Telecom Technology Development Fund
The TTDF scheme provides grants to Indian startups, MSMEs, companies, and academic institutions working on telecom R&D and commercialization, funded from 5% of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) annual collections. It supports developing indigenous telecom products and solutions — from prototype to commercial grade — with special focus on rural and remote connectivity. Apply online at usof.gov.in through a multi-stage screening and evaluation process.
About This Scheme
The TTDF scheme provides grants to Indian startups, MSMEs, companies, and academic institutions working on telecom R&D and commercialization, funded from 5% of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) annual collections. It supports developing indigenous telecom products and solutions — from prototype to commercial grade — with special focus on rural and remote connectivity. Apply online at usof.gov.in through a multi-stage screening and evaluation process.
Full official description
Telecommunication technology products require significantly large funding and long gestation periods for R&D and commercialization including the additional efforts and resources for the products to move from prototype to commercial grade. In the cases of high-impact deep-tech projects, elaborated in later sections, there is a need for higher funding to build such products at an affordable cost to enable state of the art services for rural areas in the country. Taking note of this strategic need in the telecom sector and to create a large pool of capital available for R&D in the country, different financing instruments are offered under various schemes of the Government of India to develop indigenous technologies and solutions. Apart from the existing R&D funding mechanisms, annual collections under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) will also be utilized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for funding research and development of technologies, products, and services for the purpose of providing telecom services in rural and remote areas. An allocation of 5% of annual collections from USOF will be available for funding R&D in the Telecom sector, starting with the funds collected in the financial year 2021-22. Commercialization and adoption of these telecom technologies and solutions developed shall be given priority including through USOF schemes. Induction of new technology developments in the telecom sector in rural and remote areas through pilots and trials. Deliverables are in line with the objectives, scope, and activities envisaged above. The impact of the Scheme would be measured in terms of:
- Number of products, solutions, Use cases developed, commercialized and its market value;
- Number of entities received educational order, culminating in getting full-fledged orders; and
- Number of IPs generated and commercialized.
Benefits
- Grants from USOF collections to fund telecom R&D and commercialization
- Supports moving products from prototype to commercial grade, including field trials and security certification
- Focus areas: indigenous telecom manufacturing (Atmanirbhar Bharat), next-gen rural/remote connectivity, IP creation, and international standardization
- Technologies successfully developed may be adopted in USOF/DoT-funded rural rollout schemes
- High-impact deep-tech projects may qualify for higher funding tiers
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Must be an Indian (domestic) entity: startups, MSMEs, companies, academic institutions, R&D institutes, Section 8 companies, PSUs, or LLPs
- Primary focus must be on telecom research, development, or use-case building
- Collaborative consortia of eligible entities are also welcome
- For pilot projects, minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 is required
- Pilot projects can partner with PSUs, telecom service providers (TSPs), or government bodies
Exclusions
Exclusions (if any):
When an Indian Company receives a grant under the scheme, it is envisaged to retain its status as a ‘Domestic Company’ for a minimum period of two (2) years after completion of the project to enable the percolation of public funded R&D benefits into the ecosystem.
If a foreign investor1 or foreign Successor-in-Interest wishes to acquire a majority stake, within the above two-year period, the company can do so, by paying twice the grant principal amount received directly or through a partnership with academia/research institution under the scheme.
How to Apply
Application Process: (Stepwise):
Step 01: Online submission of Proposal (https://usof.gov.in/en/home) Step 02: Screening of the applicant Step 03: Review and due diligence by the Technical Evaluation Committee Step 04: Review and examination by the Administrative Committee Step 05: Final approval from Competent Authority Step 06: Assignment to Implementation Agency Step 07: Continuous monitoring by IA and fund disbursement
Frequently Asked Questions
In the application form there is a section for lead investors. Does it stand for founder/ head of the organisation? If there is a consortium, who should be put as lead investor?
In the application, the applicant should mention the details of Investors. In the case of a consortium, the primary applicant should be mentioned.
Is renting of workspaces an eligible activity for funding?
The land building etc. shall not be a part of eligible expenditure for the funding. Kindly refer to clause 5 of TTDF guidelines available on the USOF website.
Is there any preference for proposal from applicant type like startup, MSME, Government Institute, PSU, Academia or other registered organisation?
No.
Is it allowed to have any executive summary document or any additional supporting document along with the application form?
Yes, there is a option to add additional document.
Is any domestic telecom R&D company eligible or only MSME and start-up?
Please refer to clause-6 of TTDF guidelines available on USOF website.
The IP developed through this program, will it be shared with the IA?
Kindly refer to clause 8 of TTDF guidelines available on USOF website.
Is it mandatory for Start up or MSME to contribute in the proposal?
Kindly refer to the addendum for TTDF guidelines dated 14.08.2023.
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Applicant and collaborator Resume
- Registration certificate of the organization/Institute
- Approval Certificate from your organisation/Institute on their letterhead for submission of Open/Pilot/Chipset Proposal
- Annual report of last 3 years
- TAN/ PAN/ CIN of primary applicant/organization
- Applicant team resume
- GANTT/ PERT chart
- Detailed Technical Architecture diagram
- Presentation of proposal
- Declaration document