Deadline: 23-Apr-23
Applications are now open for the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge (QDIC) – 2023 to encourage Indian design houses and product companies to invent useful and innovative hardware product designs incorporating Qualcomm SoCs and technologies.
The Qualcomm Design in India Challenge (QDIC) – 2023 is the eighth edition of the initiative that was started in 2016.
It has been inspired by the tremendous potential of Smart Devices and products that can be built in the domains of Smart Infrastructure, Agriculture Technology, Industrial Automation, Robotics & Drones, Medical Technology and Rural IoT.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society, they are glad to offer support to India’s technology ecosystem through Qualcomm Design in India Challenge 2023. In its eighth edition, this design challenge continues to spur the domestic hardware ecosystem, which will positively impact the product ecosystem of design and enhance the manufacturing facilities in India. Qualcomm Design in India
Program Benefits in QDIC 2023
- Grants: All shortlisted startups will get an initial grant of INR 1.6 Lakh at start of incubation period. Five months into the incubation, a mid-cycle review will be held and those startups that meet the review requirements would be eligible for an additional grant of INR 1.6 Lakh. In March 2024, a jury pitching session will be held, and one winner and two runner ups will receive INR 65 Lakhs, INR 50 Lakhs and INR 35 Lakhs, respectively. All amounts are inclusive of GST, taxes, and other levies. Any applicable TDS would be deducted, and net would be paid.
- Patent Filing Incentive: Each shortlisted startup will be eligible for a reimbursement of up to INR 1.6 Lakh for complete (non-provisional) patent applications for technical advancements either with the India PTO or with the US PTO in respect of the proposal for QDIC and during the incubation phase of the program. Limited to 2 patent applications per startup.
- Opportunity to be incubated at NASSCOM CoE for IoT:Up to 2 shortlisted startups may be recommended on discretionary basis for a combined total of 24 seat months at a NASSCOM CoE for IoT at no cost to them without having to go through the standard application process.
- Accelerator Services: The program offers accelerator services, through a partner, to all shortlisted startups at no additional cost. This includes Diagnostic assessments, Workshop interventions on scaling parameters like operations, customers, competition, product, financials, org building and seeking investments. One to one mentorship will also be available to the founders. Startups are expected to travel for these workshops and mentorship sessions at their own cost.
- Benefits offered by MathWorks®: Through an association with MathWorks, all startups will be eligible for the following benefits provided directly by Mathworks based on their discretion and criteria for no additional charge:
- 12 months free software: MATLAB, Simulink and 100+ add-on products
- Each startup can avail up to 10 licenses based on their team size and requirements
- Full technical support (phone, email, online)
- Training
- Free: MATLAB, Simulink and deep learning onramps, online self-paced tutorials
- 50% off Training Credits usable for all online and public classes
- Benefits offered by AWS Activate: Through an association with AWS, all startups would be eligible to receive free AWS credits which could be upto USD 100,000. The actual amount of credit offered will be decided and provided by AWS directly based on their discretion and criteria
- Government connects: Opportunity to connect with MeitY/DPIIT in person; meet and greet sessions would be scheduled. Travel cost is covered by Qualcomm
- Participation at Industry Events: Opportunity to select startups to participate at relevant industry events either hosted by Qualcomm and/or its subsidiaries or those where Qualcomm participates. In the past, these have included Qualcomm’s 5G Summit in Hong Kong, India Mobile Congress (IMC) in New Delhi, Meet Taipei Startup Festival, Smart Cities Accelerate San Diego, etc. Typically, airfare and hotel are covered for domestic events and airfare only for international events.
- Access to Innovation Commercialization Fund: The Innovation Commercialization Fund (ICF) was launched in 2019 for all QDIC alumni startups and is used for reimbursement towards one of more of the expenses incurred towards taking the product commercial – certification cost, costs incurred towards industrial design and manufacturing cost towards customer orders. In 2023, this fund size will continue to be of INR 60 Lakhs. Please see ICF Terms and Conditions for details.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individual startup companies that demonstrate Hardware and Embedded design experience
- Hardware design proposals must be focused on one of the domains – 5G Applications/use cases, Robotics & Drones, Smart Infrastructure, Medical Technology and Rural and Industrial IoT – regardless of the form factor of the product.
- Hardware designs must be based on one of four available platforms.
- Only registered companies from India will be considered for further evaluation in accordance with the quality of work submitted. Students do not qualify for this challenge.
- Only one submission per company will be accepted. Multiple proposals from the same company could lead to disqualification.
- Participating companies should have preferably established operations of minimum 6 months in hardware design and solutions
- The quality of each product design in the focus areas mentioned with clear hardware/software differentiation will be valued along with creativity and relevance to “community and technology” related demand in India.
For more information, visit Empowering the Startup Ecosystem in India.