Bangalore now eyes India’s nano tech hub status

Bangalore, that has enjoyed the status of being the country’s IT and BT hub for quite sometime now, is now all set to become the nano technology hub too. In a move that will give a major boost to the city’s nano technology industry, the state government has decided to set up an Indian Institute of Nano Science and Technology (IINST) in the city very soon.

The state government has already allotted 14 acres of land on Tumkur Road for locating IINST,  the brainchild of Prof CNR Rao, renowned scientist and head of Vision Group on Science and Technology.

“IINST will be a big boost for the scientific activities in the field of nano technology. The Union government, under its nano mission, has agreed to give Rs100 crore for setting up of this institute. We are also planning to hold the third edition of Bangalore Nano Show on December 8 and 9 this year,” science and technology minister Anand Asnotikar told reporters in Bangalore.
He added that they were distributing free of cost books and CDs related to nano technology in more than 12,000 high schools across the state, to create interest among children about nano technology.

Bangalore is also gearing up to promote theoretical sciences in a big way. “We will establish International Centre for Theoretical Sciences in Bangalore which will cost us about Rs100 crore. The centre is being set up by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. The government has allotted 17 acres of land at Hesarghatta and it is likely to become operational by 2011,” the minister said.

“The state has also decided to establish a master control centre for Karnataka’s state natural disasters monitoring centre, which will provide early warning and advisories with respect to management of natural disasters in the state. This centre is first of its kind in the country. Construction work for the Rs8.75 crore facility is in progress at Yelahanka.

“Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) is establishing a geo-portal at a cost of Rs3.5 crore. The portal would provide information regarding various natural resources of the state as well as socio-economic data,” he added.

To encourage technological innovations and development, a centre similar to Industrial and Technological Research Institute will be established, added Asnotikar.