The Government of India and the Government of Japan decided to start a Science Cooperation Programme in the year 1994 in different areas of science & engineering. Out of the 5 priority areas identified engineering had only one in Manufacturing Science. This programme is funded by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi & the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo. Each priority area activities are coordinated by 2 persons, one from India and one from Japan.

This collaborative programme in Manufacturing Science was being coordinated by Professor Amitabha Ghosh of IIT Kanpur & Professor Manabu Kuchi of Tokyo University. From the next financial year, it will be coordinated by Professor S. G. Dhande of IIT Kanpur from the Indian side.

This programme consists of a joint seminar by about 30 Indian and Japanese scientists every year, alternately in India and Japan. These joint seminars, approximately of 5 days' duration, are devoted to presentation of research papers on various topics related to Manufacturing Processes, Manufacturing Systems, and Manufacturing Science of Advanced Composites. Besides, the programme involves industry tours and discussions. Over and above, this program involves exchange of scientists and engineers. One major Asia Conference on Advanced Manufacturing was also organized in the December 2000 under this programme which was attended by about 40 participants from India and 80 participants from different Asian countries like Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

This ten - year long programme has not only resulted in extensive exposures to the advanced manufacturing techniques and industrial processes but a deep sense of mutual understanding among the scientists of the two countries has also been achieved. It is expected that in the coming decade many collaborative research projects will begin that will help the status of manufacturing technology in India to improve..