Nanotechnology India's saving grace in scientific world: C N R Rao

Nanotechnology is the only scientific area where India has a respectable ranking, eminent scientist C N R Rao said on Monday.

"India continues to maintain a reasonable record. It is the only area in science where India has a ranking, still number three in the world in the number of publications," said the scientist, honoured with the country's highest Bharat Ratna honour, at the curtainraiser press conference for 'Bangalore India Nano 2016'.

According to Rao, India is number three in nanoscience after the US and China and was ahead of Japan, Britain and France.

"I look forward to a very very prosperous future in this area (nanotechnology) and also for the country," Rao said, while admitting that India did not achieve much in his own area of interest as in nanotechnology.

"In my own field of physics and chemistry of materials, we are nowhere like this," said the chairman of Karnataka's Vision Group on Nanotechnology.

Scheduled to be held on March 3-5, the eighth edition of Bangalore India Nano 2016 will focus on health care, clean water, energy and manufacturing.

The event will witness academic and research presentations from the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Korea, Bulgaria, France, Poland and Singapore from as many as 60 speakers in 13 sessions.