CSIR to set up first Rs 100 cr innovation complex by 2014

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will set up the country's first CSIR Innovation Complex by 2014 at Baruipur near here, costing Rs 100 crore, to boost commercialisation of innovations, a top official has said.

"The innovation complex will come up in Baruipur on a 23 acre campus close to Kolkata at an expenditure of around Rs 100 crore," CSIR Director General and Secretary, DSIR, Samir K Brahmachari told PTI.

"This is the first of the three proposed innovation complexes in the country to be operational in the next two years," Brahmachari said. Subsequently, another two innovation complexes approved would come up in Mumbai and Chennai, he added.

"A center is also under development at a five-acre plot in Salt Lake city (in Kolkata) to supplement the activities of the proposed Baruipur complex," Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI) Director Indranil Manna said. He is overlooking the innovation complex project here. The Salt Lake centre will be operational soon and the industry will not have to wait till the one at Baruipur was ready to begin projects, he said.

Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, scientist involved in the complex project, Chitra Mondal said currently land-filling was going on and the process to engage an architect was underway. An innovation complex will capitalise on scientific activities in the region by partnering with industries to commercialise innovations in labs in eastern region.

"The idea is to develop technology that gets translated into a product. To do this, we will offer infrastructure to carry out the pilot project before scaling up to commercial level," Manna said. CSIR has begun sensitising the industry about the collaboration opportunity in product development in the domains of biology and biomedicine, manufacturing, materials, machines and devices, clean energy and value-added products.

"CSIR labs will take stake or royalty or both depending on the project and knowledge we bring on the table," Manna said. Five other CSIR laboratories - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology-Kolkata; Central Mechanical and Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur; National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur; Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, and North East Institute of Science and Technology - will be involved at the innovation complexes in Kolkata.

India should get rid of fifth nation syndrome: Kalam

Missile man and former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Sunday said the country is suffering from the "fifth nation syndrome" as it is always the fourth or fifth nation to launch any mission like the space mission or nuclear programme. He said the country should strive to occupy the number one slot.

Speaking at the foundation day programme of CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute here, he said the country has been suffering from the "fifth nation syndrome" as whenever it launched any major mission like the space mission or nuclear programme it was the fourth or fifth one to do so.

"Now we need to go beyond that syndrome and be number one," said the Bharat Ratna awardee, who is known for his work on development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. Speaking about the Assam violence, Kalam stressed on uniting the warring factions.

"All of us should see that they come together as the unity of mind is very important. We need a cohesive society," Kalam told reporters here. "Assam is a beautiful state, definitely peace will come," he said. More than 85 people have lost their lives and four lakh people were rendered homeless since ethnic trouble erupted last month in lower Assam districts of Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang, Bongaigaon and Baksa. Asked to comment on the anti-corruption movement, Kalam said, "Every home has to be clean - your home, my home, his home, every home. When every home is corruption free then India is also corruption free."