Bio.Com 2001 - linking VCs and entrepreneurs
By Venkatachari Jagannathan | 05 Mar 2001
It is slated to be the show of the millennium. With Karnataka government deciding to focus on the promotion of the biotechnology industry in state, the state-government appointed Vision Group is planning to hold a three-day trade show and conference, Bio.Com, in Bangalore soon.
Chaired by Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson of Biocon India Ltd., the Vision Group has decided to hold the trade show besides recommending to the state government to set up an Institute of Bio-Informatics and Applied Bio-Technology (IBAB) and give its inputs on the lines of the to-be-announced bio-technology policy.
According to Dr. Villoo Morawala Patell, a member of the Vision Group, IBAB would be set up in collaboration with ICICI Ltd. She said the government would form a biotech fund with a corpus of Rs.100 crore to fund start-up companies in this field. Interestingly, companies involved in bio-tech activity are expected to contribute 0.5 per cent of their turnover to the fund corpus, which will also be used for providing advisory services, conducting education and research in bio-technology.
She said several Indian corporates were entering the biotech field, with investments expected to touch $2.5 billion this year. Speaking about the conference, scheduled for April 15-17 2001 at Palace Grounds, Bangalore, Dr.Patell said, Bio.Com will focus on major issues, including bioinformatics, health care, patents, intellectual property rights and policies of the Karnataka government.
The first day of the conference will feature the management aspects, including market trends and forecasts, besides approach to maximise return on investment in the new biotech age. The second and third days will cover technology and venture capital topics.
The show is slotted as a business-to-business forum for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs to come together and transact business and is expected to attract 1,000 delegates and 50 exhibitors. Bangalore, here we come.
Chaired by Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson of Biocon India Ltd., the Vision Group has decided to hold the trade show besides recommending to the state government to set up an Institute of Bio-Informatics and Applied Bio-Technology (IBAB) and give its inputs on the lines of the to-be-announced bio-technology policy.
According to Dr. Villoo Morawala Patell, a member of the Vision Group, IBAB would be set up in collaboration with ICICI Ltd. She said the government would form a biotech fund with a corpus of Rs.100 crore to fund start-up companies in this field. Interestingly, companies involved in bio-tech activity are expected to contribute 0.5 per cent of their turnover to the fund corpus, which will also be used for providing advisory services, conducting education and research in bio-technology.
She said several Indian corporates were entering the biotech field, with investments expected to touch $2.5 billion this year. Speaking about the conference, scheduled for April 15-17 2001 at Palace Grounds, Bangalore, Dr.Patell said, Bio.Com will focus on major issues, including bioinformatics, health care, patents, intellectual property rights and policies of the Karnataka government.
The first day of the conference will feature the management aspects, including market trends and forecasts, besides approach to maximise return on investment in the new biotech age. The second and third days will cover technology and venture capital topics.
The show is slotted as a business-to-business forum for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs to come together and transact business and is expected to attract 1,000 delegates and 50 exhibitors. Bangalore, here we come.