BioAsia: Rs 2,000 crores for Genome Valley Phase-II, new Life Sciences policy in Telangana soon

Hyderabad: “We will establish the next phase of Genome Valley in 300 acres, with an investment of Rs 2,000 crores. We have also announced the establishment of 10 pharma villages with the investment of Rs one lakh crores and this will develop infrastructure, create jobs, opportunities for entrepreneurs, leading to creation of over five lakh new jobs,” said chief minister A Revanth Reddy while speaking at the inauguration of the 21st edition of three-day Bio Asia conference in HICC, Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The theme of the conference was ‘Data and AI: Redefining Possibilities’.

The chief minister further said that the State government has also identified clusters for Greenfield Integrated Pharma Villages in three different areas of Telangana: Vikarabad, Medak and Nalgonda. “My government is committed to creating a perfect ecosystem that includes policy, infrastructure and start-ups. Recently I met representatives from the Pharma sector to understand their challenges and we have promised to support them in the best way that we can,” he said.

Hyderabad provides hope, says CM Revanth

Making his observations on Life Sciences in the post-Covid era, Revanth Reddy said, “Hyderabad is the undisputed capital of life sciences in India and perhaps the world. One in three vaccines in the world is made in Hyderabad. In the last 20 years, BioAsia has helped position India and Asia Pacific as a focal point in life sciences. Covid has proved that we must find solutions together. There is both anxiety and hope. In a world where a virus creates fear, Hyderabad gives hope. If Covid is fear, ‘Data and AI in Healthcare’ is hope.”

“Hyderabad is the capital of research, startups and IT. My government is committed to creating the perfect ecosystem that includes policy, infrastructure and support. I also focus on driving MSMEs further, the bridges between the startups and corporate,” added the chief minister and mentioned that in the recently concluded annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, “We got Rs 40,232 crores investment for Telangana.”

Upcoming international collaborations

The chief minister also expressed his satisfaction over major upcoming investments in the state.

“The Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has decided to set up their manufacturing facility in Hyderabad in partnership with Biological E. This facility will make 50 million doses of dengue vaccines each year. Also, the German company Miltenyi Biotec has decided to set up an R&D facility in Hyderabad. I would also like to congratulate Prof. Gregg Semenza, Nobel Prize Winner, for being awarded the Genome Valley Excellence Award,” he concluded.

‘Dynamic, entrepreneurial Life Sciences policy for Telangana soon’

During his speech at the BioAsia conference, minister for IT and Industries D Sridhar Babu said that it is not every day that one sees several Fortune 500 companies, accomplished scientific leaders, CEOs, Nobel laureates, researchers and entrepreneurs on one platform. This has been possible because of the reputation that BioAsia has built over the last 20 years.

Referring to attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in January at Davos, Sridhar Babu said, “There was enthusiasm displayed by global investors, particularly by the Life Sciences community towards Telangana and our vision. The state has received Rs 40,232 crores in investment in the sector, which speaks volumes about the confidence of investors in our governance and the new government.”

“Within a few months, we are also launching a new, dynamic, entrepreneurial Life Sciences policy for the state which will be a fusion between technology, life sciences, pharma industry, policy, and regulatory agents, which is not there anywhere in the country. The aim is to position Telangana as a global nodal for the global value chain in the Life Sciences sector. We will catalyse socio-economic growth through strategic investment and nurturing of innovative systems. We aspire to cultivate an ecosystem that not only generates employability but also catalyses socio-economic growth ensuring access to our citizens and beyond,” said Sridhar Babu.

Upgrading academia to match market

The minister further added that to make Hyderabad and Telangana the skilled capital of India, chief minister Revanth Reddy has already envisioned a plan of bringing skilled universities that will produce enough talent in two years, bringing out a new revolution in terms of providing value to academia through mandatory internship programmes with industries.

“There would be an internship programme for three to six months for students in Telangana, where they will be exposed to the needs of the industry, which will give them a platform across Life Sciences, IT, and manufacturing sectors. The best human capital will be available in Hyderabad,” he said.