The two-year old Vydehi Biotech Park, which is a first-of-its kind in the private sector in Karnataka, is now aggressively scouting for biotechnology start-up companies to take up space in the premises in the wake of an anticipated boom in the biotechnology sector

The sprawling Park located in the Vydehi campus, Whitefield, near Bangalore, which is promoted by the Srinivasa Trust (Regd.) had a low-key existence for the last 24 months mainly because of the slow pace of biotechnology development, which has not gathered the expected momentum. "We have been calculative in our investments to offer the infrastructure for the initiatives by start-up companies", Prof. KV Devaraj, director, Vydehi Institute of Biotech Sciences & Vydehi Biotech Park, told pharambiz.com

Within the next two months, the first company to set up its base at the Vydehi Biotech Park will be Bharat Biotech which is opening up its sales arm for the marketing its products.

What sets the Park apart is the total infrastructure where comprehensive, integrated and job-oriented biotech education, medical education and a 1000-bed hospital services are offered all within the 65 acre Vydehi campus located in Whitefield, which is one of the fastest growing business hubs in Bangalore. The campus is coming up in phases at a total outlay of Rs.100 crore. For the Biotech Park alone the investment is Rs. 3.5 crore.

The first phase of the Biotech Park has a Medicinal Awareness Park referred to as the 'Dhanavantri' Park which has around 250 varieties of herbs and saplings grown in a different 'vanas' (gardens). "The purpose of the Park is to conserve the endangered species of medicinal herbs as many of the species have disappeared for want of care," said Prof. Devaraj.

"We would also consider the medicinal plants for commercially viable businesses ventures in the domestic and international market, apart from its usage in drug discovery and other pharmaceutical needs," he added.

In a bid to promote importance of herbal science, we are compiling a list of medicinal plants. We will be publishing it as a ready reference booklet having a pictorial depiction and give therapeutic value of the herbs, which is expected to be ready in a couple of months, informed Prof. Devaraj.

The Park's incubator facility is expected to give a fillip to the commercial and research development units that focus on drug discovery from natural source, plant tissue culture, immunodiagnostics for major plant and animal diseases and food processing and packaging.

Plans on the anvil are to use the plants for drug discovery by the pharmacology department of the Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre for arriving at possible drug targets combining natural herbs and allopathic formulations which could prove to be cost-effective with no side-effects. In this connection, we have already initiated dialogues with a few homeopathy and ayurveda drug manufacturers in South Kanara and Kerala, he said.

The Vydehi Biotech Park could support many of the tissue culture activities because its promoters already have a presence in tissue culture with a full fledged facility in the Suvarna Mukhi Farm on the Kanakapura Road in Bangalore informed Prof. Devaraj.