The Pune-based International Biotech Park (IBP) will soon have a incubation centre in its premises. The new facility, spread over 15000 sq ft, will have the capacity to cater 15 to 20 firms.

"The infrastructure for the incubation centre is ready. It will be operational in six months," said Rajesh Saboo, marketing division, International Biotech Park. He refused to comment on the financial details or the nature of funding for the proposed incubation centre.

IBP is a joint venture between Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and The TCG Real Estate. TCG has an 88 per cent stake in this park, while MIDC holds the remaining 12 per cent. It is spread over 136 acres of land and located on the Mumbai-Pune highway which is 5 kms from Pune.

The setting up of biotech parks and biotech incubators centres as well as training and pilot projects in various states and organizations provide an excellent template for promotion of biotech start up companies, experts pointed out.

Under this, there are schemes of providing financial support to those young entrepreneurs who are not in a position to incur high capital expenditure in the biotech industry, but have the capabilities to develop, design and perfect new biotech products and processes by utilizing the biotech incubators and pilot level facilities.

The state's biotech park is the sixth to have the centre after Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

At present, Emcure has started operations for recombinant human TNK-t-PA and human GM-CSF in the park, while Shreya Life Science Pvt. Ltd and Venkateshwara Hatcheries Ltd are under construction.

Land in this park has been allotted to Centaur Pharma, Phyto Actives Pvt Ltd, Hikal Technologies, Hikal Pharma, Chembiotek Research, Novartis, Kard Scientific Avinus and Chembiotek for biotech operations. Advantium has also been allotted land for setting up research service organisation.

Investment for this park has been planned to occur in three phases and TCG has already completed one phase in terms of infrastructure development and access to basic amenities.