Bhubaneswar: The Anchor vaccine unit at Andharua in the outskirts of the capital city will be set up by Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL).
The company has experience in producing improved vaccines against severe rotavirus diarrhoea, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, pandemic influenza and drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus.
Official sources said the unit at Andharua is scheduled to produce ten types of vaccines including malaria and covid vaccine.
The Odisha government has set a target to start the production of vaccines including covaxin by June 2022.
The construction of a vaccine production unit has started at Andharua and required statutory clearances and permissions have also been granted for setting up the unit.
Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra has directed the Science and Technology department to set up a professional directorate of Bio-Technology for a focused and fastened approach towards incubation and setting up new industries in the sector.
Reviewing the Progress of the construction of the unit at the State level Bio-Tech implementation committee meeting held in digital mode on Thursday the Chief directed to expedite construction of the anchor vaccine production unit and laying off other critical infrastructure.
Science and Technology Secretary Manoj Mishra said “Government has made provisions for
extending different incentives to biotech incubation and startups in the shape of the land allotment, exemption of stamp duty, land conversion, training subsidy, capital investment subsidy, interest subsidy under Odisha Biotechnology Policy of 2018.
The meeting authorised IPICOL and Industries department to monitor the implementation of the subsidies till the operationalization of a dedicated professional directorate of Biotechnology.
Around Rs 15 crore was allocated under the ‘Fund of Funds’ of MS&ME department for providing equity support to the incubating units in the Biotechnology sector.
IDCO CMD Sanjay Singh said two floors with around 28 thousand sq ft space could be made available in this centre for incubation facilities.
It was decided to further develop the centre with modern facilities and house the incubation units of MS & ME, IT and Biotechnology in the same building to create an advanced and mutually boosting eco-system of incubation.