The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka to unveil pro-industry biotech policy next month

Bangalore, June 18 Karnataka, the first State to pro-actively promote the biotechnology sector with a separate policy for the industry in 2001, plans to roll out a revised, industry-friendly policy in July.

The State Minister for IT and Biotechnology, Mr Katta Subramanya Naidu, broadly indicated at the Bangalore Bio 2009 that opened here on Thursday that the policy would contain incentives for investors. “There will be good news for you,” he told the large industry gathering.

It should drive investments at a time when the biotech industry’s growth rate has slipped from around 35 per cent in the previous years to 18 per cent in 2008-09, said the Chief Minister, Mr B.S.Yeddyurappa. “Certain provisions of the policy that are hampering the growth of the industry will be changed to help increase capacity building, fiscal incentives and concessions to the industry,” he added.

Biotech regulator

The Union Government will chip in in a big way by creating a separate National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority – longstanding demand of the biotech industry – Mr Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Science, said inaugurating the three-day event. The biotech industry is tipped to grow to $25 billion by 2020 and would get all support from the Centre, Mr Chavan said.

Mr Naidu said the State wanted to drive investments in Tier II and III cities by starting five focussed biotech parks with the support of advanced research institutes: a Rs 110-crore nutrition or food park and a phytomedicine park at Mysore aided by the CFTRI there; a Rs 30-crore bio-agri centre at Dharwad; a Rs 70-crore marine biotech park in Mangalore; and a Rs 30-crore animal facility at Bidar.

The proposal is before the State Cabinet.

More Stories on : Bio-tech & Genetics | Policy | Karnataka

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