More than 20 companies have already booked 24 plots at the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park as part of phase I and II. Many US companies are showing interest in setting up a base in the park. Companies like Novartis and Genzyme have visited the park recently.

In phase I, 85 acres of land have been developed out of the 140 acres and 162 acres will be developed in phase II. Phase II has been completely booked. 100 acres of land can still be obtained. Seeing the growth of biotech companies, additional 500 acres of land may be required for industries in and around Hyderabad, according to S Dhawan, chief executive, SP Biotech Park Pvt Ltd.

The SP Biotech Park is also establishing wet labs as part of its phase I development at Hyderabad, due to the substantial demand for built up labs, in an area of about 40,000 sq ft. The labs are expected to be completed by the third quarter of calendar year 2006.

The companies that have obtained land in the phase I of SP Biotech Park include Albany Molecular Research, Aktiva Biotech, Avesthagen, Biogenex, DR NRK Biotech, Genotex International, Genox Technologies, Issar Pharmaceuticals, Jasmine Biologicals, KCP Biotech, Sami labs, Shakti Bio Systems, Tata Chemicals, Vimta Labs and Vimta Specialities, informed Dhawan.

The companies that have taken land in the phase II include Biological E, Herbotics Technologies, Issar Pharma, Maanya Biotech, Saamya Biotech, Sandor Medicaids and Unique Biotech.

Sami Labs has invested Rs 10 crore for 4 acres of land at the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Biotech Park in Hyderabad. The facility will be operational by August 2006. It will be a process unit for an intermediary Solanesol, and the company plans to source active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from Andhra Pradesh units. Vimta Labs is also setting up a 2, 00,000 sq. ft. laboratory complex at SP Biotech Park.

SP Biotech is also looking at the possibility of developing the proposed Bio-IT Park, but progress will be seen once the proposal will get the Planning Commission’s approval and Hyderabad is chosen for setting up the park. A minimum of 80 acres will be required to develop the Bio-IT Park, proposed by the Software Technology Parks of India, he added.

Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, IIT-Kharagpur are planning to establish biotech parks and they have approached Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park to extend support. The West Bengal government is keen on supporting IIT Kharagpur’s initiative, which aims at utilising the R&D capability network of the wide spread IITians.

Dhawan said, “A large number of bio-pharmaceutical companies are now looking to set up base in special economic zones (SEZs). Slowly the emphasis has been shifting from acquiring EOU status to being part of a SEZ. Moreover, SEZs also offer necessary common amenities such as customs clearance cells, container depots and other infrastructure. In the matter of SEZ, there is certainty in policies, whereas the said incentives under EOU status can be reaped by companies only up to 2010.”