Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Minister for Home and Information Technology, Biotechnology and e-Governance, Priyank Kharge, Bharat Ratna awardee C.N.R. Rao during the Bengaluru India Nano programme in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
The 2026 edition of Bengaluru INDIA NANO, Karnataka’s annual international nanotechnology conference and exhibition, began with a tribute to Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao, who was felicitated for his outstanding contributions to science and for his pioneering role in advancing nanoscience research in India.
Accepting the honour on his behalf, his wife, Indumathi Rao, a science educationist and researcher, underscored the importance of taking science and technology beyond laboratories to underserved communities.
She described Bengaluru INDIA NANO as an all-pervasive platform that continues to grow in significance and hoped it would inspire more people to participate, learn and carry the benefits of modern science to rural India. “We reach out to where they can’t reach in. If people do not have the facility to seek help, we go out and help them,” she said.
The inaugural session also highlighted India’s growing ambitions in the global semiconductor industry. Speaking at the event, Rangesh Raghavan, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Lam Research India, said India’s opportunity lies in building a resilient semiconductor ecosystem that integrates supply chains, advanced engineering, research and a skilled workforce.
Nano awards and fellowships
The Bengaluru INDIA NANO Innovation Award 2026 was presented to Prasinos Tech Innovations for its indigenous hydrodynamic-cavitation nanobubble technology, which is advancing water treatment and ecosystem restoration across India.
The government also announced the Karnataka DST Nanoscience Fellowship Awardees 2026, awarded through the Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society (KSTePS) to support outstanding PhD scholars pursuing advanced research in nanoscience and engineering. The six fellowship awardees are Pritam Pal from IISc Bengaluru, Debmalya Mukhopadhyay from JNCASR Bengaluru, Souvik Banerjee from IACS Kolkata, Alisha Rohal and Sudip Naskar from INST Mohali, and Snehraj Gaur from IIT Delhi.
Published – August 04, 2026 11:05 pm IST
