Nano technology bus not missed, but we need to hurry: C N R Rao

Eminent scientist C N R Rao, who is also the chairman of Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister on Wednesday said the next three years would be crucial for India to ensure that the country did not miss the nano bus.

Rao said that though India lags behind countries like Japan, China and the US, "We have not yet missed the nano bus, but we need to hurry. If we do not do it in two to three years, it might be too late," Rao told reporters at a function to announce the launch of Bangalore Nano 2007, which kicks off on December 6, 2007.

Apart from a concerted effort to encourage young talents to enter the field, Rao said there was also a need to sensitise the industry about various commercial opportunities in the field of nano-technology.

The government has announced a five-year national mission to make India the hub for nanoscience and nanotechnology.

As part of the initiative, called Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM), the government has assured an investment of Rs 1,000 crore to create an ecosystem for R&D in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

According to T Ramasami, secretary in the Department of Science and Technology, the mission which will be spearheaded by Rao, will set up three institutes to work in the field of nanotechnology.

The institutes will come up in Bangalore, Mohali in Chandigarh and Kolkata, with an investment of Rs 100 crore each. The Karnataka government has identified about 15 acres to set up the institute to be known as Indian Institute of Nano Science and Technology.

The institutes will offer courses for science and engineering graduates to pursue post-graduate education in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

The mission also aims at creating an ecosystem of various groups working in the field of nano-technology and help them in translating their research into products.

Nanotechnology has applications in curing cancer, neural disorders and in industries like pharmaceutics, metallurgy and electronics. The potential market size for nano-technology globally is estimated to be $100 billion in the next 10 years.

According to Rao, the market could witness a dramatic change once the electronics industry begins to witness the commercial application of nano-technology.

The first edition of Bangalore Nano is being organised by Department of IT, BT and Science & Technology, Karnataka, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).

The two-day event which is going to start on December 6, is expected to witness the participation of about 400 delegates, with some of them from Australia, Germany and China. Some 400 students from 23 colleges in and around Bangalore would attend a special session on December 7.

As part of the event, the organisers have also announced a Research Industry Collaboration Hub (RICH), which aims at bridging the gap between the researchers in the field of nano-technology and the industry.

Eighteen teams of researchers will make their presentations before the venture capitalists and industrialists which will give them an opportunity to discuss the possible commercialisation of their research works.