Punjab to establish itself as biotechnology hub

The state already has attracted National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute

Having already attracted National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in the state, now Punjab government is planning to establish the state as the biotechnology hub of North India.

In a major development in this direction, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that state government would develop its first ever Biotech park on 75 acres of land in Mohali near Chandigarh within one year.

This park would be developed by the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion along with the Science and Technology department.

Deputy CM also asked the Principal Secretary Science and Technology to visit the leading players of this sector to initiate a dialogue for assistance and investment in next 15 days.

Badal said "Our target is to boost scientific activities to accelerate the use of new techniques in new sectors like biotech as being an agricultural state Punjab has a great potential to grow in this field".

Adding further he said that SAS Nagar would be a home to cluster of agri-food and biotechnology institutes as centre has already announced to set up Bio Processing Unit and Punjab Biotechnology Incubator for this city.

It is worth noting that The National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), in Punjab, an ambitious project of Department of biotechnology(DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, government of India, has already started functioning in Mohali near Chandigarh.

The autonomous institute alongwith a Bio Processing Unit, would become India's first Institute in the field of agri biotechnology.Further, the Institute alongwith Bio processing Unit and Biotech Park would be spread over 130 acres at Knowledge City at Mohali (Punjab).

Of the total allocated 130 acres for the cluster, NABI's permanent campus would be built on 35 acres while the bioprocessing unit and biotech park would come up on 15 acres and 80 acres, respectively.