Gujarat aims to jump on to biotech, BPO bus

BPO, biotech events lined up this month

Even though Gujarat does not figure among the top states in the business process outsourcing (BPO) and biotechnology fields, a few events relating to these sectors have been lined up in the state this month.

The state branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the state government are organising national events on the BPO and biotechnology industries in Ahmedabad in September.

While BPO Summit, a day-long event, will be organised at Hotel Taj Residency on September 3, 'BioGujarat - Unleashing the Potential', a seminar on biotechnology' will be held at Grand Bhagwati on September 10 and 11.

"Let us acknowledge that Gujarat is not among the best in the country at the moment. But, the state definitely has the potential to be among the best. We need to make a shift from the old economy to the new sunrise economy," said J N Singh, secretary, department of science and technology, of the state government.

CII Gujarat Council chairman Piruz Khambatta said the CII has been planning a biotechnology and BPO summit for almost a year. He added that Gujarat must capitalise on opportunities even as the world is looking at India to be the hub of knowledge-based industries.

Singh said that while the state may have missed the IT and software bus to some extent, it will not lag behind in the BPO and biotechnology fields.

"While BioGujarat will be a precursor for annual events on biotechnology, we just are not interested in spillover companies from Bangalore and other places to set up units here. We want the best companies to set up units here," he said.

Madhavan Pillai, chairman and CEO of Hamilton Holdings, said Gujarat can be an ideal destination for BPO and biotech companies for two major advantages - the people of Gujarat have an excellent acumen for financial services, and there are several large and medium sized pharmaceutical companies operating in the state.

Purvi Mehta Bhatt, chairperson of CII Gujarat's Biotechnology panel, said the biotechnology industry in India, which stands at around $2000 million today, is expected to grow to $4,200 million by 2010.

"We should be looking at biotechnology opportunities in the industrial, pharma, agriculture and marine sectors," she said.