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Follow UsAlthough the Maharashtra government is passing through tough times, biotechnology movement in the state is very active with success of Maharashtra’s Maha BioYatra. Do you have any plans like that?
We have been having the Bangalore Bio an international biotech event and Asia’s premier biotech event successfully for the last two years. This year too the Bangalore Bio 2003 is expected to attract over 150 biotech exhibitors from around the globe. The event will also see participation from over 12 countries.
Although a BT park was announced as a part of the state’s BT policy in 2001, why has there been a delay in setting up a BT park near Electronic City in 75 acres of land?
Though several sites were suggested for the Biotech Park but it certainly takes time for having an ideal site. The Vision Group on Biotechnology has opined that the Electronic City phase III site is best suited for the proposed Biotech Park.
The companies in Biotechnology are looking at the government/venture funding. In such a scenario, why is the government holding back the creation of the corpus fund of Rs 50 crore which it had announced during the last budget?
The government has already announced the creation of "The Biotech Fund" in the millennium biotech policy with suitable contribution from the biotech industry. This fund shall certainly be very useful for small and medium scale biotech startups.
Do you have any programs for the small and medium entrepreneurs who are interested to take up contract research projects?
We have already established incubators in the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology for small and medium scale companies that are looking out for opportunities in the contract research sector. It is important to mention that the Common Facilities Center in the proposed Biotech Park will have full-fledged incubators to handle many areas.
Dept of IT and BT is making all efforts to pull in MNCs for investments in the state. But the Dept of Agriculture is not showing the green signal for Bt cotton in the state. In such scenario how do you balance your game plan to get the attention of the investors?
It is wrong to say that department of agriculture is not showing green signal for Bt cotton. In fact, much of the cotton grown in northern Karnataka region are Bt cotton variety itself.
Although Karnataka is major sugar cane producing state in country, no sugar factories in the state are producing ethanol used as raw material in Gasohol. Why is the state government not taking any step to promote production of ethanol?
There are many projects that have been approved for biomass based power generation, which will be executed shortly. A national policy on biofuel is also being worked out shortly after which rest will fall in place.