Telecom Technology Development Fund scheme

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) a body under the Department of Telecommunications, officially launched the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme on October 01st, 2022.

Aim

Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) aims to fund R&D in rural-specific communication technology applications and form synergies among academia, start-ups, research institutes, and the industry to build and develop the telecom ecosystem. Additionally, the Scheme aims to promote technology ownership and indigenous manufacturing, create a culture of technology co-innovation, reduce imports, boost export opportunities and creation of Intellectual Property.

Eligibility

The following Indian entities are only eligible for support from this fund.

• Domestic Company(ies) with focus on telecom R&D, Use case development
• Start-ups / MSMEs
• Academic institutions
• R&D institutions, Section 8 companies / Societies, Central & State government entities / PSUs /Autonomous Bodies/SPVs / Limited liability partnerships- with focus on telecom research and development
• Collaborative consortium of above entities
• For Pilots: The above entities may partner, inter alia, with PSUs, TSPs, Central/State Government entities, government autonomous bodies, SPVs etc.

Technology domains

• 5G development under ‘India 5G Stack’
• 6G & Beyond technology development
• IoT & M2M development
• Other Telecom Technologies under various research program
• Entrepreneurship Cell (for early-stage Start-ups)
• Research Scholarship program

Under the scheme, USOF is also targeting to develop standards to meet countrywide requirements and create the ecosystem for research, design, prototyping, use cases, pilots, and proof of concept testing, among others.

How to apply

The format of application, guidelines and online submission can be accessed at https://usof.gov.in/ttdf

The current call for proposals for the TTDF is open - October 1 -30,  2022.