DG, CSIR Launches Compendium of Indian Technologies to Fight COVID-19

COVID – 19 is a public health emergency of international concern. WHO declared COVID – 19 as a global pandemic on 11^th March 2020. COVID – 19 is acknowledged as illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS – CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCoV), which was first identified  in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Global researchers are working round -the-clock to find possible treatments to save lives and develop vaccine for future prevention. 

 A “Compendium of Indian Technologies for Combating COVID-19 (Tracing, Testing and Treating)” prepared by National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) was launched by Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, CSIR, and Secretary, DSIR, Government of India at CSIR Headquarters, New Delhi in May 2020 early .  

The compendium carries information about 200 COVID-19-related Indian technologies, ongoing research activities, technologies available for commercialization, initiatives and efforts taken by the Government of India, categorized under 3Ts of Tracking, Testing and Treating. Most of these technologies are proof-of-concept (POC) tested and can help the entrepreneurs to take the product to market faster as they do not have to reinvent the wheel. 

 Dr. Mande appreciated the initiative of NRDC for bringing out the Compendium of Indian Technologies for Combating COVID-19 as it is very timely and would benefit the MSMEs, Startups and the public at large. Dr. H. Purushotham, CMD, NRDC, informed that team-NRDC has made an attempt to compile most relevant and emerging indigenously developed technological innovations, including those which are at research stage, to fight COVID19 for the benefit of all stakeholders and this compendium will serve as a ready-reference for policy makers, industries, entrepreneurs, startups, MSMEs, research scholars, scientists and others. He also informed that several of the technologies compiled are approved by ICMR. 

The information presented in the compendium is sourced from various government bodies and premier academic institutions including Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Indian Institute(s) of Technology (IITs), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Technology Development Board (TDB), National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Startup India and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST),and Indian Institute of Science (IISc). 

 For more information, including transfer of technology, one could contact NRDC, an enterprise of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India at cmdnrdc@nrdc.in.