Technology Development and Utilization Programme for Women

What is the Technology Development and Utilization Programme for Women?

The Technology Development and Utilization Programme for Women is a programme of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, aimed at putting appropriate, proven technology into the hands of women. Instead of funding women directly, the programme funds organisations; NGOs, societies, technology institutions and similar bodies: to demonstrate technologies, adapt them to local conditions, train women in using them, and help women adopt them in their work and livelihoods.

The idea behind the programme is that a great deal of useful technology already exists in laboratories and institutions, but it does not reach women who could benefit from it; in food processing, handicrafts, agriculture, small manufacturing and household enterprise. Much of women's work is manual and labour-intensive, and even simple, proven technologies can reduce drudgery, save time and raise output. The programme is designed to bridge that gap between an available technology and the women who could use it, by supporting the intermediary organisations that can carry out demonstration and training on the ground.

DSIR's broader mandate is to promote the development and utilisation of indigenous technology and its transfer. This women-focused programme applies that mandate to a specific group, using project grants as the instrument.

What does the programme support?

The programme typically supports activities such as:

• Technology demonstration and adaptation: showing women how a proven technology works and tailoring it to local materials and conditions.
• Technology-based training and skill-building — hands-on training so women can operate and maintain the technology.
• Support for technology adoption: helping women take up the technology in their livelihoods, including linkages to institutions that developed it.

The support is provided as a project-based grant to the implementing organisation, covering the agreed activities and outcomes. Because it is project-based, there is no single fixed benefit figure; the grant for any proposal is decided by DSIR on the merits of that project. Where a specific ceiling or funding norm is not confirmed in the current guidelines, an applicant should confirm it with the DSIR programme office rather than assume a figure.

Who is eligible for the programme?

Eligible applicants:

• Registered organisations, NGOs, voluntary organisations, societies, technology and research institutions, with the capacity to demonstrate technology and train women.
• Organisations able to submit a credible project proposal with clear women beneficiaries, activities, budget and outcomes, and to account for the grant.

Not eligible / cannot apply:

• An individual woman cannot apply for a personal grant. Women are the intended beneficiaries of the funded projects, not the direct applicants.
• Unregistered groups without the legal and financial standing to receive and account for a government grant are not eligible.
• Purely commercial ventures with no women-focused technology-transfer objective fall outside the programme.

This is the key point readers get wrong: the programme is an institutional grant scheme. A woman benefits by taking part in a project run by a funded organisation, not by applying to DSIR herself.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the programme

1. An eligible organisation identifies a proven technology that can benefit women and defines the target group of women beneficiaries.
2. The organisation prepares a project proposal setting out the technology, the activities (demonstration, training, adoption support), the budget and the expected outcomes.
3. The proposal, with the organisation's registration and audited accounts, is submitted to the DSIR programme office in the format prescribed.
4. DSIR appraises the proposal, and, if approved, sanctions a project grant and releases funds against agreed milestones.
5. The organisation implements the project and reports progress and utilisation as required under the sanction terms.

Where to confirm details

• DSIR: dsir.gov.in for the current programme guidelines, proposal formats and contact details.
• The DSIR programme office is the authoritative source for current funding norms and application windows.

This is a niche, institution-facing programme with limited published figures. An applicant organisation should confirm the current terms, formats and any funding ceilings directly with DSIR rather than rely on unverified numbers, and this guide deliberately avoids quoting amounts that cannot be confirmed against the current guidelines.