The Indian Pavilion at BIO International Convention & Exhibition 2017, San Diego was inaugurated by the Minister of State for S&T and Earth Sciences, Mr. Y S Chowdary.

The MAKE IN INDIA theme has been emphasized in the Indian Pavilion. Inaugurating the Pavilion, the Minister stated that the positive discussions during BIO will lead to a lot of new opportunities for Indian start-up companies in Science & Technology and will also boost the confidence of international stakeholders in India’s biotech sector. More than 30 start-ups, companies, state governments, biotech parks and research institutes are exhibiting at the India Pavilion.

BIO has attracted over 15000 attendees from over 60 countries and provides a global opportunity at a single location.

The Minister also released a 60-page India Biotech Handbook 2017, showcasing the strengths of India’s fast-growing $42 billion Bio-Economy.  

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) BIO 2017 is being held in the San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego from 19^th June t0 22^nd June, 2017. The Indian delegation taking part in the BIO 2017, is being led by Shri Y S Chowdary, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. As a part of his program, the Minister visited Jacob School of Engineering, University of California San Diego Campus on 19^th June, 2017 to interact with Indian students and the local faculty, many of whom have roots in India.

While welcoming Shri Chowdary, Dr. Albert Pisano, Dean, Jacob School of Engineering, University of California San Diego stressed the need of collaboration with India in various fields related to Science & Technology.  Dr. Pisano highlighted the high end scientific growth in Indian Academia and stressed the need for growth of technologies such as point of care diagnostics and lab on chip diagnostics for infectious diseases prevalent in the country. He also said that UCSD had its strengths in the area of Stem Cell engineering and emphasized that it could be a potential area of collaboration, besides areas like maternal health and geriatrics.

 Shri Chowdary in his address highlighted various aspects that have been the guiding factor in the advances of research and development and said that the key words are affordability and sustainability as both these had a huge potential in Indian scenario. He said that India need not be dependent on reverse technology based research as the talent is over flowing with original research that is primarily an outcome of the various forms of handholding by the government in promoting research in the country. He urged the students to be future players for initiating start-ups in the areas of potential growth and informed the audience that the Indian Government had several prestigious schemes like Ramalingaswamy Fellowship; DST Inspire, DBT-Welcome Trust Fellowship and IYBA to name a few among such schemes that facilitate the re-entry of Indian researchers working abroad into India who are desirous of pursuing post-doctoral research in the country. He even stressed that any suggestions shall be welcome to initiate a specific tailor made program for students and researchers who would come up with specific issues.

 The BIO International Convention is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry and attracts the biggest names in biotech, offers key networking and partnering opportunities, and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry. The event features keynotes and sessions from key policymakers, scientists, CEOs, and celebrities. The Convention also features the BIO Business Forum (One-on-One Partnering), hundreds of sessions covering biotech trends, policy issues and technological innovations, and the world's largest biotechnology exhibition - the BIO Exhibition. The first BIO International Convention was held in 1993 and attracted approximately 1,400 attendees.

The BIO International Convention is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

BIO performs many services for members, but none of them are more visible than the BIO International Convention. The BIO International Convention helps BIO fulfill its mission to help grow the global biotech industry. Profits from the BIO International Convention are returned to the biotechnology industry by supporting BIO programs and initiatives. BIO works throughout the year to create a policy environment that enables the industry to continue to fulfill its vision of bettering the world through biotechnology innovation.

The key benefits of attending the BIO International Convention are access to global biotech and pharma leaders via BIO One-on-One Partnering, exposure to industry though-leaders with over 1,500 education sessions at your fingertips, and unparalleled networking opportunities with 16,000+ attendees from 76 countries. India is taking part in the BIO 2017. 

Keeping in line with Prime Minister Modi’s stress on stronger and long-term cooperation between African countries and India for mutual benefits in the areas of agriculture, women empowerment, rural development, infrastructure etc., while addressing the annual meeting of African Development Bank at Gujarat recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into an agreement with the Metal Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia to implement a twinning programme.  The same is aimed at R&D capacity building of MIDI. CSIR has clinched this multi-million US dollar assignment through a process where many international organisations were considered.  The twinning is one of the largest programs (in terms of contractual amount) between a CSIR institute and a foreign entity. It should also facilitate CSIR’s future collaborations with African Organizations.

The agreement was signed on 7^th June, 2017 at Addis Ababa in the gracious presence of H.E. Dr. Alemu Sime, State Minister of Industry, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Teshome Lemma, State Minister of Education, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Girish Sahni, Director General, CSIR and H.E. Mr. Anurag Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Djibouti and African Union.  Dr. Girish Sahni on the occasion said that the knowledgebase of CSIR in the identified areas could be of immense importance for leveraging the technology capacity of African countries.  He invited the industry to join hands with CSIR and its counterparts in respective African countries to deploy the technology for benefitting the masses in the region.

The agreement was signed by the Director of National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur (CSIR-NML) on behalf of the participating CSIR Laboratories, and the Director General of Metals Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CSIR will enhance the capacity and capability of MIDI under the twinning arrangement and thereby enable it to contribute more efficiently towards the development of Metals and Engineering sectors in Ethiopia and thus enhance their competitiveness. The MIDI will be positioned to emerge as a globally competitive center of excellence in the field of Metals and Engineering, through the twinning programme.

