Even as software technology parks face a sunset, biotech hubs are rising all over the country. And these clusters are leading to ‘mini’ domain hubs in the industry. Already, analysts are beginning to identify certain bio-clusters with a clear focus on a specific segment of biotechnology.
Hyderabad, for one, is the hotbed for pharma and pure-play chemistry-related work. The city’s Genome Valley, which has Companies like Bharat Biotech, Shantha Biotech, Indian Immunologicals and Biological E, has an equivocal focus on vaccine development. Similarly Bangalore, which will have its biotech park Bangalore Helix later this month, is strong in bioinformatics, nanotechnology and microbiology. While the likes of Biocon and AstraZeneca focus their R&D efforts on the discovery of new chemical entities (NCE) for the treatment of infectious diseases, others like Aurigene, Strand Life Sciences and Sartorious provide screening technologies for drug discovery.
North is also catching up, with places like Lucknow and Chandigarh emerging as agri-research hubs. Lucknow Biotech Park is attempting to capitalise on its proximity to research institutes located in the city. R&D efforts of players like Crest Biotech, Clintech Research and IQRA Biotech Services are focused on improving the quality and yield of crops, bio-pesticides, bio-fertilisers and bio-fuels.
There is thus a clear demarcation in the type of R&D being conducted at these centres. Acquiring a focus is helpful, since it strengthens the linkage between industry, academia and research institutions in the region, says an analyst.
A report by international real estate consultants Cushman & Wakefield says that the Indian biotech industry is set to occupy 140 million square feet by 2010. By this period, it is expected to generate $5 billion revenues and create employment for a million through its products as well as services. While Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai are the preferred destinations for setting up a biotech facility, tier II and III cities like Vadodara, Coimbatore, Goa, Mysore, Madurai, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Thrissur, Nagpur and Thiruchirapalli are catching up fast as well.
Seven biotech parks are already operational in the country. There is a mix of parks established under a public private partnership and those established entirely by private players. These include three parks in Hyderabad, two in Chennai and one each in Lucknow and Pune. While Bangalore Helix gets operational later this month, a biotech park in Kochi is nearing completion soon.
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