The American Biotech Research Association will set up its India office in the Lucknow Biotech Park being set up by the government of Uttar Pradesh. The top executives of the association met UP state government officials and the Biotech Park authorities to finalise the MoU last week. The association plans to develop naturaceuticals (nutraceuticals) from the plants and herbs by making use of the facilities offered by the park, it is learnt.
Confirming the development, Dr P K Seth, CEO, Biotech Park said that the facilities available for drug discovery at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), the pilot plant facility for herbal formulation at National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and bioevaluation facility for plant products of Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) are turning major attractions for overseas firms to set shop in Lucknow.
According to him, talks are in an advanced stage with a US company to set up a laboratory facility for toxicology studies in the park. A nano-technology firm, Across the World, California is also planning to set up a unit for the development of bio-sensors in the park. The UP authorities are in the process of finalising a technology transfer and partnership deal with Bio Alliance, Germany. The Bio Alliance is known to be keen to offer technical support and also assist in promoting the park globally.
Indian companies like Sheel Biotech and Green Park Biotech are also in the process of setting up units in the park. Hyderabad based Shanta Biotech was among the first companies to secure a space in the park. "There are several new entrepreneurs who are interested in utilizing the facilities available with the Park. With the kind of response the park has been generating, we are sure to find significant bookings in the park in another six months time", Dr Seth said.
The Park offers start up, incubation and development of innovation led, high growth, knowledge based bio-business and state of the art infrastructure facilities for setting biotech industries. The technology know-how and the laboratory facilities in the area of modern biotechnology of neighbouring centres of knowledge creation such as CSIR and ICAR laboratories, IIT Kanpur, universities and medical institutions are also to be made available to the entrepreneurs. These include NABL accredited toxicology testing facility following GLP and a GLP conforming animal house at Industrial Toxicology Research Centre.
Dr Seth said that the Park would soon enjoy all the tax benefits that are available to the biotech parks in the country.
The Biotechnology Park is being set up at Kursi Road, Jankipuram, on eight acres of land. It houses polynet and poly houses for hardening of tissue culture raised plants and temperature and humidity controlled glass houses for maintaining high value aromatic and medicinal plants. A networking facility of Biotech Park for rural development is being established on 28 acres of land at Bakshi-Ka-Talab.
Lucknow was declared as a 'Biotechnology City" on January 2002 during the 89th Indian Science Congress. A bioinformatics centre to provide information about the facilities, expertise and technologies available has been set up. The centre also undertakes training programmes in bioinformatics and develops databases of interest to industries and local institutions.