DuPont USA, the world's largest manufacturers and providers of chemicals, food, nutrition and healthcare products, has shown interest in setting up a unit in Genome Valley in the outskirts of Hyderabad. According to Pankaj Shah, president of DuPont India and South Asia, his company was exploring the possibility of setting up a unit in Genome Valley. Shah was speaking at a meeting organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), of which Shah is the chairman.
Complimenting the AP government for taking up the Genome Valley project, he said DuPont would discuss with the state government about the proposal. “ I hope our company can do something here,” he said.
He was responding to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's invitation to DuPont to shift the company's headquarters from Delhi to Hyderabad. Naidu said, “ You have seen the city. If you cannot shift the headquarters, at least make Hyderabad your second headquarters.”
DuPont is planning to make forays into the biotechnology sector and is actively considering Hyderabad as the most suitable location to set up a facility. As part of the biotechnology research, the company is also considering outsourcing biotechnology research. Mapping plant genetics is one of the activities that have been identified for outsourcing. The presence of institutions like ICRISAT, IICT, CCMB and some agricultural research institutions in Hyderabad will be an attraction for DuPont to set up a unit here.
Naidu had a meeting with DuPont chairman and CEO Charles O Holliday Jr in New Delhi recently and invited him to visit Andhra Pradesh. Whether he visits AP or not, the response from Shah is very encouraging for the state government.
As part of the corporate social responsibility, AMCHAM has entered into a partnership agreement with Naandi Foundation to support the cause of children in government schools in the state. The Hyderabad Naandi Foundation is promoted by Dr Reddy's Labs, Global Trust Bank, Nagarjuna Group and Satyam Computers. The agreement was signed by Pankaj Shah and MD of portalPlayer J A Chowdary on behalf of AMCHAM and Dr Anji Reddy, chairman of Dr Reddy's, on behalf of Naandi Foundation, in the presence of the Chief Minister. The joint initiative, Save Our Schools (SOS), will initially focus on a dozen schools in the twin cities. Dr Reddy said the SOS programme would be upscaled soon with the help of AMCHAM to reach out to 880 government schools.