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Green technology: MIT wants to join hands with India

Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI: Applauding the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission 2022 initiative launched by India to unleash 20,000 MW of power during the next decade, US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has expressed its strong desire to be associated with the Indian Government, industry and academia to research and develop clean energy green technology in the post-Copenhagen scenario.

Talking to The Hindu during their visit to India at the initiative of CII and Bharat Forge mentor, Baba Kalyani, MIT Director, Ernest Moniz and fellow academician, Assistant Director of MIT, Robert Stoner said that post-Copenhagen summit MIT had raised $6 million from industries and philanthropists for 55 projects.

Dr. Moniz, also been named to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, was here to explore the possibility of Indian co-operation in the venture stating that he was open to various options. ``We could look at setting up new institutions in co-operation with MIT with energy as a primary agenda or work with existing institutions. It could also be joint post-doctoral programmes with Indian universities,” Prof. Moniz said during his interaction with top CEOs and institutional heads.

Dr Moniz said MIT was looking at solar energy, biofuels and IT as some of the areas for joint research and studies. A member of Obama Administration’s Science and Technology Advisory Council, he said MIT had got several suggestions including aggressive ideas during their interaction.

He said that MIT is examining the prospects of Indian Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D) scholars undertaking post doctoral research in MIT labs for some time and returning to implement the same here. Apart from that, it would boost research, education and people-to-people interface.

Talking about solar technology that faces its major hurdle in capital costs, currently at around $4.5 per watt or four times that of coal or gas plants, Dr. Moniz said technology would soon bring Solar module prices on par with traditional fuels. Both Dr. Moniz and Mr. Stoner said India has a big chance to move in and sweep up the solar business as the subsidy-based business model of Europe and Japan come under pressure.

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