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MUMBAI: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Wednesday virtually delivered keynote address at the “International Conference & Exhibitions on MATERIALS ENGINEERING and TECHNOLOGY and the synergic HEAT TREAT (HTS) being held in Mumbai from 4th to 6th September 2024.”
The International conference organised by ASM International, India Chapter, has gathered over 300 international and national participants to showcase state-of-the-art technologies, products, and services.
The ASM International, a 108-year-old society headquartered in Ohio, USA, has been dedicated to serving the Materials Science and Engineering Community since its inception.
The India Chapter, established in 1979, is recognized as one of the most active chapters worldwide.
In his address, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the critical role that advanced materials play in emerging technologies, offering diverse solutions and opportunities due to their fundamental attributes and enhanced customization to meet specific requirements.
He highlighted the development of innovative, sustainable materials, ranging from nanostructured perovskites to macro-scale polymers, as a game-changing value addition to vital industry sectors such as energy, healthcare, space, agriculture, and defense.
Dr.Jitendra Singh underscored the importance of integrating computational modelling, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence in advanced materials research. “These are likely to accelerate the discovery of tailor-made materials with novel properties that were difficult to attain otherwise,” said Dr. Singh. He added that this integration would provide a significant push for technology development based on such materials.
Praising the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr. Singh stated, “India is currently witnessing a significant surge in demand for materials with high performance.” He attributed this demand to increased R&D efforts and commercialization across the globe.
Once these advanced materials are market-ready, they will be rapidly absorbed by industries such as renewable energy, automotive, aerospace, healthcare, agriculture, and more. Dr. Singh noted the growing demand for clean energy within the energy sector, leading to capacity expansions in energy storage, wind, and solar power generation.
Dr. Singh also highlighted the Department of Science and Technology’s initiative on Advanced Materials, which aims to develop novel materials and technologies to address significant global challenges such as the climate crisis, environmental degradation, and unsustainable practices in agriculture, transportation, construction, and packaging.
The Science and Technology Minister underscored the support and patronage of PM Modi in the establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF). “The NRF is a quantum leap in the Indian research enterprise. It will transparently seed, fund, and coordinate research across institutions in all disciplines in an integrated manner,” he said. The Anusandhan NRF, with a special mandate to foster research and innovation in universities and colleges, is expected to transform the Indian R&D ecosystem, making it more vibrant, competent, and productive.
In a significant announcement, Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that the Union Finance Minister had unveiled a funding initiative of Rs. 1 lakh crore in the FY 2024-25 budget to encourage the private sector to scale up research and innovation significantly in deep tech and sunrise domains.
The proposed corpus, established with a 50-year interest-free loan, will provide long-term financing at low or nil interest rates to spur private sector-driven research and innovation on a commercial scale.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are strengthening the R&D ecosystem in the frontier of Science & Technology,” reaffirmed Dr. Singh. He concluded by stating, “It has been a major target of our government to achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat as envisioned by PM Shri Narendra Modi.”
