By IANS,
Ottawa : Indian and Canadian companies and researchers will carry out 10 research initiatives, valued at more than $17 million, in areas such as pollution control, aviation, bio-fuels and telecom under a bilateral pact.
The initiatives were announced jointly by Science, Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal, and Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway David Emerson.
Eight of the initiatives will be joint research projects, while two will be aimed at generating new or expanding research and technology-based partnerships.
Sibal said the Indian government had increased its planned expenditure in science and technology by almost five times over that earmarked in the previous Five-Year Plan.
“My ministry has now joined hands with the Confederation of Indian Industry to manage and deliver India’s bilateral industrial research programmes,” he said.