India and Oman agree upon programme of scientific and technological cooperation

India and Oman will work together in certain areas like sustainability scientific harnessing of resources under a Programme of Cooperation (POC) in the fields of Science and Technology was signed between them.

The areas of cooperation identified based on the POC for the period 2022 – 2025 are Medicinal Plants and processing, Real-time Air Quality Monitoring,  Development of an electronic platform for knowledge sharing in the field of Genetic Resources, Technical expertise for SMEs in the field of sustainability (Eco-Innovate) Accelerator,  Plastic Bio-fuel, and Bio-diesel Research (Example: Low-temperature Bio-diesel production, Extraction of high-value products from produced water with oil), Software development for Graduate Programs – Linking Industry with Academia, Blockchain and FinTech solutions, Training programmes – Big-data, coding & testing, STEM teaching and other areas of S&T cooperation added by mutual consent.

The POC document was signed by Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Omani Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman during the bilateral meeting between Dr. S Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India and Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Foreign Minister of Oman on 23rd March 2022.

The Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, on behalf of Government of the Republic of India and the Office of Science, Knowledge & Technology Transfer, Foreign Ministry, on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, will supervise, coordinate and implement the POC for India and Oman, respectively.

Under the agreement, both countries will support joint scientific projects based on mutual interest, developed jointly by the Indian and Omani institutions. They will encourage exchange of scientists, researchers, experts, and specialists for the implementation of selected joint projects aimed at developing applicable technology. This will lead to the dissemination of research results and establishing contacts with industry for the follow-up of research and development work. The countries will also hold at least one workshop each year – alternatively in India and in Oman during 2022 – 2025 period in mutually acceptable areas.

The POC for Cooperation in the fields of Science and Technology for the period 2022 – 2025 was signed in pursuance of the Agreement for Cooperation in Science and Technology concluded on 5 October, 1996 between the Government of Oman and the Government of India.