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Biography

v.premnath-01-23

Technologist, Inventor, Innovation Manager, Business Incubation Manager, Startup Mentor, Scientist Entrepreneur

 

CURRENT DESIGNATION

  • Head of NCL Innovations (the department within CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) charged with the responsibility of championing the cause of technology innovation within NCL)
  • Chief Scientist, Polymer Science and Engineering, CSIR-NCL
  • Director, Venture Center (India’s largest science business incubator)

 

Major Achievements & Contributions

 

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, INVENTION & TAKING TO END USERS

  • Inventor of breakthrough materials (highly cross-linked UHMWPE) used in orthopedic implants for the last 20 years made by global industry leader Zimmer Biomet and benefiting hundreds of thousands of people every year. Materials for total hip replacements have been implanted in more than 1
    million patients to date.
  • Technology developer for porous polyethylene cranio-maxillo-facial implants being made by Indian startup Biopore Surgicals for last 15 years. (NCL RFCipla Hamied Award for the Best Process/ Product Development, 2006.)
  • Co-inventor of silk-based bone filling implants (National Award for Technology Innovation 2019 for the category “Polymers for Public Healthcare” instituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India)
  • Co-inventor and technology developer for INDSECURE security fibers using cellulose nanofibers. This technology formed part of a shortlisted bid against an RFP issued by RBI for use in the Currency Notes (2018)


SCIENTIFIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • Co-founder of Serigen Mediproducts (previously, Biolmed Innovations) Private Limited – a spin-off company from CSIR-NCL – that is developing silk-based biomedical products. Lead products of the company are currently entering human clinical trials. Startup has successfully raised funds from Angel investors.
  • Co-founder of Orthocrafts Innovations Private Limited – a spin-off company from CSIR-NCL focused on degradable synthetic polymer based orthopedic implants that is currently developing a GMP facility for market introduction. Startup is an awardee under the National Biopharma Mission.


INSTITUTION BUILDING & LEADERSHIP

  • Founded and built-up the Venture Center from inception to the largest inventive enterprises incubator in the country. Venture Center today has a independent team of 40+ staff, handles Rs 20+ crores every year and nurtures 75+ resident startups at any given time at no financial cost to CSIR. Venture Center has demonstrated a unique model of sustainable incubation. (National Award for Best Incubator nurturing IP, 2021-22; No 1 Bioincubator in India for 2021-22 by Biospectrum; National Entrepreneurship Award under Ecosystems Builder Category, 2019; AABI (Asian) Incubator of the Year, 2018; National Award for TBIs, 2015 – received from the President of India)
  • Founder Director of CSIR-Tech Pvt Ltd; Helped create CSIR-Tech Pvt Ltd after request from DG-CSIR; Helped engage a CEO, build the team, raise money (Rs 10 crore) and mentor staff.
  • Pioneered innovation management and technology incubation in CSIR in 2007. Founded and led the following departments of NCL: NCL Innovations Resource Center; Intellectual Property Group.
  • Significant experience in fund raising from Government and Corporates (for both sponsored R&D and CSR funding).


OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC & MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TRAINING WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

  • PhD (Chemical Engineering & Program in Polymer Science and Technology), MIT, Cambridge, USA, 1997.
  • B. Tech (Chemical Engineering), IIT- Bombay, 1992
  • Chevening Technology Enterprise Scholar with Centre for Scientific Enterprise Ltd, London Business School and Dept of Material Science, University of Cambridge, UK (2004-2005); Exposure to a high-technology academic spin-outs on carbon nanotubes called Q-Flo.


