India involved in $180 million joint research projects: T Ramasami, DST Secretary

CHENNAI: India has inked pacts with six countries, including the US and Australia, for collaborative research in science and technology area at a joint investment of $180 million over the next five years, a senior Department of Science and Technology official said today.

"We have plenty of them (pacts). We have about 83 agreements on research collaboration with various countries. We have committed $180 million on a five-year budget with six countries...," DST Secretary T Ramasami told PTI here.

Of the total figure, he said the US and Australia have jointly put $125 million with India.

"It is several instruments of collaboration which have been built on common front," Ramasami said, adding that the agreements were aimed at promoting "research collaboration" between the countries.

From the researchers' point of view, he said, "India is not looked as a donor or a giver (in a collaboration), but they (researchers) are looked at as a partner..."

Delivering his address on 'Successful Indo-French Science and Technology Cooperation', he said there was a proposal to set up a Common Institute for undertaking research studies on water.

"It is coming up at IISc, Bangalore. It is not a separate entity. It will be a virtual institution, where scientists from France and India work together," he said.

Stating that the scientists at the Centre would work on "advanced research technologies", he said "today's science becomes, tomorrow's technology."