State set to revise biotech policy

With an aim of making Karnataka the leader in biotechnology sector in Asia, the state government is planning to come out with a revised ‘millennium biotech policy’ which will be announced shortly. “The state government is committed to providing an industry-friendly and business-friendly environment for the growth and development of knowledge-based industries. We are revising the biotech policy based on the inputs given by the biotech industry,” Katta Subramanya Naidu, minister for IT&BT said.

Speaking after handing over of new building for Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology (IBAB) at the Biotech Park Phase-I, here today, he said the revised biotech policy is aimed at giving a big boost for the growth of the sector in the state. He said the government will set up Biotech parks in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in the state as recommended by the Vision Group on Biotechnology.

“We are confident of reaching the target of Rs 10,000 crore market for biotechnology by taking industry-friendly initiatives such as building infrastructure, connectivity, providing incentives and concessions, promoting the growth of more R&D institutions, capacity building etc,” he said.

Naidu said the biotech sector in Karnataka has maintained a good growth rate of over 30 per cent in the past few years. There are about 200 biotech companies today compared to just 24 ten years ago. Last year, of the 21 new BT companies established in the country, 10 were in Karnataka. Out of 30 top Biotechnology schools in the country, 20 are in Bangalore.

This indicates that the state’s biotech initiatives have paid off, he stated.

The Vision Group led by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman of Biocon had suggested the state government to develop Biotech Park in the state. The state government has fulfilled its commitment by providing buildings for IBAB and Centre for Human Genetics (CHG) in the Biotech Park, Naidu said.

Earlier, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa inaugurated ‘Bangalore Helix’ at the Biotech Park Phase-I and CHG building was inaugurated by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

Yeddyurappa said the state government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for setting up of Bio-IT facility at IBAB during the fiscal 2009-10, which is under consideration of the Union ministry of communications and IT.

The government has started the process of setting up of Agri-Biotech Park at Dharwad, Marine Biotech Park at Mangalore, Neutra Biotech Park at Mysore, Animal House at Bidar and Phyto-Pharmaceutical Biotech Park in CFTRI, Mysore as recommended by the Vision Group on Biotech.