Delhi, July 05, 2005 (Times News Network)

India has set up a corpus fund with Israel to promote collaborative industrial research in five technology areas and is in talks with the US for a comprehensive research agreement covering sensitive areas like clinical trial protocols and export of bio-resources.

Science and technology minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here today that the agreement with the US is likely to be inked during the Prime Minister’s visit to that country later in the year.

Mr Sibal, who discussed the agreement with J Marburger, the US president’s science advisor and director of the office of science and technology, during his visit to Washington last month, said the deal would cover areas like information technology, defence, biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Taxation and intellectual property issues are the only outstanding issues to be sorted out. Among the possible agreements are a mutually-recognised protocol for clinical trials. Such a standard recognised by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Controller General of India will avoid the need for repeating in the US, the human clinical trials done here so that those medicines can be approved for the US market.

Transfer of biological material, crucial for biotech research, is also on the agenda. Nano-powders and nano-paints which make a surface dust and stain free are part of the research projects. Nanotechnology refers to building complex materials with special qualities atom by atom.

The other tie-ups being negotiated are between various research institutes in both the countries. This includes the tie-up between the University of Maryland, known for its nanotechnology research, and India’s department of biotechnology. Mr Sibal said the $2m corpus fund with equal contribution from India and Israel will later be stepped up to $50m after getting Cabinet approval.

One of the projects being considered for soft loan or grant under this fund is manufacturing of India’s indigenously-developed battery run car Reva in Israel. One entrepreneur from Israel is partnering with another from India for this.

The joint industrial research between the two countries would cover biotechnology, nanotechnology, space, science and technology and aeronautics, alternative sources of energy and water technology. Israel’s Weizman Institute of Science and India’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology will jointly do stem cell research.

Mr Sibal also inked research deals with countries like Brazil, Columbia and South Africa earlier this month. India, Brazil and South Africa will jointly research cures for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria. Biotechnology, oceanography and nanoscience are the other areas of co-operation.