India, UK for joint programme on nanotech

Indian and British scientists have decided to take up a joint programme on nanoscience and nanotechnology and further ongoing research in the field, which internationally attracts investment of over 10 billion dollar.

There was large scope for collaborative research on nanotechnology between India and the UK, which had a great future, speakers said at the Building Futures: Indo-UK Nanotechnology Conference in Kolkata.

Director of S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences Arup Raychaudhuri, said a few centres for nanotechnology would be set up in the country.

A conference would be held in Hyderabad in February to take stock of development of nanotechnology in India, he said.

Director, Nanoscience Centre, Cambridge University, Mark Welland said there was 'incredible' investment in European countries, the US and Japan on nanotechnology development.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology, he said, "explores and exploits tools and techniques that seamlessly cross the boundaries of physics, chemistry, material science, biology and engineering."

Welland said nanotechnology also had wider use in healthcare and biotechnology, information and communication, food and drinks, energy and automobiles and advanced management.

He said that there had been remarkable growth in the number of patents in nanotechnology globally.

Nanotechnology is the design, characteristics, production of and application of structures.

Indian scientists had visited the UK in October 2005 to get an overview of the initiatives and strategic direction of UK nanoscience and technology research and identify areas of mutual interest for collaboration.

In March this year, British Council invited five UK nanotech scientists to visit key Indian institutions and develop initial ideas into research proposals.

30 scientists from India and UK attended the conference.

The two-day conference was organised by the British Council, the Royal Society, the Department of Science and technology, the Nanoscience Centre at the University of Caambridge and S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences.