Science and Technology Cluster launched in Hyderabad

TS aims to become the preferred centre of excellence in Asia for lifesciences, digital technology, agriculture and smart manufacturing, says KTR

Hyderabad: In a major recognition of the emergence of Hyderabad as a hub for innovation, the city was chosen for the formal roll out of the first of the four Union government-backed Science and Technology Cluster on Friday.

Hyderabad is one of the four cities selected for the establishment of the Science and Technology Cluster by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) to facilitate nationwide scientific collaboration. The other cities selected for the mega clusters are Bengaluru, National Capital Region (NCR)-Delhi and Pune.

The Hyderabad Cluster will be led by the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH).
The city cluster aims at improving overall outcomes for science, technology and innovation in the country. Telangana has one of the highest growth rates in the country due to its focus on innovation in all sectors, and from all constituents.

Hyderabad has therefore been chosen as one of the cities for setting up a mega S&T cluster. The cluster was formally launched in a virtual event by KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industries and MA&UD, Telangana and K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific adviser (PSA), Government of India in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, Industries & Commerce (I&C) and IT Departments, Government of Telangana, Dr Arabinda Mitra (scientific secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India), and Ajit Rangnekar (Director General, RICH).

Launching the Hyderabad Cluster, KT Rama Rao said, “Telangana has introduced several initiatives to bring prosperity through science and innovation. The State has over 60 R&D labs (including government and private sector) creating a vibrant ecosystem. Telangana’s focus on innovation has been broad-based covering students, rural population, farmers and women, besides industry and academia.”

Multi-sector capability

Telangana’s pharma companies are today leading the national effort in developing drugs and vaccines for human good. The city houses India’s largest bio-cluster, Genome Valley, which is a group of roughly 200 companies. Hyderabad is the vaccine capital and contributes to one-third of the global human vaccines. Agriculture companies in the State are today the largest providers of seeds nationally. Hyderabad known for its digital technology capabilities has created many unicorns.

KTR added, “The State has announced 2020 as the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is not just part of the digital industry, but also is being used in lifesciences, agriculture, governance and many other areas. The use of AI will grow exponentially as more startups are enabled to speed up the journey to market by State enablers such as T-Hub and global technology companies that operate in Hyderabad.”

The cluster initiative of PSA fits perfectly with the State’s planning and belief system, he emphasised. Telangana has set a goal to become the preferred centre of excellence in Asia for lifesciences, digital technology, agriculture and smart manufacturing. “Hyderabad Cluster will not just be focusing on big problems, but will strive to bridge the gap in the ecosystem and help MSMEs to make India self-reliant,” added KTR.

The State has already brought together agriculture universities, RICH and IT Department to bring effective technologies for farmers to increase their income. The government is also working with Cyient and other organisations to create test beds in hospitals to evaluate new diagnostic kits. Waste-to-wealth centres of excellence are being created. National institutions are also working on improving nutrition for women and children. The State is using IoT and other technologies to address mosquito menace.

Long-term impact

“We are looking to help launch at least five large impactful companies over a period of next 5-7 years, which will benefit millions, generate wealth, and create over 1,00,000 jobs across the country. In the long-term, the government will focus on global leadership through strong research and education focusing on personalised medicine and appropriate nutrition for every citizen,” added KTR.

Jayesh Ranjan, IT principal secretary, Telangana said, in the last four years, RICH has been able to bring together the interests of the R&D institutions, industry, startups and the government. The Hyderabad cluster will enable RICH to take part in international projects and collaborations among all the key stakeholders.

“RICH, which has initiated several efforts towards research and innovation, is ready to initiate the works on the cluster. We will foster multi-disciplinary research and entrepreneurship to build a more prosperous and equitable future for all,” added Ajit Rangnekar, director general of RICH.

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