India-US engineers & scientists can widen research under special tech fund: Indian envoy

Scientists and engineers from India and US can widen ir opportunities for research under COVID-19 Virtual Networks that is being developed as part of India-US Science and Techlogy Endowment Fund(IUSTEF), Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said.

Speaking at a webinar titled India-US Partnership, healthcare and medical research, Sandhu said scientists and engineers from India and US have tremendous scope for bilateral cooperation in area of healthcare and medical research during current time of coronavirus pandemic.

"India and US are actively engd in healthcare and medical research during COVID-19 pandemic and re is a tremendous scope for bilateral cooperation in this area that needs to be tapped and build on synergies that exist in this sector," Sandhu said.

"Since initial days of outbreak of COVID, our scientists and institutions have been actively engd in exchange of information. COVID-19 Virtual Networks being developed under IUSTEF will allow Indian and US scientists and engineers to carry our joint research activities virtually and lever current infrastructure and funding mechanism," he added.

aim of USISTEF is to support and foster joint applied R&D to generate public good through commercialisation of techlogy developed through sustained partnerships between US and Indian researchers and entrepreneurs.

Sandhu highlighted works being done by India with US private sector.

India has been working with US private sector in vaccine development. re are at least three ongoing collaborations of Indian and US companies and institutions to co-develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine," he said.

interactive panel for webinar comprised high ranking officials like Dr P D Vaghela, Secretary Department of Pharmaceuticals, India, Dr Peter Hotez, infectious disease specialist and a pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Susan Davenport, Sr VP, Ecomic Development, Greater Houston Partnership.