New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday called for a fundamental change in the way industry and research institutions collaborate, stressing that potential commercial partners should be brought into research projects from the very beginning.

Addressing CEOs, CSOs and COOs from industry during an interaction at the 6th RISE Conclave at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB) in Kolkata, the Minister said the “commercial arm should be in association with the lab right from day one”.

Dr Singh said involving industry at the project-planning stage would ensure that market requirements, user needs and commercial considerations are incorporated while a technology is still under development. This, he said, would help prevent situations where a technology reaches the market but subsequently requires substantial modifications to meet actual industry or consumer requirements.

Responding to an industry suggestion that commercial partners should be involved at the laboratory stage itself, the Minister said early industry participation could provide valuable inputs on market dynamics, product design, environmental sustainability, supply-chain requirements and commercial viability. Such collaboration, he said, would help bridge the gap between laboratory research and market-ready products.

The interaction also provided an opportunity for industry representatives to place specific technological challenges and requirements before the Minister. Critical minerals and indigenous technologies emerged as important areas of discussion, with participants highlighting opportunities in rare-earth extraction, permanent magnets, recycling, lithium beneficiation and the recovery of strategic minerals such as vanadium and titanium.

Industry representatives sought technological support and hand-holding from CSIR laboratories to scale up technologies in these areas. Discussions also covered the possibility of exploring rare-earth resources and other critical minerals in eastern India.

Dr Singh emphasised the need to make greater use of capabilities being developed across CSIR laboratories and other government scientific institutions. He encouraged industries to identify specific requirements and work with laboratories to develop practical technological solutions.

Space technology and specialised optical components were also raised during the interaction. The Minister sought details on the issues presented by industry and indicated that matters relating to space technology could be taken up with the Department of Space.

–IANS

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