Padma Shri Prof. Seyed E Hasnain, Chairman of BioAsia Advisory Board and Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Biotech Advisory Council in an interview with Gireesh PK talks about the highlights of BioAsia 2011 and how it will help the biotech and biopharma sectors of the nation as a whole.
Prof Hasnain, who  is the Vice Chancellor of the Hyderabad University, has made extraordinary contributions to Molecular Infection Biology and Epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and has published over 200 articles in various reputed journals and has a dozen patents to his credit. He has won several prominent awards such as G D Birla Award, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Ficci Award, J.C. Bose National Fellow Award, Ranbaxy Research Award, Goyal Award, Bhasin Award and several others.

What are the highlights of BioAsia 2011?
BioAsia 2011 is organized on behalf of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, by the Federation of Asian  Biotech Associations  jointly with the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council and the University of Hyderabad

Conference

• Theme identified – “Boosting Bioeconomy”
• Three Tracks viz. MediAsia, HealthAsia & AgriAsia
• Total number of speakers 80 (Indian – 46; Foreign– 34 including panellists)

Satellite events consists of

• CEO Conclave –  Utkarsh Palnitkar - Convener and Coordinator for CEO Conclave
• Theme identified is “Looking Back, Looking Ahead”
• Panellists include Dr. Anji Reddy, Chairman, DRL (Chairman),Dr. D.S. Brar, Chairman, GVK Bio,Dr. Roger Williams, CEO, USP,Dr Shailesh Ayyangar, Vice-President (South Asia), Sanofi-aventis and
• Utkarsh Palnitkar, Centrum Capital, Hyderabad (Moderator)
• Biopark session
• Two Groups
• Group 1 - Genome Valley –Facility tour to, Biological E, Vimta Labs, Alexandria Center for Sciences and Innovation, India’s Largest R&D Park,  IKP Knowledge Park planned
• Group 2 – ICRISAT & Cos in Agri Science Park – Lunch Hosted by ICRISAT and visit to Indian Immunological Facilities, Gachibowli

International buyer -seller meet

• The meet is organised by Pharmexcil. About  30 international delegates and  150 Indian delegates  are expected in the event.

Awards
Genome Valley Excellence Award –Dr. Anji Reddy, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory, Hyderabad (Individual) and Beijing Institute of Genomics, China (Institute)

Dr. YSR BioAsia Innovation Award for young scientists below age 35 years (Restricted to FABA Member Countries) (Cash Rs. 1 Lakh plus citation). About 56 proposals have been received which is the highest ever out of which 12 proposals (Indian – 10 and foreign – 2) have been shortlisted for display at the exhibition area

BioAsia Young Minds Award  for school children of standard X,XI & XII - (Cash Rs. 50,000 plus citation) – 29 proposals were received (Highest since inception) and five  proposals (Indian – 4, Foreign – 1) were selected

FABA Special Awards – to distinguished international personalities in biotech. This year the awards will be given to  two luminaries.,Dr. Roger Williams, CEO, US Pharmacopeia and Dr. D. S. Brar, Chairman, GVK Biosciences

How different is it compared to previous events?
The focus is  on biotech and biopharma industry. More than 300 delegates around the globe have registered in B2B biopartnering. More than 88 per cent of the exhibition stalls have already been booked. BioAsia event will enhance the biotech and biopharma industries investment in Andhra Pradesh and in India.

Please  brief us on visitor and exhibitor profile and how is it going to benefit  them?
Visitors will include CEOs, scientists and from academia from across India and abroad. It will help to enhance their contacts, business growth both in import and export, research activities in the field of biotech and biopharma

What is the expected participation this year?
More than 3000  participants from across the globe including  India,  Pakistan, Iran,  Malaysia, France,  Germany, Spain, United Kingdom,  Switzerland, the US, China, Australia, Singapore, Denmark,  Sweden are expected for the event. Two ministers from Selangor State of Malaysia are also participating.

What are  your comments on BioAsia 2010 and the outcome?
BioAsia 2010, organized by FABA from February 3-6, 2010 was a great success in all the segments, particularly in Biopartnering segment with 800 onsite one-to-one meetings. Despite global recession, BioAsia 2010 witnessed a participation of over 4000 delegates and  business visitors from 21countries from across the globe.