India and Canada opened a new chapter in their bilateral relationship with the start of a two-day India-Canada Technology Summit in New Delhi today. The Summit, organized jointly by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was inaugurated by Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Mr. Navdeep Singh Bains.In his inaugural address, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that “as partners in the 21st century knowledge economy, this Technology Summit reinforces our common belief in the power of science and technology in contributing to the present and future strategic Indo-Canadian partnership”. A new call for joint projects under the Indo-Canadian Industrial R&D programme was also announced on this occasion. Industry led joint R&D projects that have significant potential for commercialisation leading to product or process development in the areas of advanced manufacturing, clean technologies, smart cities and food and agro technologies will be supported by DST from India and the National Research Council of Canada.
The two Ministers also announced a new mobility based student internship program that will foster research and industrial linkages by promoting cross-border cooperation under support of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of DST and MITACS of Canada. The new phase of India Canada - IMPACTS program between DST and NSERC, Canada, was announced to promote multidisciplinary research partnerships aimed to deliver practical solutions through application of science and technology.Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains is leading the large business delegation to participate at the event. The 175-member Canadian delegation also include Mr. Francois Champagne, Canadian Ministers of International Trade and Mr. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, besides large number of industries and academic institutions.
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Professor Ashutosh Sharma, and Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), signed an MoU that will facilitate continued innovative partnerships between Canadian and Indian researchers.The themes for the Technology Summit highlight a broad range of research and innovations areas where India and Canada have common interests. These cover, Advanced Manufacturing, Intelligent Transport Systems, Aviation, and Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, Data Sciences, Agricultural Technology, Clean Energy & Clean Technologies. A particular focus of the Summit is highlighting the role of women in science and business as well as promoting the start-up and incubator communities in India and Canada. The Canadian and Indian companies for the Tech Summit include world class innovators and technologies that have potential to forge new knowledge-market-economy connect at bilateral level. Sixty smart technologies were also showcased as a part of the exhibition.