The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed a $7 million (₹45 crore approx.) agreement with the Metal Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia. According to CSIR sources, this is the largest, international deal it has ever signed.
“We’ve had cooperation with the Ethiopian science and technology ministry and other African nations for a while,” Dr. B. Chandrasekaran, Director, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), told The Hindu. “Apart from training and management consultancy, we are also looking at transferring technology.” The CLRI has had collaborations with Ethiopia on a previous $5 mn. (₹32 crore approx.) project but this involves several other CSIR laboratories.
This is a three-year contract and personnel from both organisations are expected to begin technical collaboration from next month. The CSIR — strapped for research funds — has committed to securing 10%-15% of its ₹4,000 crore budget through external projects and sources.
The agreement was signed by the Director of National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur and the project will be executed by the CSIR-NML, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani, CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh and CSIR-CLRI, Chennai.
According to a CSIR press statement, the agreement was signed at Addis Ababa in the presence of Dr. Alemu Sime, State Minister of Industry, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Teshome Lemma .
