Avesthagen launches biodegradable plastic

Chennai, April 8, 2008 - AVESTHAGEN LIMITED, India's leading knowledge-based Life Sciences Company and its joint venture partner LIMAGRAIN today announced the launch of an eco-friendly and biodegradable plastic for the Indian market. This biodegradable plastic is manufactured using a process unique, from whole cereal grains, mainly wheat, maize and a number of specific Limagrain varieties. The products innovation lies in the combination of cereal fractions with a biodegradable polymer. Unlike the usual non-degradable plastic material, this alternate plastic introduced by Avesthagen and Limagrain, breaks down and becomes compost in a matter of 120 days in industrial composting conditions under the norm EN13432 .

This innovative biodegradable plastic is India's first product aimed to curb white pollution and the hazards of environmental pollution. Alternate biodegradable materials are the need of the hour, to curb the unimaginable pollution caused by way of plastic bags and other plastic films which stay in our ecology for hundreds of years strangulating cattle and destroying ecology. With an annual usage of over 150 million tons of non-degradable plastic, the twentieth century may well be called the "Plastic Age". Further, as most non-degradable plastic used is from non-renewable resources such as petroleum, our increased consumption of plastic increases our reliance on imported oil as well.

Commenting on this landmark occasion, Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director, Avesthagen Limited said, "We are extremely glad that our partnership with Limagrain has resulted in the introduction of this alternative plastic material. This is our way of contributing back to the environment we live in. As research and innovation is core to Avesthagen, we would not stop here, but continue our work to introduce more environment friendly products."

About Avesthagen Limited

Avesthagen Limited is India's leading integrated systems biology platform company that focuses on achieving convergence of food, pharma and population genetics leading to predictive preventive and personalized healthcare. It employs 600 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. Avesthagen Limited has established world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bangalore. It began business operations in 2001.Since its inception Avesthagen has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology group in India, and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives, derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. Avesthagen Limited has four strategic business units: bioPharmaceuticals, bioNutrition, bioAgriculture and Science & Innovation. Its partners include multiple top 10 global companies in each of its fields of research. Avesthagen Limited collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise to leverage the 'India advantage'. For Avesthagen on the web: www.avesthagen.com