Karnataka government has identified the location to set up its proposed Biotech Park at Rachenahalli in the outskirts of Bangalore. The state, which has already decided to buy 50 acre land here for the project, is learnt to have initiated project promotion activities to attract industry units in the Park.

The land is located well within the newly created biotech corridor that spans from Hebbal to the outer ring road in the city. The property is owned by the Manayatha promoters and is to be acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board [KIADB] at a cost of Rs. 75 lakh per acre with infrastructure. Procurement of this 50 acre will constitute Phase I of the government's plans and an additional land in the 250 acre vicinity will also be purchased as and when the expansion proposes, the CM added.

In a written response to Pharmabiz.com, the chief minister, S M Krishna informed that the government has selected this location after considering various places in the state as it suites to many industrial aspects and preferences.

"Now the immediate tasks of the state government will be to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and facilitate effective technology transfer to end-users," he informed.

In the meanwhile, it is learnt that the Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca is keen on establishing their R&D in the Park and have set a deadline of January 2002 to begin their activities of setting up infrastructure there.

Karnataka chief minister said, "We have already the training and knowledge base necessary to drive a biotech revolution. We also have the critical mass of the biotech companies and the best research institutions to help us see through the venture."

With a lot of comparison coming up in biotechnology efforts between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the chief minister Krishna preferred not to comment about the forays of its competitor in biotechnology endeavour. Incidentally Andhra Pradesh government has tied up with a private company, Shapoorji Pallonji, an infrastructure development firm to establish the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park (SPBP), at Turkapally in the outskirts of the city. But the Karnataka government intends to set up the Park without the private participation.

The first initiative on the site will be to set up a Rs. 15 crore common Facility Centre to provide R&D and incubation support to small entrepreneurs. The central government has committed a grant towards the new Biotech Park to the tune of Rs. 5 crore for the purchase of high tech equipments, the remaining expenses will be borne by the state government.

Meanwhile the state government is in the process of chalking out plans to have a hard sell campaign for takers of the new location of the Biotech Park. They are apprehensive about the fact that after the initial location at the University of Agricultural Sciences [UAS] ran into trouble, there could be a possibility of scepticism about the new location, inform sources.