BizVidya - Empowering Entrepreneurs » SME

Intellectual Property and its relevance to SMEs

ashokadur — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:44:37 +0000

Dr. Ashok M. Adur's Intellectual Property Illustration

Most medium and small scale companies in India do not leverage intellectual property as a strategic tool to accelerate their commercial success. For example, when you have an idea for a business that is unique, that has a value proposition, you have some intellectual capital. How do you derive value from it?

Intellectual capital is not just about filing patents. It is the aggregate intellectual material knowledge, information, intellectual property, experience that can be put to use strategically to create wealth in a company.

However, it is rare that an SME owner would have access to in-house IP expertise. One way out is to hire right consultants. This could be critical for your business if you wish to grow over a longer time horizon with a sustained competitive advantage.

What could be the benefits of hiring the right consultant to guide your growth and maximize the value of your intellectual property? We list a few benefits here:

Dramatically Enhance Value, Competitiveness and Market Share
Assessment and Transfer of Technology
Product Development for Various Specialized Applications in Many Diverse Industries
Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Business Development and Worldwide Marketing
Material Selection, Formulations and Product Development for Optimization of Performance, Cost and Processibility
Accelerating Projects from Conception to Innovation to Patenting to Commercialization and Product Introduction
Productivity Improvement, Scale-up, Cost Reduction, Quality Improvement, Quality Control and Quality Assurance
Strategic Direction and Planning and P/L Turnaround
Patents and Licensing – Legally Getting Around Existing Patents
Trouble-Shooting and Technical Service
Helping You to “Go Green” by Utilizing Recycled and Bio-derived Materials and Using Recycle Materials for Value-Added Applications
Other Business and Technical Areas in Plastics, Polymers, Composites and Packaging

In subsequent posts I shall provide more insights on how to do so.

Author: Ashok M. Adur, Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Engineering

Innovations Consultant; Product, Business & Strategy Development; Optimization of IP, Cost & Resources.

Consulting Experience since 1992.

Published 13 papers in professional journals and presented over 45 papers at regional, national and international professional conferences. Also moderated and organized some conferences.

Listed in “Who’s Who in Plastics” and “International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs”.

Developed several new proprietary inventions, over 66 patents applied, 26 granted so far, resulting in commercializing numerous value-added products to meet specific customer needs and in new annual business of over $1 billion.

ET: SMEs drive India’s growth to prosperity

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:28:05 +0000

Now that SMEs can raise funds through NSE/BSE, what more can be done to empower SMEs to drive India’s growth to prosperity?

According to ET Bureau, SEBI’s latest move “can be but one step
towards removing the panoply of constraints that they face on a daily basis.”

Some suggestions by ET Bureau:

Remove routine informational rigidities between SMEs and lenders and potential investors.
A more responsive policy mechanism to finance SMEs: what is necessary is an array of advisory and business development services focused on SMEs: the idea is to improve credit and business-performance information.
Innovative financial products to reduce credit risks for SMEs and boost investor comfort.
Address the problem of delayed payments and rationalise the tax regime for SMEs.

Finally we enthusiastically agree with the assertion:

We need a thriving SME sector to boost entrepreneurship and risk-taking pan-India, and spur innovation and growth.

Read the full article here.

NOW, SMEs can raise funds through NSE/BSE

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:21:01 +0000

CB Bhave, SEBI Chairman

Now, SME Business Owners in India can raise funds with their IPOs on NSE and BSE!

This is the latest message from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which announced its decisions through its Press Release “PR No.344/2009″.

NSE and BSE will now be allowed to set-up SME trading platform, which would have lighter eligibility norms for companies initiating public offers: Clause 49 still needs to be complied with, and SMEs can prepare and present financial results on a half-yearly basis (instead of the quarterly requirement).

Other exemptions include diluting the profitability track record requirement and Takeover Code regulations.

Minimum IPO application size: Rs. 1 lakh
Minimum trading lot: Rs. 1 lakh
Upper limit for paid up capital for listing on the SME exchange : Rs. 25 crore
Minimum paid up capital for listing on NSE/ BSE: Rs.10 crore

Read the complete Press Release here.

Further, it said companies listed on the SME platform would be exempted from the eligibility norms for initial and follow-on public offers. While norms related to Clause 49 of the listing agreement will have to be complied with, SMEs have been exempted from quarterly preparation and presentation of financial results to keep their compliance costs low. Instead, accounts will have to be prepared and presented on a half-yearly basis