“Focus was on creating exchange mechanisms between India and the US�

-Dr Amit Mitra, secretary general, FICCI

What were the highlights of the FICCI Biotech Industry Delegation to the US during the BIO 2005?

The objective of the biotech industry delegation was to encourage the investment, technological tie-ups in the area of biotechnology. During the visit, the US-India Business Council, under the aegis of the United States Department of Commerce and the Government of India, hosted 35 Indian biotech companies and 135 US industry delegates to discuss future collaborations in this field. The purpose of the event was to identify impediments and next steps for both Indian and American companies doing business in the now rapidly expanding two-way high technology trade. The key issues which emerged prominently during our discussions were: Removal of roadblocks to vaccine development and development of protocols to govern the transfers of biological material internationally; streamlining of protocols necessary to conduct clinical trials in India; development of regulatory structure for agriculture that ensures environmental safety; closer cooperation in the realm of human capital through a series of academic, business and governmental partnerships and exchanges between the US and India. The focus was on creating exchange mechanisms between the two countries. There are about eight major deals emerging in the area of vaccines as fallout of the industry delegation visit during BIO 2005.

What are the key focus areas for FICCI in biotechnology?

In the biotech arena, FICCI has a strong focus in pharma, healthcare and agri sector. A lot can be done in the pharma and agri sector through biotechnology. In the healthcare segment, the way diseases are treated can undergo a fundamental change through the use of biotech techniques. In the agri sector, there is scope for increasing the productivity and quality through biotechnology. Today the biotech revolution has been unleashed and who so ever stands in the way will get wiped out. The biotech bus will be driven by the US as in the case of the information technology sector. India should be an important partner in this revolution and focus on climbing up the value chain.

FICCI mounts biotech delegation to China and Taiwan

FICCI is organizing a Biotech delegation to China and Taiwan from September 11-21, 2005. Dr. Krishna M Ella, managing director, Bharat Biotech International and chairman, FICCI Biotech National Committee will be leading the delegation. The visit would constitute of business meetings and visits to some well-known research centers and companies doing cutting edge biotech R&D in both countries. Coinciding with the visit, an international high-level conference on bio-economy is being organized by China National Center for Biotechnology development from September13-15 in Beijing, China.