NID to come up near Hyderabad

The Centre has given its nod to set up National Institute of Design (NID) near Hyderabad, according to Union commerce minister Anand Sharma.

This is one of the four institutes that the Centre has proposed on the lines of NID, Ahmedabad. Apart from Hyderabad, one each would come up in Assam in the northern eastern region and Madhya Pradesh. The location for the fourth is yet to be decided.

The institute would come up on 30 acre and the costs would be borne by the Centre. It would undertake research and offer consultancy services too. Among others, it would provide design intervention for craft, handloom, rural technology, small, medium and large scale enterprises.

It would admit 1,000 students a year and deal with various industries. “The cost, infrastructure and the role of the Andhra government in the project would be worked out shortly,” Sharma said.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah agreed to provide land to the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) for setting up a knowledge centre.

Pharma exports from Andhra Pradesh stood at Rs 9,000 crore during 2008-09, up 21.6 per cent from the Rs 7,400 crore in the previous year. Recognising the importance of the state in the global pharma supply, US Pharmacopeia had established its office in the state, the only one outside the US, he said.

Pharmexcil chairman Venkat Jasti said Indian companies were ready to collaborate with African counterparts by sharing technologies.