Pune: An all women's biotechnology park, the first of its kind in Asia, will be coming up in Chennai by July end. The department of Biotechnology has received over 100 applications from women biotechnologists and entrepreneurs to locate up their business in the park. DBT has already trained 25 women many of whom are ready with their business plans.Promoted by the DBT along with the Tamil Nadu state government and TIDCO, the park will have funding from UNDP and the department for food processing. DBT will be setting up some common facilities and infrastructure such as green houses, laboratories and provide genetic counselling. Technology guidance will be provided by the Technology Resource Group in Chennai.
This announcement was made by Dr Manju Sharma, secretary, department of biotechnology (DBT) in Pune during last week. She was visiting the National Centre for Cell Science a function to mark the transfer of technologies from the Centre to users such as the KEM hospital, the Armed Forces MedicalCollege, LNJP hospital, Delhi, Cancer Research Hospital, Mumbai and Sion Hospital, Mumbai.
Scientists participating in the function bemoaned the lack of entrepreneurship in the country in the field of biotechnology and said that there were several technologies developed but there were no takers for commercialising these technologies. As none of the MNCs would be interested in this technology it was left to the small and medium industries to exploit the potential of bio-technology. The DBT is also all set to set up a model `biovillage' in Gujarat. About the bio-village concept, Dr Sharma said that the idea was to bring together all relevant technologies in biotechnology in agriculture, health and other activities and transfer these technologies to the farmers. The village of Mochha (population of 3,500) near Porbandar has been selected for this project and the project will go on for three years. DBT will be putting in Rs 50 lakhs and will also link up with other ongoing development projects. Theseprojects were devised to mark the golden jubilee celebration of India's independence. There will be no chemical fertilisers and pesticides used.
The DBT is also all set to bring out three diagnostic kits for testing HIV into the market soon. The haemo agglutinatian test developed by prof. Vijay Chaudhary of University of Delhi (south campus) will be brought out in the market by Cadila, Ace Diagnostics will commercialise the Peptide based diagnostics by developed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Western blott method by Dr Robin Mukhopadhyay of the Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai is being taken up by J Mitra & Co.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
