Govt sets up body to spur biotechnology

BANGALORE: Outsourcing need-based R&D of biotech companies to numerous scientific institutions in Bangalore may soon be a reality. The much needed accreditation system for biotech courses in the state may also be in place in a few months.
Spurred by the fact that the biotech industry in the state is growing with one company being set up every 20 days, the government has created an autonomous Karnataka Biotechnology Development Council (KBDC), an organisation headed by a CEO that will function much like the private sector.The orgsanisation is set to address everything from biotech education to VC funding for startups.
Based on recommendations of the Karnataka''s Vision Group on Biotechnology and in keeping with the vision of the Millennium Biotech Policy, this autonomous body was set up with a corpus fund of Rs 1 crore. Registered only last month, the nascent KBDC is in the process of setting up office.
"KBDC was mooted as an advisory body. We are thinking of developing an accrediting system for biotech courses in the state. There are so many courses and institutes mushrooming with lucrative assurances and offers. We need to ensure a good qiuality of education," KBDC''s CEO and Executive Director Divakar Rao said.
Promoting funding mechanisms for biotech startups is another task on hand for the KBDC. "We will either create a consortium of funding agencies, find appropriate angel investors for R&D projects, outsource R&D of successful manufacturing companies that do not have a research base, to scientific institutions," explains Rao. Later, the KBDC may also take up analytical services for the biotech industry.
Biocon''s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Avesthagen''s Villoo Morawala-Patel, CFTRI''s V Prakas, Indian Institute of Science''s H Sharat Chandra and G Padmanabhan are some of the industry and academic representatives on the governing board.
Biospora is the bi-monthly `networking do'' that KBDC will host for biotech professionals to interface with funding agencies, academia and the government. The first Biospora event was in July. "It will provide decision-makers an informal forum to interact," says Rao.
Memberships to the KBDC will be invited in another two months.