In addition to analyzing the landscape, it also showcased the various drivers for university-industry partnerships and some challenges that exist in the ecosystem which will have to be overcomed in order to get to the next level of collaborative research.

"Many of the Tier-2 universities, whose research potential is comparable to the Tier-1 universities, offer other advantages in terms of cost, existing collaborations etc. Though the collaborative research scenario is still nascent in Tier-2 universities in the country as of now, we surely see it heading northwards due to proactive initiatives by them and increased government participation (e.g., increased government funding for sponsored research projects)", said Chaitanya Ramalingegowda in Bangalore on Thursday, Director-Advisory Services, Zinnov Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The study highlighted that while with proven research capabilities, Tier-1 universities in India indeed offer a lot of scope for collaboration with industry, they also have multitude of challenges in terms of rigid terms & conditions, IP policy constraints, bureaucratic setup etc.

On the contrary, most Tier-2 universities in India are in a position to address these challenges better given their readiness to be highly flexible. Additionally, Tier-2 universities whose research potential is comparable to that of Tier-1 universities, offer other advantages in terms of cost, existing collaborations etc. The cost difference is typically 50 percent but it can go as high as 80 to 90 percent for Tier-2 universities. In fact, some Tier-2 universities already have existing collaborations with Tier-1 universities that help leverage research/ IP and best practices.