DOT’s DCIS Scheme: As many companies have expressed concerns about the program’s possible termination, it is expected that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will continue with the Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS) initiative. However, the DCIS form or scheme could be altered. For entrepreneurs engaged in research and development (R&D) related to new goods, innovations, solutions, and intellectual property rights (IPRs), the program provides essential financial support.
DOT’s DCIS Scheme 2025
As a component of the Champion Services Sector Scheme (CSSS), DCIS works to support manufacturing, design, and research to strengthen India’s telecom sector. It places a strong emphasis on homegrown innovation, encouraging applications unique to India and bridging the gap between R&D and commercialization. Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India is putting DCIS into practice. Its goals are to turn creative concepts into working pilots, support the expansion of startups, and create prototypes.
With a budget of Rs. 124 crores for the years 2022–2025, it allots Rs. 10 crores for incubation centers and Rs. 112 crores for project funding. Projects involving research, prototyping, and testing at the “Proof of Concept” stage are eligible for funding from DCIS. It aims to promote innovation and establish India as a leader in telecom technology while excluding administrative expenditures and focusing on startups and MSMEs.
DOT’s DCIS Scheme Funding Structure
According to the plan documentation, Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India was the implementing agency, with a budgetary outlay of Rs 124 crore. The grants that are awarded by DCIS have been essential in reviving development initiatives inside the companies that receive them.
Funding Released so far under DOT’s DCIS Scheme
The approved grant for FY24 is currently at Rs 47 crore, of which Rs 19 crore has been issued. With the discharge of Rs 36.2 crore, the approved grant for FY23 was Rs 51.5 crore. The government provided funds to startup beneficiaries under the initiative totaling Rs 6.6 crore in FY22. The government was offering up to Rs 50 lakh for startups and up to Rs 2 crore for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses under the initiative. The maximum amount of money that could be awarded to a project was Rs 10 crore.
For what reason do startups oppose ending DCIS?
The first program that provided R&D financing support for innovative private-sector telecoms was DCIS. It has been essential in helping new and MSMEs in the telecom industry with research, development, product design, and intellectual property creation. In the past six months, some enterprises have achieved milestones, but have not received grants from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on time. The possibility of discontinuing the program in the middle has caused startups to voice their concerns.
A group of companies led by Tejas Networks, Sterlite Technologies Limited, HFCL, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and smaller organizations like Inventum and Infinity Labs, among others, called for the Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (VoICE) to highlight the negative effects that ending the program would have on ongoing research and development projects.
Influence on the R&D Landscape
VoICE emphasized the possible long-term consequences of stopping DCIS, pointing out negative effects on the retention of R&D skills and the pool of available resources. Startups emphasized the significance of ongoing support for significant outcomes, particularly in light of the protracted gestation times that are customary for telecom R&D initiatives. 66 domestic telecom solution providers, including Astrome, Lekha Wireless, Coral Telecom, Amantya Technologies, Signaltron, and Resonous, were among the scheme’s initial beneficiaries in the financial year that concluded in March.
Analysing Scheme Continuation and Discontinuing Due to Profitability
VoICE argues for alternative evaluations, highlighting the need for ongoing support for R&D, while the DoT considers closure due to the profitability of certain MSMEs and startups. They stress the possible negative effects on businesses that have made significant R&D investments and warn against associating profitability with sustainable cash flows.
Future Conversations and Pending Tranches
For the last six months, several startups have been anticipating the release of tranches. To include more businesses in the decision-making process, the administration is anticipated to continue deliberating on the issue. Voice has requested the government to reevaluate the discontinuance of DCIS given the new budget allocation of Rs 1,00,000 crore for long-term R&D investment across sectors. They support keeping it going and making it stronger to advance India to the forefront of developing technology globally. As entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders wait for a government decision, the future of the DCIS initiative is in doubt. The current discussion emphasizes how vital it is to provide consistent R&D support to promote innovation and competitiveness in the telecom industry.
Steps to Register for DOT’s DCIS Scheme 2025
To register for DOT’s DCIS Scheme, the user needs to follow the below-given steps:
- First of all, go to the official website of the Department of Telecommunication i.e., https://dcis.dot.gov.in/
- The homepage of the website will open
- Click on the New User option
- The registration form will open
- Now, select Applying as an:
- Startup
- MSME
- Consortium
- Individual Professional
- After that, fill in the form with all the required details like name, mobile number, email id, password, organization name, organization type, etc
- Then, enter the captcha code and click on the Register button
Steps to Login on the Portal
To login on the portal, the user needs to follow the below given steps:
- First of all, go to the official website of the Department of Telecommunication i.e., https://dcis.dot.gov.in/
- The homepage of the website will open
- Click on the Login option
- The login page will open
- Now, fill in all the required details like registration year, email id, and password
- After that, enter the captcha code and click on the sign in button
Contact Details
For further details or in case of any query or complaint related to the DOT’s DCIS Scheme, feel free to contact on the below-given details:
Address:
- C-DoT Campus Mandi Road, Mehrauli
- New Delhi-110030, India
- Helpline Number: 011-26598627
- E-mail Id: info@tcoe.in