The Hindu Business Line : `Industry must convert Defence tech into wealth generators'

INDIAN industry should latch on to technologies developed at the string of Defence laboratories and space department centres and convert them into wealth generators, both for the industry and the nation, according to Dr V.K. Aatre, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister.

Wondering why Indian industry was not coming up with new products, ideas that created wealth and gave global leadership, Dr Aatre said that there was an urgent need for a synergy between national laboratories and industries to translate indigenous technologies into commercially viable products.

Inaugurating a two-day national symposium on strategic materials and technologies for composites, organised by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) on Friday, Dr Aatre said that though the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had offered to provide technologies gratis to the industry, the response was not encouraging.

"Why industry is not able to spin off civilian products of key Defence and space technologies is an important question for us. One `Jaipur Foot' or floor reflex orthosis is not enough to build wealth," the DRDO chief said.

"We cannot live on borrowed technologies. Even technologies built on research and development done elsewhere would have many limitations. Therefore, we have to develop indigenous technology in academic institutes, Universities and national laboratories."

Dr Aatre said that while Indian industry was doing a good job in major Defence projects either in component manufacture or executing specific tasks, there was hardly any response in technology transfer or translating technologies from the Defence labs to products for civilian applications in the market place.

Dr Kota Harinarayana, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, said that Indian industry, the national labs and Universities should jointly work in the area of carbon nanotube, a "wonder material" with wide applications.

He called for an investment of at least $100 million in the area, as India has a good chance to catch up with developed countries like the US, Japan and a few European nations, who have started research work a couple of years back.

The capability in new materials, especially composites, has been amply demonstrated by the scientists and industry.

Dr K.V. Raghavan, Director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), said that the lab had developed nano carbon tubes in collaboration with its Japanese partner.

These were undergoing tests in Singapore and Europe. He added that the national laboratories were ready to provide R&D support to Indian industry and help in identifying areas also.

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