The Konark Knowledge Park, a Rs 100-crore biotech-pharma-IT park being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited on around 65 acres of land at Andharua on the outskirts of the city, would have a Biotechnology Incubation Centre spread over 10 acres.
The incubation centre to be developed within the park would cater to the needs of the researchers, entrepreneurs and students.
Speaking after the ground breaking ceremony of the park, Ravindran, director of Institute of Life Sciences under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India said, “The Centre would provide biotech incubator worth Rs 25 crore for the incubation centre. The biotech industry in the country is growing at a very good pace and this incubation centre will emerge as a Centre of Excellence.”
“The Konark Kowledge Park is the first of its kind to be developed on the public private partnership (PPP) mode in the state. Entrepreneurs should take advantage of the incubator and other infrastructure in the park and set up their production units”, the Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik said after laying the foundation stone for the park. “We already have various institutes in our state to produce professionals in the biotechnology sector. I would call upon these institutes to fine tune their curriculum in order to cater to the requirements of the knowledge park”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, the state minister for IT and science & technology said, “This is the first of its kind park in science and technology being taken up in the state on the PPP mode. The incubation centre to be developed within the park will prove beneficial to the students and the researchers.”
Krishna Ella, chairman, Bharat Biotech said, the park will accelerate the growth of entrepreneurship in the areas of biotech, pharma and IT and help nurture local talent in these areas besides promoting technology based research and development.
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The state government has allocated 64.86 acres of land for the Konark Knowledge Park, an integrated industrial park to attract and promote industries in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and IT.
The Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) which was appointed as the nodal agency for the development of this integrated park, would provide all external infrastructure facilities like roads, water supply and electricity for the park. The park is expected to be completed within eight years.