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Tamil scientists rue corporate apathy to innovations
An indifferent India Inc is cold-shouldering and ignoring great strides made by scientists toiling hard in laboratories spread across the country. Though scientists working in various autonomous engineering colleges in rural areas have come out with path-breaking innovations and inventions, they do not get acceptance and recognition from the industry, said V Rajendran, director, research and development, KSR Group of Institutions in Tiruchengode, a rural region almost 500 km from Chennai.
Rajendran, working with a group of research scholars mainly drawn from rural Tamil Nadu, has applied for 12 patents during the last two years. Some of the technologies developed by his team could revolutionise the lives of ordinary folks. “Our latest innovation is a nano-toothpaste. This toothpaste could fill dental cavities without any help from dental surgeons. Though we published the details of the technology in scientific journals, no industrial entity has come forward for manufacturing it for mass consumption,” said Rajendran. He said the nano-toothpaste was developed by an inter-disciplinary research with the involvement of nanotechnologists, bio technologists and dental surgeons.
The latest product from the KSR Group of Institutions is an implant material coated with anti-corrosive coating. “This could be used in knee transplant. Now we use material made of stainless steel which creates a lot of side effects in the long run. But the new material developed by our scientists addresses all the problems associated with knee transplant,” said KS Rangasamy, chairman, KSR Group. Rangasamy has developed a passion for nano technology and spends most of his time in the nano technology laboratory of the college.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) understood the capability of Team Rajendran and entrusted them with a major assignment. “They wanted a fabric for soldiers who are exposed to fire. Hence we developed a fire-retardant fabric which could be worn by soldiers working in high risk areas,” he said.
Jothi Ramalingam and Sivaperumal Vignesh Raj, both M Tech scholars in the college said they do not have any hi-tech gadgets or state-of-the-art laboratories. “We work as a team helping and coordinating with each other. It is a different kind of teaching and research experience,” they said.
The KSR Group has to its credit nano batteris which are capable of extending the drainage rate by 20 per cent and nano sensors for non-intrusive measurement of pressure. Dr Rajendran said his team has even developed nano materials which can increase the yield of agriculture crops. ‘We have shown that the yield of maize could be increased by 10 to 15 per cent with nano technology. This too was developed for the DRDO,” he said.
An indifferent India Inc is cold-shouldering and ignoring great strides made by scientists toiling hard in laboratories spread across the country. Though scientists working in various autonomous engineering colleges in rural areas have come out with path-breaking innovations and inventions, they do not get acceptance and recognition from the industry, said V Rajendran, director, research and development, KSR Group of Institutions in Tiruchengode, a rural region almost 500 km from Chennai.
Rajendran, working with a group of research scholars mainly drawn from rural Tamil Nadu, has applied for 12 patents during the last two years. Some of the technologies developed by his team could revolutionise the lives of ordinary folks. “Our latest innovation is a nano-toothpaste. This toothpaste could fill dental cavities without any help from dental surgeons. Though we published the details of the technology in scientific journals, no industrial entity has come forward for manufacturing it for mass consumption,” said Rajendran. He said the nano-toothpaste was developed by an inter-disciplinary research with the involvement of nanotechnologists, bio technologists and dental surgeons.
The latest product from the KSR Group of Institutions is an implant material coated with anti-corrosive coating. “This could be used in knee transplant. Now we use material made of stainless steel which creates a lot of side effects in the long run. But the new material developed by our scientists addresses all the problems associated with knee transplant,” said KS Rangasamy, chairman, KSR Group. Rangasamy has developed a passion for nano technology and spends most of his time in the nano technology laboratory of the college.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) understood the capability of Team Rajendran and entrusted them with a major assignment. “They wanted a fabric for soldiers who are exposed to fire. Hence we developed a fire-retardant fabric which could be worn by soldiers working in high risk areas,” he said.
Jothi Ramalingam and Sivaperumal Vignesh Raj, both M Tech scholars in the college said they do not have any hi-tech gadgets or state-of-the-art laboratories. “We work as a team helping and coordinating with each other. It is a different kind of teaching and research experience,” they said.
The KSR Group has to its credit nano batteris which are capable of extending the drainage rate by 20 per cent and nano sensors for non-intrusive measurement of pressure. Dr Rajendran said his team has even developed nano materials which can increase the yield of agriculture crops. ‘We have shown that the yield of maize could be increased by 10 to 15 per cent with nano technology. This too was developed for the DRDO,” he said.
