THE CENTRE PAR EXCELLENCE!
In 2010, The Energy and Resources Institute, India, and Deakin University,
Australia, had signed an agreement to establish a joint Centre of Excellence, the
TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre (TDNBC) to foster cutting-edge research
around sustainable agriculture, which was achieved through establishment of a
laboratory worth AU$7.8 million at TERI Gram, Gwal Pahari, Haryana, India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull, inaugurated the same world’s most advanced nanobiotechnology
research centre, an expansion of Deakin University’s ongoing ‘Deakin India
Research Initiative’.
This Centre has also been rated as a 5-star GRIHA building; it is an example of
resource efficiency and smart future. The Class 10000 and 1000 controlled
environment Centre is spread over 5 acres of land and houses high-end scientific
equipment like Nano particle analyser (XETA sizer), Lazer scanning microscope
(Confocal), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Transmission Electron
microscope (TEM).
Have you noticed any
major change as far
as Indian innovation
environment is
concerned, over the
period of last one
decade?
Prof Hodgson: There
has been a major shift in
innovation in India over
that timeline. When I first
started coming to India
about a decade ago it was
very much about classic
high end research with
ilittle interest in industry.
While there is still some
way to go compared with
other countries in terms
of developing models
for engagement it has
definitely improved. The
other big change is the
focus on startups. India
has taken to this very
aggressively and I can see
a lot of opportunities in
this space in the future.
The chance to make the
next Google or Amazon
is exciting a lot of young
Indians to take risks and
pursue their ideas and
dreams. This did not exist
at all 10 years ago.
What are immediate
research priorities
at the Centre? Any
translational research
product pipelines?
Dr Adholeya: We have
nano fertilizers, nano
colours for food and feed
industries, bio-refinery
avenue to complement
bio-based economy
ambition.
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