Construction of the proposed Indian Institute of Nano Science and Technology on Tumkur Road will begin soon, Information Technology minister S R Patil said.
The state government has allotted 14 acres of land for the institute, which will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore under the National Nano Mission. “Grants for the institute will be released by the Department of Science and Technology, which has also decided on the structure of the organisation,” Patil told Express.
“The land has been registered in the name of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in March. The JNCASR has already completed construction of the compound wall and work on civil construction and infrastructure will begin soon,” the Minister said.
Patil said Karnataka is the first state to have a 14-member vision group on nanotechnology chaired by Bharat Ratna Prof C N R Rao. “We are determined to seize the first mover advantage and become a leader in this space as well. The Nano Science Institute is an important step in that direction,” he said.
The Centre for Soft Matter Research of the DST, with the guidance of JNCASR, will take up development of the institute. “The Centre is also finalising appointment of a director for the institute,” Patil said.
The first Indian Institute of Nano Science and Technology was set up in 2008 in Mohali under the National Nano Mission as an autonomous institution.