Quality of research and development in the Indian biotechnology sector should improve exponentially, particularly in the small and medium biotech industry segments. Central Government has initiated various schemes to boost R&D and innovation like pharma R&D fund, NMILTI and TDB, which are complementary to each other and is keen to fund and support innovation centres across the country.

On the regulations front, the country has achieved progress both in pharmaceuticals and bio-pharmaceuticals. Creation of a national level biotech regulatory authority is being discussed and reviewed, Dr MK Bhan, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, said in his keynote address during the inaugural session of Bio Asia 2006 at Hyderabad on Thursday.

Special emphasis is given to human resource development in the biotech sector. The country needs to develop tailor made human resource for drug discovery, manufacturing in biotechnology. Soon, DBT will be creating a national pool of jobs in biotechnology. DBT is also proposing to establish 20 undergraduate life sciences schools at national level in 20 cities.

"India is also establishing international collaborations to initiate joint research in the areas of biotechnology and life sciences. India has in the recent pats tied up with the US, UK, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland," Dr Bhan said.

Dr Bhan informed, DBT is also proposing to create a national working group to scale up clinical trials at a rapid pace. A centre for translational research will be responsible for conceptualisation of technologies for the development of health and will act as facilitation centre for new product development.

Geeta Reddy, Minister for Tourism and Industries, Government of Andhra Pradesh; Lakshmi Parthasarathy, prinicipal secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Govt of AP; Dr Anwar Nasim, chairman, National Commission on Biotechnology of Pakistan and president of FABA; Dr William Haseltine, Haseltine Associates; Dr BS Bajaj, secretary general, FABA; Prof Guntaka V Rama Reddy, the Genome Valley Excellence Award winner for 2006 were present at the inaugural programme.