A Federation of Asian Biotech Associations was formed on the concluding day of Bio Asia 2004 held at Hyderabad from February 26 to 28. The federation is expected to serve as a platform for interaction for all involved in biotechnology in Asian countries.

Some of the leading delegates from Asian countries included Dr Anwar Nasim, advisor-science, COMSTECH Secretariat and chairman of the National Commission of Biotechnology of Pakistan, Prof Ranjan Ramasamy, chairman, National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka; Dr Darunee Edwards, deputy director, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand; Dr Anand Govindaluri, international coordinator, All India Biotech association, Singapore, BP Acharya, secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, AP Government; and Dr BS Bajaj, chairman, AIBA, southern chapter, Hyderabad.

The federation will promote and safeguard the overall interests of biotechnology as a science, profession, industry or trade, cooperate with other associations or groups or individuals and bodies within the Asian region and elsewhere, promote collaborations between academia and industries dealing with biotechnology among the member countries, conduct annual meets and international conferences and exhibitions, which will be held in different countries by rotation.

The representatives have agreed to form a working group of FABA. Dr BS Bajaj, chairman, AIBA- southern chapter has been chosen as the convenor and will prepare a concept proposal and circulate it to all the members of the working group for their opinion before registering the federation within the next three months.

It was also decided that the associations, institutions and industries dealing with biotechnology in Asian countries would be eligible to become members of FABA by paying US$300 each as corpus fund.