Bangalore may be the next biotech incubator

p>BANGALORE: The country’s first trade expo for biotech industry will

be held in Bangalore from April 15-17, 2001. Christened Bangalore Bio.com 2001,

the conference will offer a common platform for key players in biotech industry

and the government, to explore new avenues in the emerging biotechnology market,

particularly in the light of the recently announced ‘Millennium Biotech Policy’

by the Karnataka Government. The conference comes at a time when the global

biotech market is expected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2001 to $4.5 billion by

2010.

Speakers invitees at conference include: Dr Borge Diedrichsen, VP-Corporate

Research Affairs, Novo Nordisk, Lars Christian Hansen, MD, Novozymes, Prof.

Vijay Chandru, Co-founder, Strand Genomics, VV Raghavan, Lotus Labs, Prof. Brent

Richter, Head of Bioinformatics at GCI-Cambridge and Rana Kapoor, Managing

Director, Rabo India. Biotech giants such as Astra Zeneca India, Shantha

Biotech, Biocon India Ltd., e4e Labs, neoIT, Monsanto India and Bharat Biotech

will also showcase their latest products and technology at the exposition that

will be held concurrently.

CEO Biocon India and chairperson of the Vision Group on Biotechnology Dr

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said "We have planned Bio.com 2001 as a three-day event

to showcase the tremendous growth potential of the biotech industry. It will be

relevant for technologists, companies looking for new high growth avenues as

well as the financial community and VCs who are looking at new exciting areas

for investment," she added.

"The Government of Karnataka is committed in its efforts to establish a

biotech corridor for the development of the biotech industry in Karnataka,"

said state IT Secretary Vivek Kulkarni. According to president & CEO, Trade

Fairs and Conferences International Balmohan Tarakad, the time was most

appropriate for India to embrace biotechnology, much the same as was done with

Information Technology. "The journey from IT to BT is a natural progression

for Bangalore specifically, given the vast global potential held by

bio-informatics and its proven excellence in software and scientific

development. Bangalore Bio.com 2001 is one such sincere effort to highlight

Karnataka as India's emerging biotechnology capital and the future course that

will be taken by Indian biotechnology firms."

Bangalore BIO.COM 2001 is organized by the Vision Group on Biotechnology, a

forum appointed by the Government of Karnataka. It is managed by Trade Fairs and

Conferences International (TFCI), a leader in organizing niche technology trade

shows and conferences. TFCI has organized pioneering events in various areas

like e-Business, convergence, ISP, business intelligence and broadband.