INDIA NEWS

The High Commission of India organised a Seminar on India’s emerging biotechnology industry on 16th October 2001 at India House. Deputy High Commissioner H.S.Puri chaired the Seminar, which was addressed by Mrs. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Padmashri, Chairman of the Biocon India Group and Mr. Crispin Kirkman, Chief Executive of the UK Bioindustry Association.

Mrs. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw noted India’s large English-speaking scientific talent pool, low cost R&D facilities and its recent foray into stem cell research. Government of India has established several leading biotech research institutions. India offered several opportunities in this field, for instance in (i) genomics given the unique gene pools of a number of inbred communities; (ii) biodiversity given the plant and animal biodiversities, combined with knowledge of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine; (iii) bioinformatics that combines IT and BT skills in high speed data mining for evolving new forms of therapies; and (iv) clinical studies given large population and low cost of clinical trials.

Mr. Crispin Kirkman outlined (i) the size of the UK biotech industry (at market cap of over £15 billion, second only to the USA); (ii) the large venture industry (49% of annual venture capital invested in Europe is in the UK); (iii) the numerous achievements of the UK (from discovery of the DNA structure in 1953 to the contribution made to the Human Genome Project); and (iv) the high bioscience R&D expenditure in the UK of about US$ 500 million annually. In this context, there was obvious, considerable scope for partnership between Indian and UK companies and research institutions.

On the issue of IPR protection in India, India’s commitment to confirm to WTO norms by 2005 was emphasised, noting that in the interim, foreign companies could take the route of entering into confidentiality agreements with Indian companies. Over 40 UK companies and four Indian biotech/pharmaceutical companies attended the Seminar. The UK Department of Trade and Industry will take a biotechnology mission to India early next year.

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