Karnataka's pushing hard to lead India's nanotech scene. At a recent event,Priyank Kharge, Minister for Home,IT,BT, and E-governance, laid out plans for a Nanotechnology Mission . It's about boosting industry ties and getting things moving.
Kharge stressed need for a skilled workforce to drive the sector's growth. "We need enough talent to really push nanotech forward in Karnataka," he said . The plan includes working with IITs,research bodies and academia to build this talent pool.
The announcement came at a preview for Bengaluru India Nano 2026,set for August 3 to 5 at The LaLiT,Bengaluru. This year’s theme,"Nanotech’s Next Frontier: AI & Beyond: Conceive,Converge and Commercialise," highlights how nanotech ties into AI and other cutting-edge tech .
Kharge also talked about setting up a Nanotechnology Manufacturing Corridor to create the infrastructure needed for a thriving ecosystem. He pointed out nanotech's potential to improve safety with advanced materials and sensors .
“Manipulating matter at the nanoscale changes everything,” Kharge noted,saying it could lead to faster security systems and tougher protective gear. And nanotech's reach goes beyond safety — it could impact energy use too.
Navakanta Bhat,chair of the Vision Group on Nanotechnology and Dean at IISc,spoke on nanotech's energy efficiency . He said modern data centers use way more electricity than the human brain. “The brain needs about 20 watts, while a data center GPU uses 35-50 times more,” he said .
Bhat also mentioned nanotech innovations like nano-robots targeting cancer cells in the bloodstream. Shows nanotech's game-changing potential across fields.
Anil Kumar P.S.,chair of 14th Bengaluru India Nano and Dean of Administration & Finance at IISc,talked about India's shifting semiconductor landscape . He sees a move towards self-reliance in electronics,expecting fast progress in advanced manufacturing, nano-fabrication, and lithography.
As Karnataka pushes these initiatives,the focused Nanotechnology Mission could make state global nanotech hub,linking academia and industry.
