Focus on Components to Tap Global Market of Sensors: Experts

KOCHI:
Noting that India has immense potential in sensors and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) domains, experts at an international workshop today pitched for strengthening manufacturing and designing of components in the country to tap the huge global market besides meeting the domestic demand.

As a big market of the world, India needs to be part of the large manufacturing area of electronics, the speakers said at the two-day workshop on ‘Sensors and Actuators’ held at the Infopark here.

The workshop is jointly organized by Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Thrissur, Department of Chemistry of the University of Calicut and Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA) in association with Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent IoT Sensors and India Innovation Centre for Graphene.

Setting the context for deliberations as the Chief Guest at the event, S. Krishnan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), emphasised the need for focus on value chain and manufacturing components within the country.

Highlighting the importance of industry-academia collaboration, Krishnan said the Ministry was funding projects above TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 6. The India Semiconductor mission is a unique of its kind with funding up to 50 per cent from government side, he revealed.

“Since sensors and MEMS are important sectors, we need to put together educational institutions, research organisations, start-ups, accelerators and industry,” the official pointed out. “We must ensure that ideas are being converted into feasible projects.”

Krishnan also unveiled an information booklet on sensors prepared by the Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Internet of Things Sensors of C-MET.

Prof. Edwin Jager, Head of Sensors and Actuators Division, LIU of Linköping University, Sweden, said India had a great potential to generate a “tremendous talent pool” in the sector. He highlighted the importance of fruitful collaborations among Indian and Swedish institutions to bring out key outcome.

ELCINA Former President N. Ramchandran stressed the need for the country to be self-sufficient by bolstering the local design and manufacturing.

Highlighting the importance of local design and manufacturing, he said India has a huge potential to contribute to the $300-billion global market of sensors, and the size of Indian market is Rs 20,000 crore in this sector. “We are in the direction, as MeitY has already supported 10 Centres of Excellence in this area,” he pointed out.

According to Ramchandran, despite having a huge market size, the country faces challenges such as lack of in-depth application knowledge as well as technology for volume of production and high cost.

Dr A. Seema, Scientist, C-MET, Thrissur welcomed the gathering, while Prof. Yahiya A.I. of University of Calicut, proposed a vote of thanks. IIITM-K Director Alex James and Infopark CEO Susanth Kurunthil also spoke.

The inaugural session was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Strategies for Manufacturing of Indigenous Sensors and Associated Components & Systems’. The speakers, besides Ramchandran, Yahia and Seema, included Tescom Director Smt Nandini Balasubramanium and IMEC India’s Jatinder Singh, besides Ravi Bhatkal.

A post-lunch session had Prof Jager and Prof. Toribio Fernández Otero (University of Cartagena) as the speakers. Prof. Sougata Kumar Kar (ECE, NIT Rourkela) and Prof. N.K. Renuka (University of Calicut) also addressed the delegates.

An exhibition of products/technologies was also put up as part of the event.