle.
Unlike some of the countries, where universities and research institutes are deeply connected to the market, most Indian academic innovations remain trapped in labs – brilliant, but invisible. It’s not that innovation isn’t happening – it’s that we haven’t yet built strong enough bridges from labs to markets.
If India has to become a true innovation powerhouse, we need the private sector – investors, corporates, venture builders – to build the commercialization bridges actively.
How do we fix this? Here are SEVEN actionable ways the private sector can unlock the true value of innovation:
1) Innovation Scouts in Universities: Private firms should deploy innovation scouts at leading campuses to discover promising research early, co-create pilots, and guide commercialization.
2) Innovation Readiness Scorecards: Rate every innovation not just on novelty, but also market potential, using Syncoro’s proprietary tool.
3) Corporate Venture Studios: Large companies can set up dedicated venture studios to turn lab innovations into scalable businesses, providing capital, mentorship, and market access.
4) Innovation Sandboxes: Create real-world testing environments for early innovations – where startups, researchers, and corporates collaborate to validate ideas with users quickly.
5) Market Access Accelerators: Instead of funding just ideas, create accelerators that focus on taking near-market-ready innovations and landing them in customers’ hands.
6) Research-to-Revenue Bootcamps: Host specialized bootcamps for researchers and PhD scholars, teaching them business model design, customer discovery, IP monetization, and scale strategies.
7) IP Monetization Funds: Launch private funds that specifically acquire, license, or co-develop unused patents and IP from academia, providing researchers a share of commercialization upside.
At Syncoro Ventures Private Limited, we are passionate about building these commercialization bridges. We validate real-world applicability of the innovation, craft go-to-market strategies and connect innovations with entrepreneurs, investors, and early customers.
Remember, innovation should not end at discovery. It must lead to delivery.
It’s time to move from “Look what we invented” to “Look what we transformed.” Let’s build the bridge – from labs to lives.
If you’re an innovator, academic institution, startup incubator or startup founder looking to turn your innovation into real-world impact, we at Syncoro Ventures would love to collaborate. Reach out to Dr Nikita Vadsaria (Head – Strategic Partnerships @ Syncoro) to explore how we can support your journey.