Mumbai, May 29 (IANS) Padma Shri professor Juzer Vasi has advocated for a strong focus on building hubs of semiconductors while scaling up solar energy production, for powering the nation’s growth in the next few decades.

“Both these sectors hold immense potential for growth in the near future, and I feel proud and honoured to have been recognised for my work in these areas,” he said, sharing his reaction on receiving the Padma honour.

“It was very unexpected, but I am honoured to receive it,” the delighted professor added.

Juzer Vasi, Professor Emeritus at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, was recently conferred with the Padma Shri award, in the field of Science and Engineering, for his four decades of contribution to microelectronics and photovoltaics.

He extended an unequivocal support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s thrust on making India a hub of chip-making nation and said that this is something that the country should have worked towards and achieved years ago.

“I have been involved in this area since the late 1970s. But I’m very happy that now there is a lot of emphasis on semiconductors, and that’s happening in a very good way. Semiconductors are very important in this war situation and for the defence sector as well,” he said, speaking to IANS.

He further said that semiconductors are important because almost all the defence electronics need semiconductors, and some of these things are not easy to buy in the open markets. He also emphasised the need to pursue one’s own research and build one’s own line of production in the chip-making business.

About solar energy, he told IANS that this is one area where any nation could build its own energy security; however, this would call for developing technology to tap the solar resources.

“For that, we need solar modules and semiconductor solar cells to tap the energy, and that is what we are doing. I’m glad to say that India is now emerging as one of the most important solar energy countries in the world, not only in terms of the deployment, but also in terms of the manufacturing of solar cells and solar modules,” he said.

On the fast growth of deep-tech and India’s role in it, he said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world around us, and we must not miss the buzz.

“In almost all areas, the AI will have an impact. As a country, we should speed up our involvement in AI, as we have the required talent to do it. We need to have a very good plan on how to emerge as one of the world leaders in AI,” he remarked.

–IANS

mr/uk