The Hindu : CM vows to make Hyderabad a biotech hub

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

CM vows to make Hyderabad a biotech hub

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Jan. 31. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has reiterated his determination to make Hyderabad the ``Biotechnology hub of India.'' He said this decade belongs to biotech, just as the last decade belonged to Information Technology, and that the State will take a lead in BT also.

He was addressing delegates after inaugurating a three-day "Biotech Invest-2003''-- a Global Meet on Strategic Alliances and Business Opportunities- organised by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) and the All-India Biotech Association (AIBA) here on Friday.

Listing biotechnology initiatives, Mr. Naidu said he was keen on networking with R&D across the world and also public private partnership, in a bid to bridge the gap between discovery and development. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) was considering giving Rs. 100 crores to `Biotech Fund' (under the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Venture Capital Fund-APIDC VC Fund), he said.

On the proposals for setting up the Institute of Life Sciences, he said a meeting would be held in February to finalise the future course of action. He released a brochure on `National Animal Resource Facility' to be set up by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), for ``biomedical research.''

The State Government was is providing ICMR 100 acres in the second phase of Biotech Park. It is a joint venture of Government of Andhra Pradesh, Government of India (ICMR's expertise), and involves pharmaceutical industry, and involves investments of Rs. 150 crores to Rs. 200 crores. It would cater to laboratory animal needs of biotech and pharma industries, and would breed and house primates, canines, felines, rodents, transgenics as well as knock-out models.

Andhra Pradesh had a rich base of research institutions like CCMB, CDFD, NIN and IICT among others. In the private sector, companies like Dr.Reddy's Laboratories and Shanta Biotech were some of those which shot into limelight. Of the 200 biotech companies in the country, 75 were located in the State, he said.

Mr. Naidu released `Stem Cell Lab brochure' brought out by SVIMS (Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences). Other brochures released were on `Bronco-T Tea' for asthma and allergic disorders being manufactured by Surya Pharma (Varanasi), and a brochure of KCP Biotech (Chennai), which is taking up a project in 5 acres in Biotech Park.

The Industries Minister, K.Vidyadhar Rao, released a souvenir. The Minister for Biotechnology, B. Gopala Krishna Reddy, released a Directory of Biotech Industries and Institutions in A.P.

D. Balasubramanian, Biotech Advisor to State Government, said Hyderabad should attract at least a few `big players' in biotech. William Chong, Managing Director of Pacific Healthcare (Singapore), wanted stringent legislation so that the line between ethical research and genocidal activity is never crossed. There was need to ensure independence and integrity of published literature, as 50 per cent of research work is funded by commercial interests.

B.S. Bajaj, Chairman, AIBA, said India's share of the $43 billion global biotech market was less than 2 per cent. Omprakash Tibrewala, president, FAPCCI, said the healthcare sector was most revolutionised by biotechnology, and accounts for 60 per cent of biotech product sales. Venkat Adusumilli, co-chairman of the event, spoke.

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