The Hindu Business Line : `Affordable biotech needed to address socio-economic gaps'

Prof. M .S. Swaminathan, UNESCO Cousteau Chair in Ecotechnology and Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai receiving the Genome Valley Excellence Award from Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, at BioAsia 2004, a three-day Global Bio Business Forum in Hyderabad on Thursday. Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Director General, CSIR and Dr. M. K. Bhan, Secretary (Designate), Department of Biotechnology applaud. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , Feb. 26

THE Union Secretary designate for the Department of Biotechnology, Dr M.K. Bhan, has said affordable and accessible biotechnology products should be developed indigenously, absence of which would only lead to increased socioeconomic disparities.

Addressing the inaugural session of the three-day global bio business forum - BioAsia - here on Thursday, Dr Bhan said that biotechnology has huge potential to fulfil current societal needs by way of generating wealth and employment.

He said the Government policies should be designed to drive investments into R&D and entrepreneurial infrastructure development. The State should also ensure uninterrupted support of academia-industry-market continuum and take the public-private partnership in R&D as far as it can go.

Dr Bhan was of the view that the investments in research by private sector must prioritise areas of maximum societal importance. Stressing on the need for communicating with public and policy makers and building a consensus on key issues such as genetically modified (GM) crops and foods, he favoured enabling environment for the biotechnology industry in the areas of intellectual property rights, infrastructure, tax incentives, simpler import of reagents, venture capital for new units and animal tests.

Stating that transnational product movements would require similar and less complex regulatory processes and trade practices, he said the initial successes in Asia were critical as these would encourage investments, public demand and enabling policies.

The Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr R.A. Mashelkar, said the country has already emerged as the global research and development centre and the world intellectual capital. More than 100 multinational companies have already set up their R&D centres in India and thousands of Indian professionals were returning back to homeland.

The agricultural scientist, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, advised the Andhra Pradesh Government to launch genetic literacy movement as a part of the Genome Valley aimed at reducing the genetic divide in the rural areas. He also asked the Government to establish a Rice Biotechnology Park in the Genome Valley and a National Resource Centre for effective dissemination of information pertaining to biotechnology. Towards this, he suggested interconnecting the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), 11 State-based Open Universities and the recently set up virtual university in the premises of ICRISAT.

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