Kolkata, Aug 21 (IANS) India should aim to produce more Nobel laureates, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday, calling for closer ties between academia and research and greater international collaboration between the country's research institutes and those overseas.

"Our aim should be to produce more Nobel laureates," the prime minister said while addressing the concluding session of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics here.

Stressing that the tools for international cooperation in high technology areas have opened up for India, the prime minister exuded confidence that the nation's scientists would be able to use the opportunities to develop an international temper and outlook.

"There should be greater international collaboration between our research institutes and those of other countries," he said.

"Research institutes cannot function in isolation. There should be closer ties between academia and industry and a seamless transfer of knowledge should take place from the lab to the shop floor.

"Our government is enhancing this process at all levels," he added.