India’s first Graphene Innovation Centre to come up in Kerala

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his official Facebook page, said the India Innovation Centre for Graphene would come up in Thrissur at a cost of Rs 86.41 crore. The project would give a major fillip for scientific research as well as the state’s industrial sector. Apart from Tata Steel Limited, which is the major stakeholder in the venture, other industrial enterprises would also give support for the Innovation Centre.

Vijayan said of the 86.41-crore, the Union Government would provide Rs 49.18 crore and private business houses Rs 11.48 crore. The state government would provide the basic infrastructure for the project. The Centre would help attract investors to develop graphene products. Kerala’s human resources capital could be effectively exploited by the proposed Centre, which would help Kerala to emerge as a knowledge-based economy,’’ said Vijayan.

Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is the building-block of Graphite, but graphene is a remarkable substance on its own with a multitude of astonishing properties. It is the thinnest, most electrically and thermally conductive material in the world, while also being flexible, transparent and incredibly strong. Graphene is also known as a wonder material due to its vast potential in the energy and medical world.