A Marine Bio-Technology Park will be set up at Mamallapuram and the State government has already identified 300 acres for the purpose, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Monday.
Addressing a roundtable on ‘Biotechnology – The Development of Biotechnology & Its Enabled Services – Inputs for Vision 2020 Document of Tamil Nadu', he said encouraged by the success of TICEL Biotechnology Park-I, the State government was establishing TICEL Biotechnology Park-II at the cost of Rs.150 crore.
The meeting was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chennai on Monday.
Mr Stalin said Park-II would be completed in 2011 and would provide employment opportunities for 1,500 scientists.
He said rich bio-resources coupled with highly knowledgeable and skilled manpower, besides a strong manufacturing tradition, had made Tamil Nadu the best location for biotechnology R&D and industry.
“Tamil Nadu was the first State to come out with a separate policy on biotechnology in 2000 and the first Women's Biotechnology Park in the country was established at Siruseri in the same year,” he said.
Announcing the State government's decision to establish a medicinal plant biotech park, he said the initiatives of the government and infrastructure development would speed up the growth of knowledge-based biotechnology industries in the State.
While saying that the new policy to promote biotechnology would have innovative features, he stressed that advances made in biotechnology should not erode the genetic pool and the rich diversity in flora and fauna.
R. Nandini, Chairperson, CII Tamil Nadu State Council, in her welcome address said the State had 3,000 species of flower plants and a long coastline with rich marine resources.
“The rich bio-resources will help the State emerge as a leader in the biotech sector,” she added.
Dr. P M Murali, Convenor, CII Tamil Nadu Biotechnology Panel, said the Rs 14,000-crore biotech industry in India was expected to expand 5 times by 2015.
Earlier, Mr. Stalin released ‘Framework Document for the Development of Biotechnology and Enabled Services – Inputs for Vision 2010 Document for Tamil Nadu'.