National Technology Awards: Who Are The Most Innovative Startups?

In a country where the youth is its biggest strength, National Technology Week 2023 celebrated the innovative minds of India with a primary focus on Atal Innovation Mission, showcasing groundbreaking innovations across different sectors. The event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who praised the theme ‘School to Startups - igniting young minds to innovate’ and emphasized on the importance of knowledge and creating a strong foundation for the future generations. 

The 4-day long event concluded with the announcement of the National Technology Awards 2023, recognizing the best of startups and incubation centers in the country. Let's take a look at the list of winners in different categories.

Category A: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD (MAIN)

This award is given to an industrial concern which has successfully developed & commercialized an indigenous technology. In case, the technology developer / provider and the company commercializing the technology are two different organizations, each is eligible for award of Rs.25 Lakh and a trophy.

• M/s MyLab Discovery Solutions Private Limited, Maharashtra

The company has successfully indigenised CNATSpert ID TripleH Detection Kit which offers all in one qualitative multiplex Real Time PCR test for simultaneous detection and discrimination of HIV, HBV, and HCV in donated blood in a single tube format. 

Mylab’s patented NATSpert ID TripleH Detection Kit offers all- in- one qualitative multiplex Real-Time PCR test for simultaneous detection and discrimination of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) such as HIV, HBV and HCV in donated blood. In India, with high prevalence rate of HIV, HBV, and HCV, blood safety is a big challenge. Blood safety relies deeply on the accurate screening of blood for transmissible infections (TTIs). Every year thousands of people in India acquire deadly infections because of lack of appropriate preventive testing.

The Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAT) is considered the gold standard in blood safety screening and significantly reduces TTIs related to Hepatitis B and C and HIV. Some viruses, such as hepatitis B, have a longer incubation period of 40 to 50 days. The serology tests fail to detect the presence whereas NAT will find out such presence. NATSpert, the only made in India approved NAT test, is highly sensitive and is specific real time PCR technology for testing of individual donors and blood products. It can identify and detect multiple analytes in a single test, thus improving workflow turnaround time and sensitivity compared to the currently available commercial NAT kits. It is a high quality, affordable NAT test compare to existing commercially available tests. NATSpert can help blood banks to supply non-infected blood, avoid litigations that come their way due to infected blood stocks and improve their quality standards.  

Category B: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD UNDER MSME CATEGORY

The award of Rs. 15 lakhs each in this category is given to MSMEs that have successfully commercialized the product based on indigenous technology. This year following company has been selected for this award: -

• M/s Ideaforge Technology Limited, Maharashtra.  

The company has indigenously developed Fixed-wing VTOL UAV- SWITCH UAV that can fly at diverse terrains and harsh environments, ranging from -30 °C to +55 °C for a variety of security and surveillance applications.

• M/s. Electronics Devices Worldwide Private Limited, Maharashtra.

The company has developed Zero-ventilated induction cap sealing device with improved spatial   distribution of optimized power loss.

• M/s. XIOTZ Private Limited, Karnataka (Women led MSME)

The company has developed Managed Cyber Assurance Platform.

Category C: NATIONAL AWARD UNDER TECHNOLOGY START-UP CATEGORY   

This award is given to a technology start-up for development of indigenous technology with potential for commercialization. The award in addition to the trophy includes a cash award of Rs.15 Lakh.

• M/s Kanpur Flower Recycling Private Limited, Uttar Pradesh 

The company has developed Fleather- an animal free sustainable alternative to conventional leather made from flower waste.

• M/s Sascan Meditech Private Limited, Kerala

The product awarded is Oral Scan handheld device to screen for early-stage cancers and for biopsy guidance.

• M/s Xyma Analytics Private Limited., Tamil Nadu

The company has produced Novel Multi-Point and Multi-Parameter Sensing to withstand extreme environment in Industrial applications using Patented Ultrasonic Waveguide based Technology.

• M/s WellRx Technologies Private Limited., Haryana 

The 'Oil and Gas Wells Rejuvenation Technologies to “Revive” the shut wells and “Increase” the Oil and Gas Production'.

• M/s Qzense Labs Private Limited, Karnataka (Women led Start up)

The company has developed Early spoilage detection and shelf-life prediction for fresh food using artificial olfaction.

Category D: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD- TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

This award is given for outstanding contribution of Women Scientist / Entrepreneur in commercializing innovative indigenous technologies.

• Prof. Govindaraju Thimmaiah

For Outstanding contribution of Scientist in commercializing innovative indigenous technologies.

Professor Govindaraju has developed a novel drug candidate TGR63 for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Category E: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD-TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS INCUBATOR

For outstanding contribution in techno-entrepreneurship development by way of promoting innovative, technology driven knowledge, intensive startup enterprises in different technological areas.' is presented to T-Hub Foundation, Telangana.

• T-Hub

T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler. Based out of Hyderabad, India, T-Hub leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem and is the world’s largest innovation campus.