The biotechnology sector may be able to dip into funds totalling Rs.1, 000 crore through various incentive schemes that are offered or may be in the offing, according to Dr M.K. Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT). This will be outside the DBT allocation, which is Rs.520 crore for the current fiscal, to fund biotech research projects.

Most of the nascent and fund-starved biotechnology companies have been seeking start-up funds and follow-on injections among others to prop their research projects.

The DBT's five-year National Biotechnology Development Strategy is in the final stages of approval and will make fund flow and regulatory clearances smoother for biotech research when cleared, Dr Bhan said.

The strategy covers issues such as the Rs.100-crore small business incubation research fund, human resource development, four regional technology centers and several centers of excellence, technology transfer and crucial academic and industry linkages needed for the start-ups.

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