The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Biotechnology parks in 6 states by 2010: official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 10, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Biotechnology parks in 6 states by 2010: official

Special Correspondent

Geetha Reddy opens BioAsia-2006, foresees upswing in BT income

BEFITTING HONOUR: Minister for Industries J. Geetha Reddy presenting Genome Valley Excellence Award to Rama Reddy V. Guntaka of the US at BioAsia conference in Hyderabad on Thursday. - Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: In the wake of the success of biotechnology parks in Hyderabad and Pune, more such parks under public-private partnership model will be set up in different States taking their number to 10 by 2010.

Stating this to reporters on the sidelines of Bio-Asia-2006 here on Thursday, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) M.K. Bhan said Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Kerala were among the States where the proposed parks would come up. They would nurture and incubate companies of different types, offer contract research, develop new products, among others.

Bio-clusters

Bio-clusters would also be developed in those States, he said, after chairing a meeting on bio-cluster development in India. Governments of the respective States would provide land while DBT would support the creation of business incubators. Another decision taken was to set up a joint working group to chalk out a plan for having largescale trained clinical investigators. It would submit the report in a month. Later, speaking at the inaugural session of BioAsia-2006, he said it was decided to set up world class undergraduate life sciences schools in 20 cities in the country. The proposal for a single BT regulatory authority was being pursued seriously.

Area for genome park

Inaugurating the meet, Industries and Tourism Minister J. Geetha Reddy said the Government had decided to earmark another 300 acres for Genome Life Science Park in Medak district. It would be developed under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation. The income generated from biotech operations since 2002 was around Rs.1,000 crores, and this was expected to touch Rs.6,000 crores in next five years.

Anwar Nassim, Chairman, National Commission on Biotechnology, Pakistan and President, Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA), stressed the need for all countries in the region to work together in BT sector.

Later Ms. Geetha Reddy presented Genome Valley of Excellence Award to Rama Reddy V. Guntaka of the United States.

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