Maharashtra State makes big strides in biotechnology sector

Mumbai, Nov 14 (UNI) Maharashtra's Development Commissioner (Industries), Dr Kshatrapati Shivaji, today announced that a biotech commission has been formed under the leadership of the Government of India's Scientific Advisor, Dr R A Mashelkar.

Addressing a day-long seminar on Bio Business opportunities in Maharashtra here, the State's Development Commissioner said that the commission is likely to work as a thinktank while orienting and guiding the sector which was highly tech-driven and knowledge based.

The seminar was jointly held by the Confedaration of Indian Industries (CII) and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) as part of the celebration of Maharashtra Biotechnology Day which falls today.

He said that biotechnology is the sector which has the highest potential, and predicted that it will give a major boost to the economic growth of the State.

Talking about the initiatives taken by the State Government in this connection, joint CEO of MIDC, Sanjay Khandare, said that a Biotechnology Fund has been created with a corpus fund of Rs Rs 50 crore, out of which a sum of Rs five crore has already been allocated by the State Government.

Besides, MIDC Biotech Parks were being developed at places like Hinjawadi and Jalna. Though the investments so far in the sector was Rs 400 crore only, he predicted that it will rise 10 times within a few years. He added that another biotech park was proposed at Khalapur area in the Raigad district of the state, notification for which has already been issued by the State Government.

However, the MD of Advanced Enzymes Tech Ltd, C L Rathi, rued the fact that the sector was faced with a number of challenges in the form of lack of infrastructure and absence of managed effluent treatment services. That is the reason why the country's share in the world biotech industry, which amounted to USD 200 billion, was merely USD 1 billion, he lamented.

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