This agreement signing is the follow-up action of the execution of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between Metal Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. The assessment of the requirements of MIDI and GAP analysis of MIDI were major initial activities which a CSIR team carried out as a prelude to Twinning with MIDI. The constituent laboratories of CSIR, namely CSIR-NML, Jamshedpur, CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur, CSIR-CEERI, Pilani, CSIR-CSIO, Chandigarh and CSIR-CLRI, Chennai, through a common collaboration platform, will execute the twinning arrangement. These laboratories have demonstrated expertise in minerals and metals extraction, casting, forming and shaping of metals, manufacturing processes and process controls, electronics and instrumentations, soft skills and quality management systems.

India announces two MI-centric Funding Opportunities in Smart Grid and Offgrid Access at US $ 5 million each

Dr. Harshvardhan led Indian Delegation at 2ndMission Innovation Ministerial and 8thClean Energy Ministerial at Beijing

India announces mounting a National Mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation at a total cost of US $ 238 million and setting up of two Centres of Excellence on Clean Coal Technologies at US $5 million each. In its quest for cleaner fuels, a National Mission on methanol and di-methyl ether is being mounted. A new centre on solar photovoltaic, thermal storage and solar fuels research has been approved ~ US $ 5 million. Funding opportunities have been announced in the area of energy storage, clean coal, waste water treatment amounting to US $ 10 million. This announcement was made at the 2ndMission Innovation Ministerial and 8th Clean Energy Ministerial at Beijing, China.

India also announced two MI-centric Funding Opportunities in Smart Grid and Offgrid Access at US $ 5 million each. Joint virtual Clean Energy Centre with UK and Indian Government funding of UK £ 5 million each has been initiated. Under the Indo – USJoint Clean Energy Research (PACE – R) the new collaborative public – private programme on Smart Grids & Energy Storage has been approved. India has also embarked upon a joint programme on renewable energy with Norway

Energy Ministers from 23 Nations with 80% of Clean Energy Investments and 75% of GHG Emission met on June 6-8, 2017 at Beijing, China to focus on Advancing Clean Energy Cooperation and Implementing Paris Agreement Commitments

The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Science and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan also participated alongwith 4 other Ministers in a roundtable on “Accelerating innovation via public-private synergies, “Getting to the Future Faster: Accelerating Innovation in Clean Energy Technology through Public and Private Collaboration”, which considered the roles of the private and public sectors in the innovation ecosystem, synergies between the two, and successful models for feeding the innovation pipeline and accelerating outcomes.

The Minister held a successful bilateral meeting with US Secretary Rick Perry. Joint collaboration in clean energy was discussed to widen new areas of research cooperation in clean coal, carbon capture and accessible and affordable water. These areas will be in addition to strengthening ongoing partnerships under PACE-R. A new partnership in india-US clean energy was also discussed,

Dr. Harsh Vardhan also led bilateral meeting with Maros Sefcovic, Vice President for European Union, European Commission. Successful ongoing collaborations were discussed on water technology, research& innovation, clean biofuels solar energy etc) . New partnership in clean technologies such as smart grids, water and waste water treatment were also discussed.

Eighteen months ago on 30th November 2015, leaders of 20 countries came together to launch Mission Innovation (MI), a landmark 5-year commitment to accelerate the pace of innovation and make clean energy widely affordable and accessible worldwide. MI now comprises 22 economies and the European Commission, representing the European Union, and collectively accounts for more than 80 percent of the world’s total public financing of clean energy R&D.

Mission Innovation developed and launched 7 Innovation Challenges in November 2016. These Innovation Challenges focus on selected technical area where MI members believe increased international attention would make a significant impact. India is Co-leading three Challenges – Smart Grid, Off Grid Access and Sustainable Biofuels. Minister Harsh Vardhan released the India Action Plan for next 3 years

This week, energy ministers and other high-level delegates from 22 countries and the European Union convened at the Chinese National Convention Center in Beijing for the second Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-2) from 6-8 June. Indian delegation was led by Dr. Harshvardhan.

Energy ministers and other high-level delegates from all MI member governments participated in a business meeting on June 7 to discuss plans, progress, country highlights, and preview a series of public announcements on selected areas of joint cooperation.

Ministers and delegates gave their encouragement to carrying out an MI Action Plan. This Plan highlights a number of priority areas for cooperative work, as identified by MI members who have opted-in, in joint research, business and investor engagement and information sharing.

India informed that two MI-India Workshops were organized on 22-23 May, 2017 on Innovation Challenge (IC#1) on Smart Grids and Innovation Challenge ( IC#2) Offgrid access to electricity at New Delhi., India which identified possible topics of co-operation with MI countries. India also launched MI-India funding opportunity of US $ 5 million each for achieving objectives envisaged in both these Innovation Challenges.

India announced its plan for hosting a MI Sustainable Biofuel Innovation Challenge Workshop in December, 2017 in New Delhi, India in collaboration with Biofuture platform.

The increased focus on Innovation by both public and private sectors is expected to give rise to new and advanced technologies, performance breakthroughs, and significant cost reductions. These, in turn, will create opportunities for new industries and jobs and expand markets for reliable and clean energy – for both production and demand. The lower costs will spur economic growth and accelerate market uptake, enabling the realization of the benefits of accessible, reliable and affordable clean energy worldwide.