The session will highlight how business incubators can provide a sustainable and effective lab-to-land platform for agricultural research institutions and aid in the development of agriculture and its allied sectors while generating revenue in the process. Case studies on business incubators under NIABI and other models across the world will also be featured.

1. Business Incubation Centre
ZTM-BPD Unit, South Zone
Dr. C. N. Ravishankar
Principal Scientist & Head, Fish Processing
Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin
NIABI GLOBAL CONFERENCE, NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 2012

2. Agri-Business Incubator at CIFT
The ZTM-BPD Unit, South Zone was established at CIFT,
Cochin on August 2009. It is essentially a business
incubation drive designed for the Indian agricultural sector
to promote agripreneurs with the help of the vast R&D
facilities and knowledge available with ICAR.

3. Agri-Business Incubator at CIFT, Cochin
India’s first Business Incubator exclusively for Fisheries
sector
It is established under Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) through the World Bank funded National
Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP)
It is designed to accelerate the growth and success of
entrepreneurial start-up efforts through the mobilisation of an
array of business resources and services

4. Agri-Business Incubator at CIFT, Cochin
Besides commercializing the technologies developed at CIFT,
the ZTM-BPD Unit acts as the zonal hub for R&D information
management and business incubation support to 21 ICAR
research institutions in South India.
HORTICULTURE CROP SCIENCE ANIMAL SCIENCE FISHERIES

5. Our Focus Areas
Direct and Virtual Incubation
Development of linkages with supporting organizations
Mobilization of funds to Incubatees
Collaboration with International Business Incubator
Technology Promotion and Commercialization
Business Meets / Industry Interface programmes
Entrepreneurship development / capacity building
Protection and management of intellectual assets of ICAR

6. Incubation Programme
Our Clients
A total of 41 entrepreneurs who wish to start commercial
ventures with the technical assistance and services of CIFT
have enrolled as incubatees under the ZTM- BPD Unit.
40 41
35
28
30
25 20
20
15
10
10
5
0
0
March 2010 Sept 2010 March 2011 Sep 2011 Nov 2011
Jan 2012

7. Incubation Programme
Services Offered
BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES
Market information / research
Business guidance and consulting
Legal and accounting guidance
Registration of trademarks and patents
Testing services and validation

8. Incubation Programme
Services Offered
INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES
Incubation Office space
Pilot level production facility
Laboratories
Library

9. Incubation Office
Furnished office space
On site technical guidance from expert R&D personnel
Conference facility
Internet and communication facility
Physical and Digital Library
Well equipped Laboratory

10. Incubation Office (Layout)

11. Pilot Plant
Pilot Plant Facility includes production lines for
- pre-processing
- freezing and chilling
- value added product
- utilization of by products from fish
- retort pouch processing
- sausage and extruded products
- breading and battering
- cooking and canning
- packaging

12. Product development facility
Pre-processing lab
Kitchen – for product formulation
Processing
Food packaging facility

13. Trainings
Design & operation of responsible fishing gear & fishing vessels
Seafood quality assurance
IS / ISO 22000 – HACCP for seafood industry
Laboratory techniques for the microbiological examination of
seafoods
Laboratory course on the biochemical evaluation of fish and
fishery products
Extension methodologies for coastal fisheries
Fishery by-products
Development of fish & shrimp based value added products
Energy efficient and eco-friendly fish drying systems

14. Laboratories
CIFT has been awarded the prestigious
NABL Accreditation as per ISO 17025
by National Accreditation Board for
testing and Calibration Laboratories, New
Delhi.
The scope of NABL Accreditation covers
three major fields of testing namely
chemical, mechanical and biological
fields

15. Laboratories
The laboratories at CIFT are well equipped for both
fundamental and applied research
Testing of processed fishery products, ice, water and other
materials like marine paints, engines etc.
Analysis of chemical contaminants and heavy metal residues,
in fish and shellfish

16. Successful Business Ventures
Sultan Singh’s Fish Processing
Facility, Karnal, Haryana
Manufacturing Unit for Chitin /
Chitosan – Uniloids Bioscience
Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad

17. Successful Business Ventures
CHITONE – Matsyafed, Kerala
Pathinathan Exports –
Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu

18. Successful Business Ventures
Thermal validation of canned and
retort pouch processed tuna
products - Horizon Fisheries,
Mandhoo, Maldives

19. Supporting Organizations
National Fisheries Development Board
Micro Small and Medium Entreprises
Marine Products Exports Development Authority
Seafood Exporters Association of India
State Bank of India, Agri-Commercial Branch
NABARD
Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium

20. Mobilization of Funds to Incubatees
National Fisheries Development Board
Micro Small and Medium Entreprises
State Bank of India, Agri-Commercial Branch
Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium
Steps are taken to mobilize financial assistance to incubatees
through MSME, NABARD, SFAC and State Bank of India.
One of the Incubatees received `2.5 crore from State Bank
of India.

21. Collaboration with International Business
Incubator
Agrivalue Processing Business
Incubator, Alberta, Canada

22. Technology Promotion &Commercialization
Technological Assets of South Zone Member Institutes
A number of high yielding and resilient crop
varieties
Animal and poultry breeds and fish
strains.
Improved animal husbandry practices.
Natural resource management
technologies.
Improved tools, equipment and farm
machinery.

23. Technological Assets of South Zone Member Institutes
Improved dairy, poultry and fisheries
technologies
Post harvest technologies
Processes and products of agriculture and
the allied sectors
Computer software and data sets

24. Business Meets
ICAR Industry Meet 2010, New Delhi
Innovations 4 Industry Meet in Fisheries, Vizag
International Animal Industry Expo 2010, Karnal
Horticulture Industry Meet, Bangalore

25. Business Meets
ICAR Industry Meet 2011, New Delhi
Innovations 4 Industry Meet – Crop Science,
Hyderabad
Presented ICAR Pavilion South Zone at
FOOD 3600 Hyderabad

26. Agri-Business Camp, Cochin
Entrepreneurs’ Meet - Vizag Industry Interface - Seafood
Industry -
Interface
Programmes
Pangasius Festival - Vizag

27. Capacity Building Programmes
AgrIP 2011
Annual Meeting-cum- Advancements in Purse seine
Workshops fishing systems

28. Thank you