New Delhi: India will set up seven Regional Innovation Science Hubs for Inventors in areas like robotics, ocean science and bio-medical engineering, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday.

"The hubs will be located in a progressive school, an university, a science-promoting city, an already existing innovation centre, a science-based voluntary organisation and a Bal Bhawan," said Sibal.

He, however, refused to give a time frame within which these hubs will come into existence.

The hubs will specialize in seven disciplines - robotics, biotechnology, ocean science, biomedical engineering, agricultural and rural development, science and mass communication, and renewable energy sources.

He was speaking at a function to felicitate students who have won awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held last week in the US.

Seven out of eight students from India have won awards in categories ranging from mechanical engineering to environmental management.

"The ISEF is an excellent initiative to get young minds excited about science and technology. Earlier, we shared statistics about increasing shortage of scientific researchers in India …India needs to develop the next generation scientific researchers and ensure a steady stream of employment opportunities," he said.

ISEF is a unique platform for students to demonstrate their prowess across all life sciences. It is organised by the Society for Science and is sponsored by Intel since 1996.

Started in 1950, with 30 participants from the US with prizes in the form of scholarships for US $1,000, Intel ISEF today receives participation from over 50 countries and 1,500 contestants, with prizes exceeding US $4 million. IANS