DEEP
TECHNOLOGY – SCI & TECH
News:
Why the Union Budget’s
plans for deep tech and research funding are significant
What's
in the news?
●
In her Interim Budget speech, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs
1 lakh crore fund to provide long-term, low-cost or zero-interest loans for
research and development.
Key
takeaways:
●
She also promised to launch a new scheme
to strengthen deep-tech capabilities in
the defence sector — an announcement that is likely to be followed up later
in the year with a larger policy to promote deep tech startups across all
sectors, not just defence.
●
The separate announcements on the fund and
defence deep tech are intricately linked, and must be seen together with the
government’s other plans for the R&D sector.
Deep
Technology:
●
It refers to advanced and disruptive technologies, many of which are still under
development, that have the potential to trigger
transformative change and provide solutions for the future.
Applications:
●
The term is used to describe cutting-edge research in
nanotechnology, biotechnology, material sciences, quantum technologies,
semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data sciences, robotics, 3D printing,
etc.
Significance:
●
These technologies are expected to play a
key role to address complex global
challenges like climate change, hunger, epidemics, energy access, mobility,
physical and digital infrastructure and cyber security.
●
These technologies are likely to enhance productivity and drive economic
growth.