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Process technology licensing
What it is
Licensing proprietary process designs - for refineries, petrochemicals, fertilisers or water treatment - to plant owners, typically with a licence fee plus basic engineering and sometimes a royalty on output
It monetises intellectual property rather than engineering hours
Impact on industries
- The highest-margin revenue an engineering firm can earn, since the technology is developed once and licensed repeatedly
- A licence usually pulls through detailed engineering, proprietary equipment and services, so it anchors a much larger revenue package
- Requires sustained R&D and reference plants, so building a licensable technology takes decades and few Indian firms have done it
- Most Indian consultancy revenue remains engineering-hours based, so technology licensing is an aspiration for the sector rather than a current strength