The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Russia-India biotech network soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Russia-India biotech network soon

Special Correspondent

Online platform useful for bio and pharma companies, scientists, students

The first phase of the network will be functional by October
Eighth edition of BioAsia 2011 to be held from February 21 to 24

HYDERABAD: An exclusive online platform to facilitate collaboration and networking between stakeholders of Russian and Indian biotech sectors was announced by the Chief Minister K. Rosaiah here on Tuesday.

Called as the Russia India Biotech Network (RIBN), it was jointly developed by the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and Russian Biotech Association. It would gradually be opened to other countries.

The platform would be useful for bio and pharma companies, scientists, university students of the two countries exploring new technology, both for both business and science. The concept was mooted during BioAsia-2010 conference held here in February this year. The first phase of the platform would be functional by October and become fully operational during BioAsia 2011. Mr. Rosaiah said that the State recognising the importance of biotech in India's knowledge economy, succeeded in providing the right environment, infrastructure and encouragement to leading biotech companies to establish their units in the city's Biotech Park, Genome Valley.

Mr. Vyacheslav I Trubnikov, Ambassador Extraordinary, said decades ago India sought Russian technology and expertise for its steel plants. It was now it was the turn of Russia to learn from India's experience in biotechnology.

The Chief Minister also officially announced that the eighth edition of BioAsia 2011 will be held from February 21 to 24 here. The event would feature multi-track conferences on medicine, agriculture and health, with focus on early diagnosis of cancer, increasing agriculture productivity and high quality and low cost vaccines and medicines. Tradeshows, presentation of awards including Dr. YSR BioAsia Innovation Award for young scientist aged below 35 would also mark the event.

Dr. B. S. Bajaj, convener, BioAsia 2011, said the global event would focus on business development between Indian and foreign companies. In the last edition organised here, 4,000 delegates from 21 countries took part. It also recorded 800 onsite B2B meetings and featured about 160 companies. The next year's event would be even bigger. Later Raif Vasilov, CEO, Russian Bio-industry Association and B. S. Bajaj, secretary, FABA, exchanged the agreement on Russia-India Biotech Network in the presence of Mr. Rosaiah.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh