"The government of Karnataka will provide the necessary support to promote biotechnology innovation in the state. The biotech park, which is to be operational in next two years will add more strength to the state's biotech industry," said Mr Jagadish Shettar, Chief Minister of Karnataka, after inaugurating the 13th edition of the three day India's premier biotech forum - Bangalore INDIA BIO organized by the Department of Information Technology, Bio-Technology and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka and the Vision Group on Biotechnology at Bangalore.

He further said, "As the Prime Minister of India declared that this is the decade of innovation and Karnataka has already signed a few Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with international agencies, which will pave the path of growth and development of the industry in the state."

Mr SV Ranganath, chief secretary, government of Karnataka, said, "Biotechnology has given great opportunity to a country like India with 1.2 billion population, which has good potential to tap the benefits of pharmaceuticals and agro biotech. India is particularly concerned with agro and disease control at affordable price with quality to rural part. India with a huge population and minimal resource is greatly working on affordable innovations in the field of agro, pharma, health. It is estimated that by 2050 the population of the world will be nine billion and most of it being from developing countries. The heat of the population will be felt in the field of food, fuel, and health."

He further said, "India has high manpower and talent in the field of life science, engineering science and R&D. And there by the MNCs are looking at India for collaboration for the above reasons. Bangalore has many number of R&D in public and private sector. Bangalore is the hub for R&D and constitutes to about 56 percent of the Indian R&D. State government has taken initiatives to provide 4000 acres of land for the development of Biotech and other sciences. Indian Institute of Nano Science has also been allotted 14 acres for the same purpose."

In his address, Prof. K VijayRaghavan, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, said, "There are a range of the issues we have to tackle in order to make this a $100 billion industry, opportunities are available but connections and communication are required for bridging the gap."

Ms Anne MacColl, exchanged the MoU signed between Scottish Development International (SDI), Scotland and Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) with Mr Vijay Shankar, MD, KBITS and similarity Mr Mark Lytle, division director, Georgia Centers of Innovation; Georgia Department of Economic Development, Atlanta exchanged the documents related to biotechnology.

Prof. K VijayRaghavan, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, released the industry reports titled "Indian Biotechnology: The roadmap to the Next Decade and beyond" and "Funding Your Science Idea" of Atharva Life Sciences Consulting, while Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson, Karnataka Vision Group on Biotechnology; chairman and managing director, Biocon released the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) report "Opportunities for Fermentation Industry and Biotechnology."