Science and Technology (S&T) Digest 1-15 May 2023, Issue 13

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Research Fellow, VIF

June 5 , 2023 Views: 1215 Comments: 0

I. Defence and Security

DRDO & Navy Conduct Test Trial of Air Droppable Container ‘ADC-150’

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa on 27 April 2023. ‘ADC-150’ is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity. The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships (under distress), which are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast. It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores. Click here to read…

DRDO Conducts Design Validation Trial of Vertical Shaft

Centre of Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), a Delhi-based laboratory of DRDO has designed and developed a Vertical Shaft based Underground Ammunition Storage Facility. It enables upward vertical dissipation of blast effects considerably reducing the blast effect on surrounding utilities. The Design Validation Trial of this Underground Ammunition Storage Structure was successfully conducted on 30 April 2023. The instrumented blast trial was carried out in presence of the Armed Forces by detonating 5,000 kgs of TNT in one of the chambers of the underground facility. The CFEES team conducted the trial with precision and utmost safety in place. All the parameters recorded during the trial matched with estimated values. Click here to read…

Department of Defence Production Waives off Quality Assurance Charges

In a significant move to promote reforms and bring ease of doing business, Department of Defence Production (DDP) has waived off Quality Assurance (QA) charges levied by the QA Agencies under its administrative control for the stores meant for the exports. This industry friendly initiative would make the defence products cost competitive in global market. The Ministry of Defence(MoD) provides proof/testing facility to the industry for their products through its various Proof/Testing establishments to make the Indian Defence Products more competitive in the international market.Click here to read…

MoD Approves 4th Positive Indigenisation List for Promoting Self-Reliance

To promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and minimise imports by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved 4th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares & Components, including high-end materials & spares, with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore. These will only be procured from the Indian Industry after the timelines indicated in the list. This fourth list is in continuation to the previous three PILs involving LRUs/Sub-systems/Assemblies/Sub-assemblies/Spares & Components which were published in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022 respectively.Click here to read…

iDEX-DIOSigns 250th Contract, First under Mission DefSpace

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of MoD, has reached a milestone with the signing of its 250th contract - first under Mission DefSpace - and 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract in New Delhi on 15 May 2023. Till date, iDEX has received more than 7,500 applications from individual innovators, MSMEs and start-ups under various categories of challenges like DISC, Prime and Open Challenge. iDEX has also been able to generate thousands of jobs and attract India’s talent back to the country. The iDEX is working at a path-breaking pace to ensure that its agreements with the start-ups and innovators reach logical conclusions timely, eventually opening a myriad of options for the budding, soon to be unicorns and at the same time addressing the requirement of Services.Click here to read…

Advanced Techs Must To Deal with Emerging Threats Related To Cyber & Space

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has exhorted research institutes to speed up activities in advanced technology and achieve progress to make India fully capable of dealing with emerging threats related to cyber and space. Addressing the 12th convocation ceremony of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune in Maharashtra on 15 May 2023, the Minister shared insights on the continuously changing political and economic equations among nations in the current global scenario. He stated that Science & Technology and methods of warfare are evolving at a rapid pace and there is a need to make fast progress in advanced technology to deal with non-kinetic or contactless warfare, which the world today is witnessing, in addition to the conventional methods.Click here to read…

II. STI in Space Sector

ISRO Conducts Integrated Test on Semicryogenic Engine

In a breakthrough in developing 2000kN semi-cryogenic thrust engine for heavier satellites of the GSAT series, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) carried out its first integrated testing at the newly commissioned semi-cryogenic facility of ISRO's Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Tamil Nadu's Mahendragiri. The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO has undertaken the design and development of a Semicryogenic engine with 2000 kN thrust with Indian industry participation, and will power the booster stages of future launch vehicles and works on Liquid Oxygen (LOX)-Kerosene propellant combination. The test is a major milestone before integrating the complete engine and its qualification, said ISRO. Click here to read…

ISRO Set to Launch Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1 in July 2023

Taking a leap forward in the space research sector of India, the ISRO is all set to launch two back-to-back missions in a few months – Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1, both set to be launched in July 2023. Chandrayaan 3 is the third moon mission set to be launched by ISRO, where a spacecraft will be launched into the lunar orbit of the moon for space research. Further, Aditya L1 is set to be India’s first-ever space mission to the sun. According to ISRO reports, the total budget of the Aditya L1 mission is around Rs 378 crore while the budget of the Chandrayaan 3 mission to the moon is around Rs 615 crore.Click here to read…

A Quantum Jump in India's Space Journey

Last 9 years had witnessed a quantum jump in India's Space journey and India now stands at par with countries like the USA which had begun their Space journey several years or decades before us. In an interview to a popular private digital outlet, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that though the Indian space journey started off much later, after Prime Minister Modi came in, he gave a special boost to the Space sector and opened it for public private participation with an increasing number of StartUps. Today the situation is such that the earliest and the premier space organisations like America's NASA are collaborating with ISRO and even seeking expert inputs from us.Click here to read…

Voyager Space Acquires ZIN Technologies, Inc.

