From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The department of biotechnology under the Union ministry of science and technology plans to promote a women bio-entrepreneurship network in the Northeast as part of sustainable efforts to connect research with enterprise.
Speaking on the occasion of silver jubilee of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Northeastern Regional Centre here on Tuesday, Renu Swarup, secretary, department of biotechnology, stressed on the need for a greater academia-industry interface so that a strong connect between research and enterprise could be established in the region.
“We are focused on the cluster approach as we look to create a bio-entrepreneurship network for women. The first product as we build this venture would be orchids, which are in abundance. As it is we have given training on a number of activities to women in Bodoland,” Swarup said while delivering a talk on the topic – “Driving the Bio-economy Growth of Northeast: Creating Value from Bio-resources”.
She also said the Northeast has the maximum potential for bio-economy and the Eastern Himalayas can take the sector forward in the country.
The department has played a major role to build the academia-industry connect through the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council set up in 2012, whereby viable ideas are mentored and taken to the market.
“We now have a vibrant biotech ecosystem with as many as 1732 start ups in the biotechnology sector in the past five years. Prior to that there were just about ten to 12 pharma companies ,” she said.