NCNDE FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers for Prospective Members, Partners, and Institutions.
31 questions in 7 topics.
01About NCNDE
The National Consortium for Non-Destructive Evaluation is India's first industry-driven NDE research consortium. It was established in November 2024 under CNDE, IIT Madras, and is open to organisations worldwide.
Technology developers build with little access to real field conditions. Operators adopt technology without sight of the research that could solve their problems. Researchers create knowledge and talent with few sustained channels into industry. NCNDE brings all three onto one platform.
NCNDE is powered by CNDE. Members gain access to CNDE's faculty, laboratories, researchers, and spin-off ecosystem.
Research is organised across three domains: nondestructive imaging and evaluation, structural health monitoring, and online process parameter measurement. Work spans early-stage science through to near-commercial deployment.
02Membership and Eligibility
There are two types, Industrial and Academic. Industrial membership is offered in three tiers, Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Academic membership is not tiered, and its terms depend on whether the institution is private, government, or foreign.
Organisations and institutions. Industrial membership is open to industries, government organisations, PSUs, manufacturers, solution providers, and startups. Academic membership is open to universities, national laboratories, and R&D bodies.
No. Membership is held by organisations and institutions only.
Yes. NCNDE is open to organisations worldwide, and foreign academic institutions join without a membership fee.
Yes. Startups and solution providers are eligible for Industrial membership. Silver is the entry tier, and it carries the same early IP access as Platinum.
NCNDE has 10 member organisations across energy, inspection technology, manufacturing, and industrial sectors. The full list is in the Members section.
03Industrial Membership
Platinum is Rs. 30L, Gold is Rs. 15L, and Silver is Rs. 7.5L, each over three years. Fees are payable in equal annual instalments.
Higher tiers receive lower project overhead, earlier scheduling priority, more free laboratory hours, longer feasibility studies, and larger discounts. Platinum members also hold a seat on the Management Board.
Platinum suits organisations that want to steer the research agenda directly. Gold and Silver suit organisations seeking access to research outcomes, laboratories, and early IP. The Membership page sets out every benefit by tier.
Members receive early access to IP, prototypes, and research outputs before they reach the open market. They also receive free laboratory hours, a complimentary feasibility study each year, an R&D credit on project fees, and reduced project overhead. Consultancy and training discounts and preferential access to CNDE's startups complete the package.
Members receive a credit against the fees of research projects they fund at CNDE. The credit is 30% for Platinum, 20% for Gold, and 10% for Silver.
Yes. Each tier includes free laboratory hours every year, at 20 for Platinum, 10 for Gold, and 5 for Silver.
Members receive preferential access to engage with and invest in CNDE's spin-off ventures. Platinum has first preference, Gold second, and Silver third.
04Academic Membership
Private institutions pay Rs. 1,00,000 per year. Government institutions and foreign institutions pay no membership fee.
All academic members receive full participatory rights in NCNDE forums, subsidised access to CNDE equipment and facilities, co-guidance and joint PhD programmes, and a role in collaborative research proposals. Private institutions also receive consortium visibility and co-branding on relevant outputs. Government institutions receive co-authorship on CNDE and consortium outputs.
Foreign institutions hold the same rights as Indian government institutions. They also gain access to CNDE's global academic network, along with joint research, mobility grants, and dual-degree opportunities.
PhD and MS students are jointly supervised by faculty of the member institution and CNDE faculty.
Yes. Members can co-author proposals for SERB, DST, DRDO, and international grants through CNDE's network. NCNDE and its industry members support academic teams in developing proposals for large-scale NDT and SHM grants.
Yes. Members gain direct access to CNDE's network of 100+ industry partners for internships, field problems, and live case studies.
05Research and Collaboration
A sponsored project is a bilateral engagement between one organisation and CNDE. NCNDE pools investment across members, and industry members direct the research agenda.
Work spans the full Technology Readiness Level range, from early-stage research to near-commercial deployment. Members can engage at whichever stage suits their needs.
Yes. Members can recruit from CNDE's PhD scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and MS graduates, and technology developers receive priority access.
Yes. Developers can validate technologies in real industrial environments through NCNDE's industry user members.
06IP and Technology
Members can co-develop algorithms, sensing methods, and platforms with CNDE researchers, with shared ownership of outcomes. Ownership terms are agreed for each project.
Industrial members receive early access to IP, prototypes, and research outputs before public release.
07Joining NCNDE
Enquiries go to the NCNDE, Strategic Advisor - Govind Walavalkar, who guides prospective members on membership type and onboarding.
Email: govind@cnde.in
Phone: 044 2257 5688
Address: Room 312, Machine Design Section, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 India
Joining NCNDE
Let’s find your place in the consortium.
For membership enquiries and onboarding, contact Govind Walavalkar, Strategic Advisor, NCNDE.
Contact NCNDE- Write
- govind@cnde.in
- Call
- 044 2257 5688
- Visit
- Room 312, Machine Design Section, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 India