Voyager Space, a global leader inspace exploration, has acquired ZIN Technologies, Inc. (ZIN), aleading engineering, design and integration company with decades-long experienceproviding critical human-rated spaceflight systems and monitoringsolutions, propulsion, and more to NASA, national security agencies, and leadingaerospace and defense companies. Voyager Space's acquisition of ZIN is anessential step in expanding the company’s space infrastructure and technologycapabilities to further its Starlab development efforts. Voyager and its operating company, Nanoracks, were awarded a USD 160 millionSpace Act Agreement from NASA in December 2021 to create Starlab, a continuously crewed, free-flying space station to replace the ISS.Click here to read…

III. Nuclear Technology

NITI Aayog to Use Private Investment Route to Set Up Nuclear Reactors

NITI Aayog has pitched for establishing attractive financing frameworks such as blending finances and green bonds to attract private sector investment in setting up small modular reactors (SMR) to decarbonise India's energy sector. The Aayog in a report titled 'The Role of Small Modular Reactors in Energy Transition' further suggested that availability of low-cost finance, green finance and incorporation of nuclear into green taxonomy can improve the economics of SMR projects. As per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a power generation capacity ranging from less than 30 MWe to 300+ MWe. It said that “Hence, the public and private sectors must work together to identify alternative sources of early-stage finance”.Click here to read…

ENEC Showcases Contribution of Nuclear Energy to Achieving UAE Net Zero

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) highlighted the increasingly significant contribution of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant towards the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and efforts to tackle climate change at the World Utilities Congress (WUC), held in Abu Dhabi from 8th to 10th May 2023. With eyes on the global energy sector ahead of COP28 in the UAE, the WUC will convene global energy leaders, policymakers, innovators, and industry professionals from across the power & water utilities value chain as utilities worldwide work to deliver secure, sustainable, and affordable energy. The theme of WUC 2023 is 'enabling a secure and sustainable utility future' with the industry converging to discuss the trends and technologies impacting future power and water demand.Click here to read…

Nuclear Power Makes a Significant Contribution to Climate Change Mitigation

The use of nuclear power has avoided the equivalent of around 70 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the last half century. Nuclear power already provides the bulk of clean energy in several countries. In the future, nuclear power can help to decarbonize hard to abate sectors such as transportation and industry and play a significant role in 2050 carbon neutrality, including by producing low-carbon hydrogen. Its steady production, regardless of whether the sun shines or the wind blows, is suitable to sustain a modern economy and can help replace coal. Its flexibility and reliability stabilize electrical grids and ensure the security of electricity supply. The nuclear sector has often proven its resilience against extreme weather events. It offers steady jobs and fuels economic growth.Click here to read…

Nuclear Energy, Particularly Fusion Energy, Emerges as a Compelling Solution

The escalating challenges of climate change coupled with the ever-growing demand for energy necessitate a robust and innovative approach towards energy production. Nuclear energy, particularly fusion energy, emerges as a compelling solution, a sentiment echoed by tech luminaries like Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Sam Altman, a prominent investor and former president of Y Combinator, has taken a significant step by investing $375 million in Helion Energy, a company striving to commercialise fusion energy. Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX and Tesla, has also publicly advocated for a greater emphasis on nuclear power.Click here to read…

IV. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Third Semicon India Future DESIGN Road Show

On 12 May 2023, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the 3rd Semicon India Future Design roadshow at IIT Delhi, with an aim to encourage innovation, facilitate investment and catalyse the Startups ecosystem in the semiconductor design and manufacturing space. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said, “The primary objective of this initiative is to attract investments from across the world and help build a vibrant semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem. A slew of measures for the semiconductor sector have been put in place by the Government. These include setting up an Indian Semiconductor research center (ISRC) that will work in collaboration with top institutions like the IITs for coming up with cutting edge semiconductor research, modernisation of Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) implementation of the VLSI/ semiconductor curriculum that will deliver a talent pool of 85,000 who will create innovative designs and solutions.Click here to read…

