The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Central Government will fund Rs 19 crore to set up the specialized machinery and infrastructure for the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) of the proposed KINFRA biotech park coming up at Kalamassery near Ernakulam.

The project is envisaged at a total investment of Rs 30 crore and will be completed within three years. The biotech park will be jointly promoted by the State Government's infrastructure development arm, the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) and DBT. TIC will be developed in the first phase with modules for research and development in biotech industries.

KINFRA plans to set up 10 such modules of 1000 sq. ft area each in a plot of about 1.5 acres and a common instrumentation lab, to be completed within the next three months. The modules will be offered to companies on a lease basis.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Prasad N. Kartha, project manager, KINFRA, said the DBT has agreed to fund Rs 19 crore for purchasing the advanced machinery and other sophisticated equipments required for the TIC. KINFRA had entrusted Biotech Consortium India Ltd., an expert agency, to make a checklist of machinery and equipments required for the TIC.

A three-member Central Government team, consisting of V P Kambog, director of Endocrinology at the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, V S Chauhan, head, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, and A S Ninave, director of the Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi, visited Kerala this week to assess the progress, and confirmed sanctioning of Rs 19 crore. Civil works will start by next week, and plans are to officially launch the park by 19 February, to be attended by Kapil Sibal, union minister of state for science & technology.

In the second phase, KINFRA will develop a pilot plant, animal lab, and a Business Enterprise Zone (BEZ) comprising developed plots to be utilized by interested industrial units. KINFRA has identified and short-listed two Mumbai-based companies for setting up the BEZ, as a joint venture. In the second phase, KINFRA's role will be to develop civil infrastructure, and the JV partner will take care of the specialized infrastructure required for the park. The facility envisages to house about 50 companies with one-acre modules, in the total 50 acres allotted for the KINFRA biotech park.

"Kerala's strength is in Ayurveda and the spices. We wish to attract investments mainly from these two sectors and to help the units that cannot afford for R&D facilities in the biotech sector. Herbal drug research will be also part of the plan," said Prasad N. Kartha and Dr Joy Varghese, advisor (Ayurveda), KINFRA.