National biotechnology strategy soon: Sibal

India will have a national biotechnology strategy by December. A legislation based on the Bayh-Dole Act might also be enacted in the 2006 Budget session of Parliament to spur innovation in biotechnology research in academia, according to Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

At the Biotech CEO Summit here today, Sibal said the draft of the proposed strategy would be sent shortly for Cabinet approval. The strategy, apart from giving "huge concessions" to the biotech industry, will also provide a road map on how academia and the industry should collaborate in research and development.

Sibal also said he would visit the US next month to "sign an umbrella science technology agreement". He wanted establishing protocols for bringing biological material to India.

He said there should be a legislation or executive guidelines regarding who should own the intellectual property rights (IPRs). He personally favoured enacting a legislation in this regard.

"Who owns the R&D depends upon partnership and the nature of a product. Academia should have the right to decide in this regard. If the product is developed by the CSIR, then it should have the autonomy to decide about its IPRs," the minister said.

For boosting biotechnology research in the country, Sibal said the government was willing to provide Rs 50 lakh as a grant free of any strings attached.

"Even at the proof concept stage, we will give this amount. Right from the pilot project to the final stage, we will assist you," he said. He added that it was the duty of the government to fund industry for the purpose of generating new molecules.

The minister also said the Mashelkar Task Force Committee report indicated "something like a single window system of clearance" for biotech projects. "Hopefully, this will be in place by November," he said.

Sibal said an approval system for import of cell lines would be in place by November.

At present, the government allowed the import of 90 per cent of all cell lines directly by companies without any hassles. Only 10 per cent of the cell lines, which are complicated in nature, have to follow the approval system for biosafety reasons.

He said a large animal-testing laboratory would be established in Hyderabad. Feasibility study for it has already started. Besides, the department of biotechnology has decided to have a transnational research centre with world-class facilities for clinical trials.

Sibal said the Indian biotech companies could well surpass the targeted turnover of $5 billion by 2010, given the present growth rate of biotech companies.

Earlier, Narayan Suresh, editor of BioSpectrum which organised the summit, said the government should introduce an efficient regulatory system and launch an awareness campaign to promote "Indian biotech advantage".