The Hindu Business Line : Kinfra plans biotech park in Kalamassery

CONSIDERING the immense potential in biotechnology, the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) is in the process of setting up a biotechnology park to accelerate growth of the industry in the State.

Kinfra has earmarked 50 acres of land from its 240-acre of available land at Kalamassery near here for setting up the park with the financial assistance from the Department of Bio Technology and the State Government.

The park would be a combination of a technology Incubation Centre (TIC) providing modules for R&D in biotechnology, pilot plant and a business enterprise zone (BEZ) comprising developed plots to be utilised for setting up of industrial units, Mr Prasad N. Kartha, Deputy Manager, Kinfra, said.

The development works would be taken up in two phases.

The first phase is the setting up of TIC in 1.5 acres of land and development of oriented facility in an area of 32,000 square feet.

It would have 10 modules of specialised labs of 1,000 square feet each and a general instrumentation lab.

Kinfra would procure the required equipment and the labs would be allotted to entrepreneurs on lease basis. The estimate for the TIC building has been sanctioned and tendering procedures have been initiated.

The pre-qualification of the contractors for the construction of TIC building had been finalised and the work would begin from January 2005, Mr Kartha said.

The Corporation is also in the process of establishing a joint venture company with private agencies, who have expertise in setting up of similar parks in the country. Two companies have been short-listed for the purpose.

The second phase development would include pilot plant and BEZ, developed plots for biotech related industries to start.

Kinfra is a statutory body formed by the Kerala Government in 1993 with the objective to facilitate the development of industrial infrastructure.

The single window clearance mechanism inside the park enables the prospective entrepreneur to get all the clearances from the park within the minimum time.

It had already completed the development of industrial infrastructure in five Small Industries Park under the Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre Scheme of Union Government, in which a number of units have established their manufacturing activities.

Kinfra Food Processing Park, the first food processing park in India under the MOFPI GOI scheme at Kakkancherry, Malappuram was dedicated to the nation in September 2003. The first infotainment park, the Kinfra Film and Video Park is nearing completion near Thiruvananthapuram.

Kinfra has so far disbursed Rs11 crore worth of assistance for the development of export infrastructure.

It has also mobilised substantial assistance from various Central Government schemes for the implementation of its projects.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page