The Hindu : Biotechnology Mission: Cabinet to study report

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 04, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Biotechnology Mission: Cabinet to study report

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AUG. 3. The Government will focus on phyto-pharmaceuticals and marine biotechnology as it strives to put the State on the biotechnology map.

The Special Officer appointed by the Government to do the groundwork, Rajiv Vasudevan, had already submitted his report recommending, among other things, the formation of a Biotechnology Mission. His proposals are expected to come before the Cabinet shortly.

At the same time, the Agriculture Department is working on the idea of establishing an agri-export zone, which will be complementary to initiatives made by the Industries Department.

The zone, spread across seven districts, will aim at producing quality agricultural products, including herbs.

The Government will shortly announce a comprehensive long-term policy on biotechnology.

Apart from phyto-pharmaceuticals and marine biotechnology, the policy would also focus on bioinformatics and marketing of herbal medicines, official sources said.

Various concessions to industrialists proposing to set up biotechnology units in the State are under consideration, including setting up of two biotechnology parks. Incubation facilities for projects in biotechnology will be available at the parks in collaboration with research institutions such as the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and the Kerala Agricultural University.

The proposed mission will facilitate backward and forward linkages. For the time being, the State will skip controversial areas such as transgenic crops, in consideration of the bio-safety issues and long gestation time.

Focus on phyto-pharmaceuticals — drugs containing isolated, pure active compounds derived from herbs, — is expected to be a unique selling point for the State's drive in the field, as no other State was currently focusing on this area.

The State has specific advantages in this area, as it was the cradle of ayurveda for long with a big pool of experts as well as plant material. `Phyto-pharmaceuticals will be an excellent entry point into cutting edge biotechnology. Capacity building will have to begin with this as an entry route," Mr. Rajiv Vasudevan told The Hindu.

He said that the TBGRI had the best resources in Asia in terms of germ plasm collection and research capacity. Facilities such as that were enabling conditions to build a solid phyto-pharmaceutical industry in the State.

``Kerala will have to develop a research agenda covering a spectrum of needs from ensuring availability of quality plant material, to large scale cultivation of important medicinal plants, to harvesting, storage, processing, testing and packaging to meet stringent requirements of global marketplace.''

On the marine biotechnology front, plans cover promotion of ventures for value addition and production of new materials. Proposals under consideration include making of biotech products from algae, de-odourisation of fish and extraction of compounds from marine species.

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