Hyderabad|India|September'2011: The 4-day International Conference on Nano science and Technology (ICONSAT-2012) will be held at Hotel Taj Krishna here from January next.

The conference is being organized by International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India is the official sponsor of this conference. Registration closes by November 30, 2011.

The biennial event conducted since 2003, is the 5th in its series this time with an objective of advancing theory, practice, collection and applications of geospatial data, and promoting an active exchange of information, ideas,and technological innovations in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

The Nano Mission launched by DST in May 2007 has been working as a catyalyst in promoting nano-based R&D activities in national laboratories and academic institutions in India.

International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) is an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India located in Hyderabad.

ARCI has a state-of-the-art R&D facility in developing advanced materials and associated processing technologies used in niche market, besides demonstratiing technologies on prototype scale, and transfering the technologies to the indian industry.

ARCI has also been carrying out basic R&D in collaboration with renowned institutes/laboratories worldwide within its areas of core competence. It has been judiciously building up facilities to complement and enhance existing national capabilities in the field.

IT has continuously been striving to provide most cost-effective solutions to combat surface degradation problems in the industry. This is being achieved through indigenization of coating equipment and offering some of the institute's unique coating facilities for jobbing activities to permit the industry access to technologies not available elsewhere in the country.

ICONSAT - 2012 is also expected to foster and facilitate participation of people pursuing their Masters and Doctoral degrees in areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology as well as young researchers working in the field.