India, May 19 -- Somewhere in Hyderabad, brains in a lab were storming a lot of grey matter over a quite-grey question. 'We need it, we have to import it, we have been importing it (which also means a long wait time till we get it) and we pay through our noses for it- but why?'. Someone answered- 'Because it is hard to imagine optics, specially infra-red imaging, without Germanium.'

'Exactly', responded someone back from the other side of the table. 'Why not?'

It was a valid question for precision manufacturing engineers, optics experts and business development folks alike at EON Space Labs. Germanium was a good example of a component that made India dependent on other countries. We were importing it in bulk from Israel. And most compon...