Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 10: The leading business tycoon and Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Bengaluru based Multi-National Company “Biocon”, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, along with her team, met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here and discussed the possible investment plans for the Northeast.
Dr Jitendra Singh asked Kiran Mazumdar Shaw to work out the possible areas of investment in the North Eastern region for which the Ministry of DoNER can facilitate support and coordination. He recalled his two-decade old association with Biocon in his capacity as Diabetologist and said, Biocon was one of the few Indian houses which not only entered the highly competetive “Insulin market” but also successfully sustained it. It is hoped that Kiran and her management would use same entrepreneur skills to enrich the industry in Northeast and generate avenues of employability for the local youth, he said.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw also informed Dr Jitendra Singh about her interest in the cancer of head and neck region and said that since the North Eastern States have a higher prevalence of head and neck cancers, her team is also contemplating to undertake work in this area.
In her capacity as the Chairperson of the “Association of Bio-technology Led Enterprises” (ABLE), Kiran Mazumdar, accompanied by President ABLE Panchappagesa Murali, handed over documents to Dr Jitendra Singh, highlighting alleged deficiencies and anomalies in the National Biodiversity Act (NBA) 2002. She said, the idea and concept behind the Act was quite noble and was meant to regulate how individuals, companies and institutions, Indian or foreign, may access Indian biodiversity for various purposes. However, she alleged, in practice, the provisions tend to allow unauthorized access to bio-diversity and bring in commercial uncertainty, thus discouraging bio-prospecting research.
On behalf of the ABLE, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and her team suggested that the National Biodiversity Act 2002 requires an amendment in order to encourage responsible and accountable use of bio-resources.
Dr Jitendra Singh gave a patient hearing to the issues related to the National Biodiversity Act. He said, since the subject is dealt by the Ministry of Environment, he would take up the issue with the concerned Union Minister Dr Harshwardhan and also pass on a set of documents to him.
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