5th Bangalore Nano was Mega

The 5th edition of annual event Bangalore Nano, organized by the Department of IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka under the guidance of Karnataka Vision Group on Nanotechnology, concluded on a high note. The event showcased a plethora of discussions, lectures and presentations on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology with participation of organizations from 12 countries like France, Germany, USA, UK, Japan Italy, Ireland, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, etc.
 

Prof. C.N.R. Rao, FRS, National Research Professor; Linus Pauling Research Professor; Honorary President, JNCASR, said, "The overwhelming response to Bangalore Nano reiterates the deep penetration that Nano Science and Nano Technology have made in India and Bangalore. India is in the top 5 destinations for Nanoscience and Technology. There’s a sharp rise in the number of Scientists, Research Scholars and Technocrats pursuing Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. We are at a stage wherein inventions are being transformed into innovative products to the good of common man."

Appreciating the role of the Government he said, “The Nano Mission (DST, Govt. of India) has played a significant role in giving a boost to nanotechnology. Both the Central Government and the State Government of Karnataka have been very proactive in supporting and funding science and especially nanotechnology”.
 

Prof. Sir Richard Friend - Cavendish Professor of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK, said, “Bangalore Nano is a prized and valued event for the nano-community and the event has grown from strength to strength over the years. Bangalore is also recognised as a source for high quality Young Scientists and the caliber of students coming out from the city are of the highest standards”.

Shri I.S.N. Prasad, IAS - Principal Secretary to Government, Department of IT, BTand S&T, Government of Karnataka, said, “Bangalore Nano is now acknowledged as the top platform to deliberate on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The sheer number of participants in 5th Bangalore Nano reflects the popularity of the event across academia, research and industry fraternities. This has by far been the most successful Bangalore Nano with largest participation of Delegates, Exhibitors, Students, Poster Presenters – the event recorded 700 Delegates. Bangalore Nano has now evolved into a ' must attend' event for the Nano Community”.

Further he said, “Bangalore Nano is a platform for deliberating the science, nurturing technology and launch products. It has grown significantly since it' s inception, it is now seen as India' s most authoritative forum for Nanotechnology.
 

In the Opening Plenary, Prof. C.N.R. Rao and Dr. K. Kasturirangan conferred the prestigious Bangalore Nano National Award 2012 on Prof. G.U. Kulkarni, Chemistry & Physics of Materials Unit and DST Unit on Nanoscience, JNCASR. 

Speaking on Bangalore Nano, Dr. K. Kasturirangan said, “We don’t have another such event in the country and it draws the best of the talent from all over globe. Bangalore Nano not only symbolizes but is really the way forward in taking advantage of Nanotechnology.”

The India Nanotech Innovation Award was presented to Prof. T. Pradeep, Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, IIT, Madras, for Discovery of noble metal, nanoparticle-based drinking water purification methods.

The “Malhotra Weikfield Foundation - Bangalore Nano Young Scientist Award” were given to six budding scientists from leading  institutions in India. It was interesting to note that five of six awardees were young women and Prof. CNR Rao felt that it augurs well for the nurturing of science in the country.

Young Scientists and Researchers from 60 Institutions like IISc, JNCASR, IITs, NCBS and international Universities showcased several new concepts and ideas in the Poster Session. Overall 120 posters were displayed by the researchers. Best posters were suitably awarded with First Place  bagged by Kasinath Ojha from IIT Delhi, Second Place was bagged by Sakshath Sadashivaiah, from IISc Bangalore the Third Place, given to three posters - R. Srinivasa, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, K. Gopalakrishnan from JNCASR and Sreerekha PR from Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine.
 

The Tradeshow featured 43 exhibitors from across the globe. Visitor interaction at the expo was encouraging with over 2000 plus footfalls.
 

Selected Six start-ups pitched for investments or collaborations with the Angel Investors, VCs and R&D Institutions under the Research Industry Collaboration Hub (RICH) programme. NoPo Nanotechnologies & NanoSniff Technologies used this excellent platform to launch their products 
 

one of the major highlights - B2B Partnering Tool “Interlinx” facliitated a total of 60 meetings; of these 40 meetings between Indian companies and 20 meetings with International companies. This tool also helped the attendees to conduct many offline meetings even after the completion of the event.