Nanotech can help tackle terrorism: Researchers

New Delhi, Sep 21: Self-reliance in nanotechnology can help India become self-reliant in sectors like defence and in combating terrorism, according to researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

From water purification to manufacturing to wrinkle-free fabrics to curing cancer, nano technology holds great potential for India and a multi-pronged approach will ensure that this is fully leveraged, they said.

One possible means of bridging the gap between India's abundant, varied natural resources and her ever-increasing requirements like clean water, food and rapid, low-cost diagnostic machinery is the use of nanotechnology, say Arindam Ghosh and Yamuna Krishnan in the international journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is manipulation of matter on a scale of nanometre or 0.000000001 m. Since the dimensions of atoms and molecule are in nanometres, this technology is called nanotechnology and the resulting materials nanomaterials.

Although India promoted research in nanotechnology through the "NanoScience and Technology Initiative", started with a funding of Rs 60 crore, the country launched a five-year programme 'Nano Mission' with wider objectives and larger funding of USD 250 million spanning multiple areas like basic research in nanotechnology, human resources development, infrastructure development and international collaboration, there is lot of room for improvement, the researchers quoted by Gubbi Labs say.

But, the research says that the amount India spends on nanotechnology research is still just a fraction of the research spending of countries like Japan, the US, France and China.

PTI