Union minister of science and technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday urged the director of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science to strengthen the institute’s “integration with industry”.
The minister who was at IACS as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations said the projects have to be started with “industry linkage” right from the beginning.
“Your integration with industry should increase. The next time I visit, we should have a small
interaction with industry leaders, and projects should begin with industry linkage right from the start,” said the Union minister of state (independent charge).
He said researchers often look for industry partners only after completing their work, whereas businesses are more likely to collaborate when they see commercial potential.
“Sometimes it so happens that we look for industry partners. But no wise businessman will come forward unless he finds money in that venture. You may be proud of what you have done....But why would he partner with you if he is not going to make a profit?” the minister asked the students.
He added that terms such as “research”, “development”, and “nation-building” sound appealing, but industrialists are ultimately motivated by viable business opportunities.
“Industrialists speak of nation-building when they are convinced there is promise and sustainability in the venture,” he said.
Institute director Kalobaran Maiti and registrar Sarbani Saha were on the dais while the minister addressed the gathering.
Singh, after his address, inaugurated the indigenously built Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) system developed at the institute for the fabrication of India’s first amorphous silicon solar cell.
He also inaugurated the institute’s new incubation centre, RETINA (Research Entrepreneurship for Transition, Innovation and Navigation).
The minister praised the institute, founded by Mahendra Lal Sircar on July 29, 1876, describing it as the first research organisation in Asia dedicated to the cultivation of modern science through fundamental research.
He said the development of advanced solar technology suggested the spirit of scientific self-reliance and innovation.