National Technology Week Concluded

The National Technology Week, which took place from 11thMay to 14th May 2023 at PragatiMaidan, New Delhi, successfully concluded on 14 May 2023. This year’s theme was ‘School to Startup - igniting young minds to innovate’. The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who highlighted the importance of supporting and nurturing young scientists in the country. The Prime Minister informed the audience that over 10,000 ATAL tinkering labs in 700 districts have become innovation nurseries, with 60 percent of these labs in government and rural schools. More than 75 lakh students are working on over 12 lakh innovation projects in Atal Tinkering Lab, which is a testament to young scientists emerging from schools and reaching the far corners of the country.Click here to read…

Need to Amend the IPR Policy to Take Care of Changing Opportunities

On 2 May 2023, the Government of India said that there is a need to amend the IPR policy to take care of changing opportunities. Addressing the Global Science, Research and Innovation Summit organized by CII titled “Fostering Science, Research and Innovation Partnerships’ under the aegis of the India’s G20 Presidency at IIT Delhi, Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Senior Adviser at the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India said, while India grants average of 23,000 patents per annum, despite having over 1000 Universities, it is over 5 lakhs in China. He said, India lacks the culture of Patents filing and taking it to its logical conclusion. Dr Gupta said that time duration of patents filing and grant of patents is 3 years in India, while the global average is two years.Click here to read…

Metavalent Chemical Bond Key to Enhance the Thermoelectric Performance

Metavalent bonding—a new type of chemical bonding in solids, can be used to tailor the thermoelectric performance in quantum materials and efficiently convert waste heat to electricity, which could show a new direction for the country’s newly launched Quantum Mission. Generating electricity from waste heat holds an exciting prospect for green energy production. Finding high-performance thermoelectric materials for this purpose requires materials with a magical recipe of properties that can conduct electricity like a metal, heat like a glass, and exhibits the Seebeck coefficient like a semiconductor.Click here to read…

Power Quality Solution for Grid and Electronics Solutions for Railways

On 4 May 2023, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Transferred Indigenous Technology of Power Quality Solution and Railways VCU solutions to industry partners in the presence of MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma. Addressing the gathering, Sharma said the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India- Make for the World’ can be achieved through more and more indigenisation of technology and taking it forward by the industry. “The STATCOM technology will help the masses in integration of different renewable sources of energy to the grid without depleting power factor and can help the grid in unbalanced grid conditions,” he added.Click here to read…

India Emerging Competitive Participant in the Global Value Chains

Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Government’s focus has been to push India from being an outlier to become a serious, competitive participant in the global value chains. “As part of Prime Minister NarendraModi's India Techade vision, we believe that the supply chains and global value chains have to and will continue to diversify and our policies are focused on ensuring that India is a competitive, efficient partner in the chains,” said the Minister while addressing the 15th AGM of Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) in New Delhi. In this context, he spoke about how a number of global players like Apple, Samsung, Ciscowho are a dominant part of the global value chain are shifting to India.Click here to read…

Rare Earth (RE) Resources in India

The Rare Earth (RE) resources in India are reported to be the fifth largest in the world. Indian resource is significantly lean w.r.t. grade and it is tied with radioactivity making the extraction long, complex and expensive. Further, Indian resource contain Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) while Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) are not available in extractable quantities. In case of rare earths, a long drawn eco-system in value chain is required to move from reserves to finished product comprising of large number of processes/plants. With regard to foreign collaboration, Toyotsu Rare Earths India Limited, Visakhapatnam, a subsidiary of Toyoto Tsusho Corporation, Japan is engaged in refining of rare earths by sourcing rare earth concentrate from IREL.Click here to read…

IV. International Cooperation

India-Israel Industrial Research and Development Cooperation

In a momentous milestone in S&T cooperation between India and Israel, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) of the Republic of India and the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), under the Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel. The MoU shall enable cooperation in the industrial R&D programmes in mutually agreeable industrial technology fields through implementation of specific projects. The collaboration would encompass some of the key industrial sectors including Healthcare; Aerospace & Electronics Instrumentation; and among others.Click here to read…

