Karnataka joins race for biosynthetic tech centre.

Karnataka is in the race to set up Central government's biosynthetic technology centre.

The project is a virtual lab-cum-training centre to conduct research, support life sciences, biotech and pharma companies.

'The state is in the race along with Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to set up the biosynthetic technology centre,' said Srivatsa Krishna, Secretary, Karnataka Department of IT, BT and S&T.

'The quantum of funding will be determined by the Centre after receiving proposals from all the interested states. Meanwhile, Bioscience and Medical Technology Incubation Centre in Bangalore will be ready by June this year,' he added.

The incubation centre, built at a cost of Rs. 40 crore, has been equally shared by the Union government (Rs. 20 crore) and the balance amount with land contributed by Karnataka. The facility is coming up at the Alexandria Helix Biotech Park, Electronics City.

The facility is a 20,000-square feet area for which civil works are over and the interiors are under way.

Srivatsa Krishna said, 'The first-of-its-kind facility in the country will house young entrepreneurs who could immediately start operations as it is designed as a plug & play unit.'

HBL