Friday, September 9 2005 16:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: India and Russia hope to operationalize a joint technology centre in Moscow in January next year for the commercialization and marketing of proven Russian technologies.

"A protocol for setting up the joint technology centre is to be signed later this year during the annual Indo-Russian summit and we hope to operationalise it in January 2006," Union Science and Technology and Ocean Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after talks with Russian officials in Moscow.

Initially it was to be financed by India and Russia was to provide the space in Moscow for the technology centre, but during his talks with Sibal, Russian Minister of Education and Science Andrei Fursenko said now Russia would also take part in the financing of the centre.

"Russia will provide space and identify institutes with proven technology, we will deploy manpower for the commercialization and joint marketing of pilot technologies on the basis of sharing profits," Sibal said.

In a major breakthrough, India and Russia have also agreed to set up a separate centre for joint research and development (R&D) in cutting-edge biotechnology, nano-technology and laser technology, proposed by President A P J Abdul Kalam during his Moscow visit in May last.

"It would be similar to the US-Israeli Bird Project, but unlike that it would be limited to cutting-edge technologies including bio, nano, and laser technologies," Sibal said.

He said India is willing to give USD 75-100 million and Russia, which also has now available funds, is ready to make an equal contribution.

Hailing the vision of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who in 1987 along with ex-Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev decided to pool the efforts of over 400 state-run R&D labs and institutes of the two countries, Sibal said today (Sept 9, 2005) India and Russia have the largest integrated long-term programme (ILTP) of scientific and technological cooperation in the world.

"ILTP has been extended now till 2010 and my visit was exceptionally important to end the confusion (after Soviet collapse and liberalization in India), to put it back on track and take it further," Sibal underscored.

During his talks with the officials of the Russian Science Academy, it has been decided to have cooperation in ILTP on three levels, Sibal said.

The three stages are development of technology for public benefit, including seismology, tsunami warning system, drinking water and vaccines, use of technology for public and private sectors, namely low-cost housing, bio-mass energy as well as water management and R&D in cutting-edge technology in advanced fields like bio-medical instrumentation, bio, nano, laser and accelerator technologies.

Sibal, who in Moscow visited National Agriculture Academy and VIAM Institute manufacturing composite materials and non-ferrous alloys for space and aviation application, said both the institutions have technologies at 'affordable price' for meeting rural and urban energy requirements including mobile solar panels.

He has proposed to marry Russian solar panels with the Indian Reva car running on batteries and develop automotive engines made of light heat-resistant Russian composite and aluminium alloys available with VIAM Institute.