The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has embarked on a novel initiative to promote the growth of biotech industry in the country. The agency is in the process of working out the entire plan for a new biotech park in Lucknow and is to develop it as a model to be emulated by other states. What is unique in the DBT initiative is that, unlike the usual practice of governments' earmarking a patch of land to be developed as a biotech park and then going about marketing the park, the agency has begun with assured presence of leading biotech companies and then gone for the identification of land.

Disclosing this to Pharmabiz.com, Dr V K Vinayak, advisor, DBT said the department had received written assurance from three companies, Shanta Biotech, Bharat Biotech and Crest Biotech, to set up manufacturing facility in the biotech park coming up in Lucknow. "It was after identifying the potential companies, we started planning the biotech park. Now the government of Uttar Pradesh has allotted eight acres of land for the purpose in Lucknow. We are in the process of developing the land now. DBT would also set up an incubator facility also in the park", he informed.

It is known that diagnostics and monoclonal antibodies would be the area of interest for Shanta in the new facility. Bharat Biotech is to set up rabies vaccine manufacturing unit in the park. Crest plans to set up an argo- based biotech-manufacturing unit in the area, it is learnt.

The department is putting in Rs five crore towards the initial expenditure for setting up the incubator facility. It plans to spend Rs 14 crore for the development of the Lucknow Biotech Park.

Dr Vinayak said that the units in the park could also make use of the facilities and scientific expertise available with the public R&D institutions in and around Lucknow. "It's going to be an industry-institution-government initiative. The entire work would be planned by the department", he said. The biotech park is to have common infrastructure facilities like toxicology testing etc., he added.