India is making major strides in developing laser technology that will revolutionise treatment of cancer and open up new vistas in the field of communication technology, Dr B N Jagtap, Senior Scientist and Director of Chemistry group at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, has said.

"We are doing research on new laser applications in the field of photo dynamic therapy for treating cancers. The Radiation & Photochemistry Division of BARC has been doing research in developing applications in energy, material, health and environment," Dr Jagtap said.

He was speaking at the three-day national workshop on 'Recent Advances in Lasers for Communication, Signal and Material Processing' which concluded at the Toc-H Institute of Science and Technology (TIST), Arakkunnam, yesterday.

Scientists from the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), who spoke at the workshop, highlighted the use of laser devices in developing defence equipment, applications of lasers in sensing and communication and the challenges faced in the development and manufacturing of laser devices.

Toc H President C S Varghese, Founder Director Dr K Varghese, Principal Dr D Vincent H Wilson also addressed the workshop, organised by the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, TIST, in association with the International School of Photonics of Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Photonics Society of India.