Addressing the Institutional Asymmetries Underlying Nanotechnology Regulation in India

With the setting up of a dedicated public research program in nanotechnology (through the nano mission) in May 2007, the state support for nanotechnology R amp; D in India has become institutionalized. This has enabled nanotechnology to assume a privileged position within the public policy agenda. In terms of the market exposure to nanotechnology, homegrown applications have been limited largely to the health sector. Licensing foreign technology has been leveraged to introduce other new products using nanotechnology. However such Ramp;D exposure and market developments have attracted criticism on the basis of the lack of regulatory controls currently in place. Part of this criticism is focused on the overwhelming emphasis on market oriented R amp; D without a concomitant program on EHS risk aspects of the technology. This has lead to a demand for regulation of this technology. This demand is partially misplaced because given the nature and scope of nanotechnology applications having a stand-alone regulatory framework is not feasible