The Hindu Business Line : Biotech park to have animal resource facility

Mr K.V. Rao (left), Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Andhra Pradesh, handing over the land allocation letter to Mr Koen Wentink (right), Chief of Logistics, Avesthagen, at the inaugural session of BioAsia 2005 in Hyderabad on Thursday. Mr M.K. Bhan (sitting right), Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, and Dr Anwar Nasim (sitting left), Chairman, National Commission of Biotechnology of Pakistan, are also seen. - A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , Feb.10

IN a move that would attract discovery driven companies to India, a National Animal Resource Facility (NARF) would soon be set up at the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr N.K. Ganguly, said here on Thursday.

He was addressing the delegates at the inaugural session of BioAsia-2005, the global bio-business summit being organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Genome Valley and All-India Biotech Association (AIBA).

According to Dr Ganguly, work on the facility, which is expected to help research in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals would begin this year. The project report for the facility was ready. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) would provide Rs 20-crore, while the Andhra Pradesh Government has already allotted 100 acres.

The ICMR Chief said the NARF would be bigger than the primate research centre coming up at Mumbai, which was proposed to have 7,500 breeding stocks. He assured entrepreneurs and researchers that there would be no bureaucratic hurdles.

According to him, owing to poor facilities in the existing centres and also protests from animal rights activists, most of the Indian companies were being compelled to perform these tests abroad. He said the issues raised by the animal rights activists would be addressed at the facility.

The Secretary, DBT, Dr M.K. Bhan, drew the attention of delegates to three basic policy requirements for sustainable innovations - respect for intellectual property rights (IPR), science-based regulatory framework and strategy for innovation.

Dr Bhan also called for a re-look at the framework of research relations between academia and industry and stressed on the need for re-engineering of institutional framework. Further, he favoured fundamental reforms in the university education system.

The DBT Secretary stressed the need for setting up world-class infrastructure for pre-clinical trials and also for branding and establishing trust. Several scientists and corporates from India and abroad are taking part in the 3-day event.

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