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An action plan will be prepared to step up science and technology-led manufacturing capabilities in three key areas – healthcare, energy, and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS)
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses the leaders’ meet, which kicked off the India International Science Festival at IIT Guwahati on November 30. (Image: News18)
Leading scientists from across India gathered to sign the Guwahati Science Declaration outlining a roadmap to establish India as a science and technology-driven manufacturing hub by 2047.
Heads of key CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) institutes, as well as different scientific institutions and other stakeholders discussed the policies, and strategies to strengthen India’s manufacturing capabilities. The declaration was made on the first day of the India International Science Festival (IISF) at IIT Guwahati on Saturday (November 30).
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The four-day festival kicked off with a leaders’ meet chaired by Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh. The declaration urged institutions to align their activities, so as to enhance India’s position in the global supply chain and solidify its status as a manufacturing powerhouse.
“India has the wherewithal to become a global manufacturing hub, but it requires collaboration between industry, academic, and research laboratories. We must engage more startups, industries, and entrepreneurs in this journey. This meeting was a starting point, where we identified some of the main challenges and opportunities ahead,” said DG CSIR Dr N Kalaiselvi on the sidelines of the meeting.
An action plan will be prepared to step up manufacturing in three focus areas – healthcare, energy, and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), which refers to a set of technologies that capture carbon dioxide emissions from large sources like power plants and reuse it in other industrial processes.
Scientists said while India was strong in basic and translational sciences, it needed to strengthen its ecosystem involving patenting, copyright, and industry designs. They highlighted that global companies were keen to tap into the country’s emerging market due to its strategic location and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
“We need to embrace industry-led research and development if we have to become a key leader in the global supply chain,” said principal scientific adviser Prof Ajay Sood.
On the first day of the festival, the India Science, Technology & Innovation (ISTI) portal – a centralised web portal to serve as a comprehensive repository for content related to science, technology, and innovation (STI) within India’s ecosystem – was also launched. It will provide access to information on fellowships, scholarships, funding opportunities, and startup initiatives.
A key highlight of the event was a special exhibit created by British artist Dr Luke Jerram featuring a life-sized, seven-metre replica of the moon with detailed NASA imagery. More than 5,000 delegates, researchers, and students from different organisations are attending the festival.
This is the 10th edition of the IISF, which is being organised by the ministry of science and technology, and ministry of earth sciences in association with Vijnana Bharathi. The nodal institute for the event is CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram.
- Location :
Guwahati [Gauhati], India
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