For the last 15 years, Contractor has been working towards developing sensors that can be used for a range of applications like water quality monitoring and affordable healthcare solutions. But while the idea of developing sensors based on conducting polymers was well received way back in 1992, the industry’s response was “very disheartening.” “They only wanted us to copy what was available in the market. And though I wanted to take my product to the market, I had no business plans and didn’t know how to go about it, being an academician,” says Contractor.

But after the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) was initiated in 2004 at IIT Bombay, it gave a boost to his plans to start a company. SINE administers a business incubator, which provides support for technology-based entrepreneurship.