Nanotechnology Programme has been concentrating mainly on following to make India a front runner in the field of Nanotechnology.

1. Infrastructure for Research and Development / Institutional capacity building
2. Human Resource Development in the Area of Nano-Electronics
3. Development of Nano devices/sub-system/system for various applications

A major initiative has been taken to create the Nanoelectronics Centres at various places in India to provide access to professional expertise, training and development, supporting collaborations.

Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics

Centre for Excellence in Nanoelectronics project (CEN) has been established at IISc, IIT-B, IITM, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati and IIT Delhi  with the state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities of international standards providing a catalyst for ambitious research initiatives in area of Nanoelectronics to accelerate research and development activities in new areas of nanoelectronics, nano-materials and nano-structures and integrated sensor system, and to generate a critical mass of highly trained manpower to propel these areas. 

Indian Nanoelectronics User Programme Phase I and Phase II (INUP Phase II) at IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore

A unique joint major project entitled "Indian Nanoelectronics Users Program (INUP)" was launched to make available the CEN facilities created at IISc and IIT-B to researchers from all over the country for experimental research using nanofabrication.  The major highlights of the project include the following: Imparting a hands-on training in nanoelectronics, assistance in research by enabling execution of work of external users at these centres, collaborating with research teams from other Indian centres to develop joint programs in nanoelectronics, provide a platform to researchers in Nanoelectronics to come together and benefit from complimentary expertise and conduct regular workshops for a wider dissemination of knowledge in Nanoelectronics. In addition to this, human resources are being created in all the R&D projects under this programme.  

INUP Phase II was initiated in March 2014 at the CENs of IISc Bangalore and IIT Bombay to continue to facilitate and support the generation of expertise and knowledge in Nanoelectronics through participation by external users in INUP and their utilization of the facilities established at the Centres of Excellence in Nanoelectronics (CEN) at IISc and IITB.  The reach of INUP will be extended to a larger number of researchers through a variety of new and expanded initiatives for advanced training and research. Till date around 3000 manpower has been trained, 20 patents have been filed, 250 research papers have been published and 150 Ph.D thesis have been supported under the programme.

Indian Nanoelectronics User Programme -Idea to Innovation (INUP-i2i) at IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati

After the successful completion of Indian Nanoelectronics User Programme Phase I (2008-2014) and Phase II (2014-2019), the new program, Indian Nanoelectronics Users’ Programme - Idea to Innovation (INUP-i2i), was initiated at the CENs of IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati to take the ‘open national nanocenters’ concept to the next stage, while retaining the key aspects of training at different levels introduced in INUP. The important highlights of the projects include: educating the researchers from all over the country in fundamentals of nanoelectronics, hands-on-training in nanoelectronics, mentorship in short term and mid term R&D projects in the area, mentorship of the collaborating institutes and start-ups. In addition, industrial training is also being provided under the project. Grand challenges/Hackathons are being conducted to get the societal problems form R&D in nanoelectronics

Research Initiative on Non-Silicon based Technologies for Nanofabrication and Nanoscale Devices at IIT Delhi

This project involves setting up of a nanofabrication facility at IIT Delhi for developing Nanofabrication processes and their use for making non-silicon nanoscale devices.  The project also aims on building and demonstration of select device prototypes in specific research areas. 

Centre for Excellence in Research and Development of Nanoelectronic Theranostic Devices at IIT Guwahati

The aim of the Centre is to develop facilities for fabrication and characterization of micro/nano electronic devices aiming applications in Theranostics (a combined terminology for therapeutics and diagnostics) with focus on the development of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, MEMS/NEMS prototypes, and FET devices applicable for (i) pathogen detection (ii) diagnostic tools for biochemical assays (iii) diseases such as pancreatitis (iv) markers for cancer diagnosis and (v) sensor for whole cell detection etc. Esophageal, hypo pharyngeal and oral cancers are common, probably due to the habit of consumption of betel-nut (Areca nut) and higher use of alkaline food, in the North East, India. The Centre will provide the new opportunities to the researchers of North Eastern region and will cater to the local needs by the development of low cost health and agriculture sensors.

Centre for Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS) and Nanophotonics at IIT Madras

Under the project, a Centre for Nano-electromechanical Systems (NEMS) and Nanophotonics has been set-up.  Centre is pursuing R&D to achieve the following Specific components/ devices / subsystems/ systems:

1. RF Blade Nanoresonator
2. Biomolecular Detection System using Silicon/ Silicon Nitride Nanoresonator and Nanoporous membrane-based particle sensor
3. Nanophotonics components/ systems based on Silicon on Insulator (SOI)
4. Nanophotonics components/ systems based on GaAs/ AlGaA
5. Lamellar gratings for Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTS) Systems

The aim of the project is to promote Nanotechnology in areas of health, food safety, communication and material science.

Nano Fabrication Prototyping Facilities for SMEs and Start-ups in the area of MEMS & NEMS at IIT Bombay

The main aim of the project is to set-up a Centre for Prototyping and Testing of Nano-Sensors and to provide a facility to fabricate and manufacture Nano-Scale devices by Incubator Companies, Industry participants, researchers at IIT Bombay & other academic institutions including other government agencies. Such a facility will enable these entities to take their products from research labs to the market. The project is expected to facilitate production of products for health care and environment monitoring.

Nano-metrology at National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi

Calibration facilities for the measurement of electrical parameters such as voltage, current, resistance and charge in nano range have been established to serve as a national facility in NPL, New Delhi.

Development of MBE Cluster Tools for the epitaxial growth at IIT Kharagpur

MBE cluster tool based epitaxial nano-semiconductor infrastructure facility has been established for high performance RF/Microwave compound semiconductor heterostructure nano-devices on silicon for common user access. This project concentrates on developing Ge rich SiGe process on Si, Arsenide process (GaAs) on Si, Phosphide process (InP) on Si and Nitride process (GaN) on silicon.