AP govt plans R&D cluster near Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh government is drawing up plans to set up a research and development cluster between Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts to give a boost to the pharmaceutical sector.
"The state government is planning to set up a 'Genome Valley' (an R&D cluster) between Visakhapatnam and East Godavari and intends to appoint a nodal officer soon for the purpose," a government release quoted state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as saying during a meeting with a group of pharma experts here today.
The group requested the chief minister to provide all the infrastructure facilities required to make Andhra Pradesh a pharma hub, the release said.

The release also said that Naidu reminded the experts about a task force that had been set up by his government in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2004.
"A similar panel would be set up now to make Andhra Pradesh a pharma hub of the country," Naidu said.
According to the release, the undivided Andhra Pradesh ranked on top in pharmaceutical industry during Naidu's tenure.