Jitendra Singh Inaugurates Indigenous Solar Cell Fabrication Facility At IACS

Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated an indigenously developed Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) system designed for the fabrication of India’s first amorphous silicon solar cell. The Minister said the development reflected India’s growing focus on scientific self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata marked its 150th anniversary on Tuesday. Founded in 1876 by Mahendralal Sircar, IACS is regarded as India’s first research institution established by Indians for modern scientific research. The institute is best known as the birthplace of the discovery of the Raman Effect by Nobel laureate C V Raman. According to Singh, the facility represents an important advancement in India’s renewable energy research and indigenous technology capabilities. RETINA Incubation Centre Launched The Minister also launched RETINA — Research Entrepreneurship for Translation, Innovation and Navigation — a new incubation centre aimed at supporting the commercialisation of scientific research and promoting startup-driven innovation. Singh said Indian scientific institutions are increasingly integrating research with entrepreneurship, industrial collaboration and societal applications to develop scalable technologies in sectors such as healthcare, clean energy, and sustainable development. Focus On Emerging Technologies The Minister said IACS has nurtured several leading scientific minds, including Satyendra Nath Bose, and continues to contribute to globally recognised research across physical sciences, biological sciences, materials science and interdisciplinary technologies. He also highlighted the institute’s work in emerging fields such as quantum materials, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, battery materials, cancer biology and environmental technologies.