Under a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Tata Agrico will market the innovations through its outlets at a fixed margin to be paid to the innovator. Ahmedabad-based NIF is a national initiative to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge. Among the members of NIF governing board are Dr RA Mashelkar, former director general, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Prof. Anil Gupta of Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.

According to Dr Vipin Kumar, chief innovation officer from NIF who signed the MoU with Mr TVS Shenoy, chief, Agro Division, Tata Agrico, "The initiative has begun with a pilot project of a sugarcane bud chipper by innovator Mr Roshan Lal Vishwakarma of Madhya Pradesh. "Tata Agrico will procure the bud chipper from the innovator and will sell it through Tata outlets. It has been agreed that a margin will be paid to the innovator. Once the pilot is over, other technologies from NIF's database will be co-branded in this arrangement."

Earlier too NIF has been involved in creating markets for India's ingenious innovators by collaborating with corporate houses. In 2010, Future Group along with NIF, and Department of Science and Technology, formed a strategic tie-up for an innovation lab called 'Khoj Lab' and helped grassroots innovators commercialize their products through the company's retail outlets. In April 2011, the first product to roll out from the Khoj Lab was a range of nutraceutical cookies, developed from the traditional knowledge of the Bhil community. In 2012, NIF had partnered with Britania Industries to market NIF's patented herbal food products.