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West Bengal to set up biotech park
EPP News Bureau - Kolkata
West Bengal Government’s attempt to make a mark in the growing ‘biotech’
arena is getting brighter with the passing days. West Bengal Industrial Development
Corporation (WBIDC), a State Government undertaking has recently signed an agreement
with Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) to set up a biotechnology
park at Kharagpur in West Bengal.
Nirupam Sen, the state’s Commerce and Industries Minister who is also the
Chairman of WBIDC signed the agreement along with S K Dube, Head & Director,
IIT-Kgp.
The proposed facility would be established on 100 acres of land near IIT campus
at a cost of Rs.100 crore. The project will be developed through public-private
partnership. The centre will stress on the areas of bioinformatics and industrial
enzymes.
“It’s for the first time an IIT is getting associated with a project
like this,” Dube said.
The proposed park will have an infrastructure of international quality, including
an incubation centre.
“This will be a knowledge-based park. WBIDC will provide seed capital of
Rs. 25 lakh. We will organise two investors’ meet at the end of this year
to identify prospective financers. The IIT will lend technical skill and is
expected to develop the park in three months,” Sen said.
WBIDC will then invite an expression of interest (EoI) for the selection of
strategic partners with technical support and guidance from IIT. The strategic
private partners will develop the park.
WBIDC, West Bengal State Council of Biotechnology (WBSCBT) and IIT-Kgp will
soon approach the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology
for financial assistance.
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Industry experts feel that Bengal with its vast pool
of human resources and world-class infrastructure should emerge as a leading
‘biotech’ hub of the country in the years to come
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The project will offer reasonable discounts to the private
players interested in investing in modern healthcare, vito-medicine, biometrics
and industrial enzyme sectors, the minister said.
IIT-Kharagpur would take the intellectual property patent of developing the
park so that it could sell this theme in international markets. According to
Sen, there are plans for expansion of the park in the future. A committee with
representatives of the State Government and IIT-Kharagpur will administer the
operations of the park. Industry experts feel that Bengal with its vast pool
of human resources and world-class infrastructure should emerge as a leading
‘biotech’ hub of the country in the years to come.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon, echoed similar
sentiments during her recent visit to the city. She acknowledged Bengal’s
pre-eminence in providing human resources for knowledge-driven sectors like
biotechnology.
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