POLICY & NATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Lead Coordinator, Task Force on Repurposing of Drugs for COVID19 (by Office of PSA and CSIR)
    Member of Thematic Groups of the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (by DST and Office of PSA)
  • Member of the National Panel for Technology-Led Innovation Policy, Government of India, 2017.
  • Member, High Powered Committee on CSIR-Tech, constituted by DG-CSIR, 2009.
  • Member of High Level Committee on Indigenization of Security Features, RBI, 2016
  • Member of Committees/Panels for BIRAC (DBT, GoI), TIFAC (DST, GoI), NSTEDB (DST, GoI), GSBTM (GoG), PMC (GoM), ARCI.
  • Key drafting contributions for following national schemes — BIRAC’s Biotech Ignition Grant and DST’s NIDHI Entrepreneur in Residence Program.
  • Board Member, US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund.


INNOVATION & IP MANAGEMENT

  • Set up and provided leadership to India’s leading innovation management group at CSIR-NCL. CSIR-NCL was India’s largest patent filing non-profit during 2008-2018. CSIR-NCL is the only Indian R&D organization to be mentioned in the WIPO report of World’s top 100 Inventive Clusters of the World released in 2017. CSIR-NCL’s efforts helped Pune to be listed as 1 out of 3 Indian cities in the top 100 inventive clusters of the world.
  • Winner of CSIR Technology Award for Technology Marketing and Business Development, 2013.
  • Set-up and mentored Intellectual Property Facilitation Center in Pune. This is the best performing IPFC of MoMSME in the country.


ENGAGING WITH INDIAN INDUSTRY

  • Experience in industrial projects with such clients as General Electric, Reliance Industries, Cosmo Films, Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Press and Mott MacDonald.
  • Strong networks in Indian industry –especially, Polymer Industry (Polyolefins and Polyurethanes), Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, CII, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, Association of Biotech- Led Enterprises and the Startup Community in India.


ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Google Citations for publications and patents: Total citations – 2901; hindex:25; i10-index: 29
  • At least 4 publications with more than 100 citations; Publication with highest citations has 687 citations.
  • Highly cited patents include 2 US Patents with more than 250 citations each.


MENTORING & BUILDING TEAMS

  • Recognized nationally as Startup Mentor and champion of Entrepreneurship. Have mentored more than 500+ entrepreneurs.
  • Created and mentored a strong team for NCL with specialization in innovation management (combination of training in science plus management or law).
  • During the period 2000-2010, helped attract several new young scientists with strong academic/ research backgrounds into CSIR-NCL. Created a platform called NCL 2020 to empower and help young scientists interact with the Director of CSIR-NCL


SOCIAL INITIATIVES

  • Asha for Education (Basic education of underprivileged children in India; Raised money and funded rural schools in multiple states; http://www.ashanet.org/ ) — Founder Member (1995), Publicity Coordinator (1995-1996) & Overall Coordinator (1996-1997), Asha-MIT, Boston, USA. Founder Member and Volunteer, Asha-Pune, Pune, India (2001-2004)
  • Exciting children with the potential of science; Science popularization (www.excitingscience.org): Founding team. In later years, only extended administrative and fund raising support via Venture Center.
  • Set-up and guided Venture Center’s Social Innovation Immersion Programme. Mentored 12 fellows so far in developing their ideas and commercializing it via startups.


DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF CSIR AND CSIR-NCL

  • Key contributor to “Reinventing CSIR” – the Kelkar Committee Report, 2003. The methodology to be able to calculate the lower bound social benefit to cost ratio using available CSIR data was developed by me.
  • Key contributions in drafting the following schemes of the CSIR: Annual Performance Review (used by CSIR for 10 years); Scientific Entrepreneurship Scheme; CSR Donation/ Grant Projects by CSIR Laboratories; Scheme for Financial Support for Incubation Centres (ICs) hosted by CSIR Laboratories; Scheme for Setting up CSIR funded Industry operated Next Gen R&D Facilities (GOCO for NextGen R&D)
  • Conceptualizing the mechanisms, drafting all documentation and securing approvals for CSIR-Tech (as requested by DG-CSIR).
  • Chair and Editor for the Committee that developed the Roadmap for Polymers and Advanced Materials at NCL.
  • One of the longest standing Heads of Department at CSIR-NCL since 2007.