Bangalore declared as 'nano city' of India

Bangalore: Vice President Hamid Ansari Saturday declared Bangalore the "nano city of India" after the Karnataka government announced that it would take measures to encourage research and development in nanoscience and facilitate development of the nanotechnology industry in the state.

Making the declaration at the second 'Bangalore Nano 2008' conference-cum-exposition here, Ansari said nanotechnology, which was changing the face of industry and economy, would be a transformative force in India in the coming years.

"Bangalore Nano has brought budding entrepreneurs, industry professionals and venture capitalists on a common platform to facilitate networking and business interactions. We need more such platforms in the country for various industry and research sectors," Ansari told about 500 delegates from India and abroad.

Karnataka Home Minister B.S. Acharya said the state government had already allotted 14 acres for setting up India's premier institute of nanoscience and technology in Bangalore with 1-billion (100 crore) grant from the central government.

The nano institute will function under the aegis of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), a deemed university of the Department of Science and Technology.

"We will also partner with the academia and industry in setting up a nano park and an incubation centre to make Bangalore a full-fledged nano city," Acharya said on the occasion.

As an emerging field, the nanotechnology industry has the potential to become a trillion dollar sector globally in the next decade from around $9 billion currently.

Eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao, who heads the Prime Minister's Science Advisory Council, said India was in tune with the world in the field of nanotechnology.

"We can be the leader in the emerging sector provided we tap the best young talent, particularly from rural India. Nanotechnology promises an exciting future for Karnataka and India despite challenges of its own," Rao noted.

Later, Ansari presented the second Bangalore Nano national award to emeritus professor and Indian National Science Academy honorary scientist Dipankar Chakravorty of Kolkata.

In a related development, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and member of the national nano mission Ashok Sood said the Indian government would assist the industry in developing nanotechnology products for common use, with seed capital and institutional loans.

"The union ministry of science and technology will soon issue guidelines to the industry for taking up specific projects that will enable mass production of products with nano materials," Sood told IANS on the sidelines of the conference.

As part of its national mission to promote nanoscience and nanotechnology, the government has decided to involve the industry in focusing on products that will have mass applications in the areas of safe drinking water, food, healthcare, energy and mobility.