The Maharashtra chief minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh has announced substantial incentive schemes for the biotech start ups including rent free office premises at the CIDCO project at Belapur in Navi Mumbai apart from the infrastructure build up at Jalna and Hinjewadi, as part of the new initiatives to develop biotech industry in the state.

Deshmukh was speaking at the Biotechnology Conference organized by CII along with the government of Maharashtra on the Biotechnology Day of the state on November 14. The Conference was organized with an objective to create awareness amongst leading international and domestic industry about the state's strengths and opportunities for investment.

R A Mashelkar, chairman, Maharashtra Biotechnology Task Force, in his keynote address said that the state can offer very promising future for the country's biotechnology industry with currently proposed initiatives in the field of agro/pharma biotechnology and also for bioinformatics.

CII Maharashtra Council chairman Ganesh Natrajan, in his welcome address said that the Confederation has recognized that Maharashtra has been amongst the few states to recognize the opportunity offered by biotechnology as a prospective and suitable industrial segment for developing the full economic potential of the state.

The conference mainly addressed the Role of India in world-class research and development, Biotechnology - Vision for India, BioAdvantage - Maharashtra, Development of Potential Anti Cancer Drugs & Taking them through Human Clinical Trails, and Bio-Informatics - A role for Indian R&D.

The one day conference was also addressed by Sumit Sharma, director, Nicholas Piramal India Ltd., Ranjit Sahani, chief executive officer, Novartis India Ltd., Dr. Susan Kling Finston, associate vice president - Intellectual Property, PhRMA, Dr Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty, Distinguished Professor, University of lllinois, Chicago.