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Karnataka to woo biotech, looks beyond IT

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

In a coincidence of sorts, the Karnataka government, which spearheaded the IT revolution in the country has geared up at the right time to look beyond the infotech industry for ushering in the biotech revolution across the state.

Though the state government had ostensibly intended to piggy ride on the booming IT bandwagon for a first-mover advantage in attracting investments and entrepreneurs in the sunrise industry, the sudden attrition in the former on account of the meltdown in the US economy has put paid to its efforts.

Undeterred by the gloom and doom looming large over the Indian software sector lately, the state government has embarked on an ambitious strategy to seize the opportunities thrown up by the rapid developments taking place in the field of biotechnology the world over.

From IT to BT is the new mantra of the state government led by Chief Minister S M Krishna, who is keen on repeating the successful IT formula to promote and develop biotechnology in the country from Bangalore, which has also acquired the sobriquet of being the knowledge capital of India.

Having pioneered the IT revolution in the state with progressive policies to transform Bangalore into the Silicon Valley of Asia, and as one of the fastest growing IT cities the world over, the government is pulling all stops to woo biotechies and investors alike for making a beeline to the Garden City.

As in the case of IT, Karnataka has emerged as the first state in the country to formulate a millennium biotech policy recently for cashing in the inherent advantages it has over other states in terms of resources, skills, and infrastructure like R&D centers such as the world renowned Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

The ambitious policy envisages the setting up of Biotech Parks in the state on the lines of IT Parks, besides a Biotech Corridor in Bangalore to complement its upcoming IT Corridor.

Initially, three Parks will come up at Bangalore, Dharwad, and Karwar on the western coast of the state.

In order to encourage the growth of BT in Karnataka and provide an institutional framework to achieve the objectives of the bio tech policy, the government launched the first National Biotechnology Conference and Exhibition called Bangalore Bio.Com, 2001 at the Bangalore Palace Grounds on Sunday.

Organised by the Karnataka IT department, the Vision Group on BT set up by the state government, and the Bombay-based Trade Fairs and Conference International, the three-day event is showcasing the strides being made by the upcoming industry, including some of its well-known players.

"The objective of the Bio.Com 2001, is to spread an awareness about the huge investment opportunities in the BT, genomics, bioinformatics, biofuels, contract research, etc, to the entrepreneurial community of the sunrise industry," claimed state IT secretary Vivek Kulkarni while welcoming the large number of delegates, invitees, officials, and state ministers.

With a view to taking the lead in creating a congenial environment for the growth of the Indian biotech industry, the exposition is providing a platform to enable leading international players share and showcase their expertise in the field of BT.

Giving a overview of the mega event, Vision Group chairperson Kiran Mazumdar, a pioneer biotechnologist, and CEO of the Bangalore-based Biocon India Ltd, said the Bio.Com was planned to be a three-day spectacle on the scope and potential of the biotech industry, which goes beyond human cloning and BT cotton.

"The summit is intended to bring bio technologists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and financial institutions on a platform for exploring the growth avenues of the fast-emerging industry which offers exciting and challenges opportunities for investments and long-term returns," Mazumdar stated.

As the knowledge segment has given India a lot of hope as demonstrated in the case of IT, the event has been planned to showcase Karnataka as the knowledge state and Bangalore as the capital of the knowledge economy. "IT and BT are emerging as the two sides of the same coin,

and the Vision Group intends to forge the symbiotic relationship between the two growth sectors."

The exhibition, spread over 20,000sq.ft, has pavilions on genomics, bioinformatics, gene therapy, cell therapy, cancer biology, novel therapeutics, neurosciences, proteomics, intellectual property, regulatory issues, ethics, and human resources.

In all, 56 companies are participating, including 34 from Bangalore alone, and the rest from Bombay, Delhi Hyderabad, Madras and Pune. Over 600 delegates from across the country as well as from overseas are participating in the brainstorming three-day conference.

Delivering the keynote address on "The dawn of the biotech era, new knowledge, better health, more wealth", Borge Diedrichsen, the CEO of the Netherlands-based Novo Nordisk, said the emergence of biotechnology as the new driving force of the 21st century was the best thing to happen for India as it boasts of having all the resources, skills, and infrastructure in terms of R&D facilities, reputed scientists, and the best software talent for harnessing the technologies that can integrate the developments taking place in BT.

A full-day session is also being held to focus on investment banking perspective on biotechnology; investment opportunities in healthcare, life sciences, and bio technology from the venture capitalists' point of view; funding BT in India from a global VC perspective, and business models in BT.

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