The CoE was set up by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government and industry body India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) in Noida.
“This IP is a significant milestone for Boat Labs and the Indian electronics industry, as it demonstrates the potential for innovation and value engineering in India. The neckband IP was developed under the Make in India initiative, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) of Mobile Enhancements,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
ICEA signed the memorandum of understanding with Boat last year as an industry partner for the CoE based on Li-ion products (post cell) at CDAC, Noida.
“Boat is the first company from the consumer lifestyle electronics industry to collaborate with the ICEA to bring out the indigenous IP. This neckband IP is a feature-rich product that offers a great value proposition for Indian brands and consumers,” the statement said.
Boat spokesperson said the IP (intellectual Property) is for the whole Neckband product electronics design, optimised BOM (Bill of Material) and the customised software.
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When asked about the status of a patent for the product, the spokesperson said there is no patent applied and hence not applicable in this case. “There is no intention to apply for the patent in this project. These designs and deliverables are more of targeted eco-system innovation design than any brand-new invention. The idea is not to patent and block it for re-using it. Rather open it up to Indian Ecosystem players to easily go to production and be quick to market without establishing bigger engineering or investing in their R&D resources,” the spokesperson said.
The IP ecosystem created by Boat Labs will also help to reduce India’s dependence on foreign companies for electronics products, the statement said.
“With the aid of India’s public-private partnerships, industry expertise, and infrastructure, this latest accomplishment showcases the country’s ability to produce innovative new IPs. This IP is a small, yet significant step in nurturing future national champions,” Boat’s parent firm Imagine Marketing, co-founder and CEO, Sameer Mehta said.
