By Gurmukh Singh

Toronto, Oct 1 (IANS): With the world's hunger for its minerals and metals threatening to exhaust these resources, scientists should launch a hunt for these materials on other planets, according to former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Delivering a public lecture on "Mining and material realization add to the strength of the nations,'' here at the Canada-India Mining and Metals Forum, Kalam said the rapid consumption of the world's unrenewable energy and mineral resources would soon pose a major challenge for mankind.

"No single nation will be able to handle the situation by itself. Humanity will require mega missions for harnessing solar energy, drinking water from sea water through desalination process and bringing minerals from other planets.

"This will involve innovation and research in satellite based remote sensing of other planets, robotics, mining equipment, mining operation, extraction, processing and transportation," he said.

Kalam said Canada - the world leader in mining - and India should take lead in preparing the world to undertake "such challenging missions through a consortium of multiple nations.''

With India planning to double its steel output to 124 million tonnes by 2011-12, Kalam said the country needs Canada's "end-to-end domain knowledge and expertise'' in the mining and metals sector.

"I have dream for a Canada-India joint programme using their (Canadian) unique core-competencies, for research and development, production and global marketing of an Indo-Canada alloy (ferrous and non-ferrous types) for high technology engineering applications,'' Kalam said.

With India needing more than $30 billion over the next five years to exploit its mining wealth of 89 major minerals, he said Canada has huge opportunities in this sector.

Giving the example of the diamond industry where Canada is the global leader in production and India is the top exporter of cut and polished diamonds, he said the two could benefit from a partnership.

Canada, which currently produces about 15 percent of the world's diamond production, will account for nearly 50 percent of the global output in the next decade. On the other hand, India accounts for 80 percent of diamond cutting and polishing in the world, offering a huge market for Canada.

Since India has allowed 100 percent FDI in mining, Kalam said Canada should seize the opportunity to raise bilateral trade to $15 billion as envisioned by the two prime ministers recently.