West Bengal plans biotech park

The state government is planning to set up the state's first biotechnology park, according to Nirupam Sen, commerce and industry minister of West Bengal (GoWB).

"The state is negotiating with Bose Institute and might come up with a biotechnology park in partnership with them", he said on the sidelines of a meeting on business opportunities for biotechnological application in agro & processed food, horticulture & organic food, jointly organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and West Bengal State Council of Biotechnology ( WBSCB).

Hirak Ghosh, chairman of WBSCB, said, "The state might come up with biotech parks. The possible sites for setting up the park are Bardhaman , Haldia and Kolkata but it is yet to be finalised".

The minister invited private partnership in this sector to maximise benefits from the agri biotech sector that is expected to grow at 60 per cent.

"The state is looking for active participation of private players in this sector. The government has already framed biotechnology policy in 2002 to create the awareness among different sections of the people about the intrinsic strength and the opportunities it unfolds", said Sen.

The government is also thinking of joint venture (JV) with private participants in this sector.

"The state has already set up a green house in Mongpu region and is planning to go for cultivation expansion covering over 26, 000 acres. The focus is on medicinal plants that has huge market", he added.

The venture capital fund will be floated by West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) which would allot fund to the biotechnology sector, he informed.

In addition, the state government has set up state-of-the-art flower market at Mallick ghat to provide small farmers a formal market platform.

"The state is planning to come up with similar market mechanism for other agro products like potato presently being exported to south Asian countries. The state is trying to tie up with private pharmaceutical companies like Dabur for proper marketing and promotion of medicinal plants in North Bengal", Sen added.