TDSC offers technical consulting services on projects serving the bottom 80% in the basic sectors of water, energy, sanitation, healthcare and agriculture. For existing systems, we offer status assessment, redesign, monitoring and evaluation services. For planned/new projects, we offer need-assessment, techno-economic feasibility study, detailed design, and monitoring of implementation.
An additional objective of TDSC is to help develop a knowledge network of regional institutions working in the development sector. TDSC's outreach parallel will involve dissemination of outputs such as protocols and case studies generated through TDSC projects and live research.
We aim to provide services to all groups engaged in the basic development sectors:
- Gram panchayats, zilla parishads, district planning committees
- Municipal corporations and other urban local bodies
- Central and state government ministries and other policy makers
- NGOs, trusts, self-help groups and citizen groups, and other community-based organizations
- CSR divisions of corporates
- Academic institutions
Typical services offered:
- Need-assessment and pre-feasibility analysis
- Quantitative study of a basic needs problem at a specific location, and an exploration of possible solutions
- Execution cycle: 1-3 months
- For Example: Drinking water stress assessment for a gram panchayat
- Third-party audit and evaluation
- Neutral third-party evaluation of an existing or planned scheme/programme/project (generally based on technical design, economic feasibility, social factors)
- Execution cycle: 2-4 months
- For Example: Energy audit of a town's water supply scheme; social audit of a major CSR project
- Feasibility assessment and design
- Detailed feasibility study and technical design for new assets
- Execution cycle: 4-6 months
- For Example: Design of a rainwater harvesting system for a rural PHC; design of a single-village rural solar pumping system for irrigation
- Design and execution of case studies
- Development of case studies highlighting best practices, challenges and solutions for problem areas in the key sectors
- Execution cycle: 2-6 months
- For Example: Case studies on community-based water treatment solutions for the urban and local poor
- Training and outreach
- Preparation of training materials for various stakeholders (e.g. students, NGOs, pump operators) on best practices, design protocols, tools (e.g. GIS)
- Execution cycle: 2-3 months
- For Example: Training session for ULB staff and engineers on the use of basic GIS tools for better city planning
- Gadget/device prototype development
- Design or redesign of devices or gadgets that may serve one of the basic needs of the bottom 80% (energy, water, healthcare, agriculture, livelihood etc)
- Execution cycle: 2-6 months
- For Example: Design of a low-cost CVD diagnostic tool for rural PHCs
Execution mode and logistics
IRCC | TDSC operates as a cell within IIT Bombay's Industrial Research and Consulting Centre (IRCC) . In general, to initiate a project with TDSC, an MOU is signed between both parties, which includes details pertaining to the project scope, planned deliverables, timeline and budget.
Team | Typically, one project coordinator is assigned to a project, with more members assigned as necessary. B.Tech. students of IITB, through TDSL course are used for exploratory studies and creation of execution methods. Similarly MTech and PhD students are associated for project execution and research. The team is supervised and guided by the project PI and the projects progress is monitored by TDSC PIs.
Thematic areas and projects
The following nonexhaustive list gives a classification of thematic areas that TDSC works in. Current projects and related details can be found here,
- Piped drinking water schemes
- Watershed development for groundwater recharge and surface water storage
- Pumping solutions for irrigation
- Solid-waste management route planning and optimisation
- Wastewater management solutions
- Draining system design
- Energy solutions for lighting and other basic sector service