Monday, 21st March 2005 (3162 views)

A world-class nano research and development centre is to be set up in India to promote nanotechnology in the country.

Nanotechnology involves using and making devices that are of nanometer scale, a range of precious metals can be used for various processes including gold.

Previous uses have seen gold help to create particularly small nanowires, link nanoelectrical devices and look for health problems with nanoscopic particles of gold and DNA labels.

The centre will be set up by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai and it will have a fabrication facility as well as structural characterisation and scientific facilities, according to PTI.

There are currently 50 members working on various areas of nanotechnology at the IIT and details of the centre are set to complete in a couple of years, according to Professor Kartik Khilar.

"We have been doing lots of R&D in the nanotech field, but when we want to transfer it to any industry, we need to translate the lab technology to the field scale and such [a] centre will be of great use to the technologists doing research," he said.

Indian industry is showing a keen interest in the technology lately and Mr Khilar believes it is the IIT's "duty to help them by improving" the "technology transfer skill" in the sector.

One company, Yash Management and Satellite revealed it is planning to set up a unit to manufacture nanotubes, which can be used for VCD monitors and televisions, at an initial cost of Rs 80 million.

In addition, nanostructures using metal oxides of gold are also increasingly being used in Ayurvedic medicines, according to Dr P N Pandit, an advisor for Yashnotec.

 

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