Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates Chemcon 2013 in Mumbai

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 66th Annual Session of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE), CHEMCON-2013 today at Mumbai.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said since its inception, activities in Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) have centred on research.

"Its emphasis on development of novel green chemical technologies, materials, pharmaceuticals, energy systems and biotechnology have lend itself a unique position amongst similar institutes in the country," Mukherjee said.

The President said that institutes like ICT are perfectly positioned to play a big role in research and technology development in chemical sector.

He said that technical institutes must be strengthened to shoulder the burden of meeting the manpower requirements.

He stated that to provide infrastructure support in the form of adequate power and water to units, the petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment regions must be leveraged. Investments planned in these zones must be realized on priority, he stated

The President said that along with growth, the chemical industry must give equal emphasis to the adherence of safety, health and environmental standards.

The industry must promote sustainable development by investing in technologies that safeguard the environment while stimulating growth.

They must adopt new technologies that are aimed at tackling the problem of industrial waste and set targets and follow benchmarks to reduce the stress on environment.