NCMM to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram

The Indian Union Cabinet approved the establishment of a National Centre for Molecular Materials (NCMM) at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on 4 November 2010. NCMM will be an autonomous institute of the Government of India (GOI) under the Department of Science & Technology (DST). The total cost for setting up the Centre is estimated at Rs 76.7 crore for five years with an outlay of Rs 14.55 crore for the Eleventh Plan Period. The Centre that will spread across 40 acres of land will be the first of its kind in India. The Centre is expected to pursue high-end science and develop technology in niche areas like sensors for biomedical devices, materials for solar energy harvesting and space electronics. The Indian Government through the establishment of the Centre attempts to create a national innovation infrastructure that channels knowledge systems to wealth creation in the long run.