India-Japan Semiconductor Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had a productive meeting with Tosh iShiabata, the CEO of Japanese semiconductor firm Renesas Electronics and discussed various aspects of technology andinnovation in the field of semiconductors. The Japanese company's CEO called on PM Modi on 12 May 2023. Earlier, Renesas Electronics posted on Twitter that Toshi Shibata met the IndianPrime Minister to discuss the role of the semiconductor industry and how itcontributes to India's vision for a digital future.Click here to read…

Roadmap of International Partnerships for Sustainable Future

Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) highlighted the importance of developing a mechanism of sharing knowledge, science, and technology between countries to create a sustainable, resilient society at a United Nation’s Global STI Forum 2023 Side Event on Community Resilience Resource Centers (CRRCs) For Aiding Post Covid Socio-Economic Recovery in India. Insisting on knowledge sharing of hydrogen-based energy, new sustainable energy systems as well as ways to address food security issues, Dr. Chandrasekhar emphasised on a holistic approach in which AIs and other new technologies can be used to develop a resilient planet by addressing new and emerging challenges like changing climate, GHGs, pandemics, and other unknown diseases at the side event organized jointly by DST and the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP).Click here to read…

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Startup Forum 2023

After two successful editions in virtual mode, Startup India, Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce organized the third edition in the form of first-ever physical Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Startup Forum in New Delhi recently. The engagement aimed at expanding the startup interactions amongst the SCO Member States, nurturing the spirit of innovation, generating more employment and encouraging young talent to build innovative solutions. The forum witnessed physical participation from SCO Member States including a delegation of government officials, private industry players, incubators and startups.Click here to read…

V. Regional and Global Trends

China’s Smartphone Maker Oppo Decides to Shut down Chip Development Unit

China's leading smart-phone maker Oppo says that it will shut down its semiconductor division and cease development of its own chips, citing a gloomy smartphone market and uncertainties in the global economy. Oppo, the world's No. 4 handset maker by shipments, confirmed that it will "cease the operation" of ZEKU, the company's flagship chip development unit and drop the development of its own chips. The closure will impact several chips in its signature Marisilicon series, including its AI-enabled image signal processor (ISP) and its Bluetooth chipset, as well as an upcoming smartphone processor that tapped the same cutting-edge chip production tech Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. uses to produce chips for Apple's iPhone.Click here to read…

Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Could Cost World Economy US$1 Trillion

US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said during a Congressional Hearing that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could halt production by the world’s largest advanced chipmaker, wiping out up to US$1 trillion per year from the global economy in the first few years.Avril Haines called a “general estimate” during testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee. She said that the advanced semiconductors produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) are used in 90 percent of “almost every category of electronic device around the world”. If a Chinese invasion stopped TSMC from producing those chips, “it will have an enormous global financial impact that I think runs somewhere between US$600 billion to US$1 trillion on an annual basis for the first few years,” she said.Click here to read…

Biden Administration Investing $140M in AI

On 4 May 2023, the Biden administration announced that it will invest $140 million into research and development of artificial intelligence (AI) amid the current boom of the new technology. Along with the funding, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will issue policy guidance on the use of AI by the federal government in the coming months, and companies that develop AI, such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have made commitments to participate in a public evaluation of AI systems. The National Science Foundation will invest the $140 million to launch seven new National AI Research Institutes, bringing the total number of such institutes in the U.S. to 25. The institutes work on collaboration efforts across the federal government, industry and higher education.Click here to read…

President XiJinping urges country to seize opportunities in AI

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of developing China’s ability in AI for the second time in less than a fortnight, as the Sino-US tech race in AI and semiconductors ratchets up.During a key economic meeting on 5 May, Xi said China should leverage its abilities in AI to help modernisation of the country’s industrial system.Xi said that China should seize opportunities presented by new scientific and technological breakthroughs, such as AI, to build a “holistic, advanced, and harm-free” modern industrial system.Click here to read…

Global Semiconductor Revenue Projected To Decline 11.2 per cent in 2023

According to the latest forecast from Gartner, global semiconductor revenue isprojected to decline 11.2 per cent in 2023.According to the forecast, in 2022, the market totalled USD 599.6billion, which was marginal growth of 0.2 per cent from 2021. The short-term outlookfor the market">semiconductor market has deteriorated further. Global semiconductorrevenue is forecast to total USD 532 billion in 2023.The memory industry is dealing with overcapacity and excess inventory, whichwill continue to put significant pressure on average selling prices (ASPs) in 2023.The memory market is projected to a total USD 92.3 billion, a decline of 35.5 percent in 2023. However, it is on pace to rebound in 2024 with a 70 per centincrease.Click here to read…