Karnataka bags BioSpectrum BioTech State of the Year award

Biocon Head Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has been honoured with the BioSpectrum Leadership Award. Karnataka was conferred the award late last night for the state's initiatives, including announcement of Millennium Biotech Policy, support of the industry-academia group to drive the growth of the industry.

Kiran was presented with the award for growing Biocon into a successful company, backed by a 4,500 workforce and revenues that touch half-a-billion dollars.
Bangalore-based scientist, Founder-Director of National Centre for Biological Sciences, Obaid Siddiqi, was presented the Life Time Achievement Award 2010 for his pioneering work in the fields of microbial genetics and neurogenetics.

The award winners were selected by an eminent jury headed by Hari S Bhartia, Co-Chairman and MD, Jubilant Life Sciences, among others. The BioSpectrum Product of the Year award went to Cry1c gene from Metahelix Life Sciences, also a Bangalore-based agricultural biotechnology company. This first commercial gene developed solely by Metahelix Life Sciences, offers the cotton plant double protection against two pests - bollworms and spodoptera.

Glenn Saldanha, CEO & MD of Mumbai-headquartered Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, was awarded the BioSpectrum Person of the Year. The company’s turnover grew to Rs 2,300 crore from  Rs 82.8 crore in 1998 under Saldanha’s leadership.

Rashmi Barbhaiya, CEO, Advinus Therapeutics, a research-based pharmaceutical company with a state-of-the art facility in Pune and development centre in Bangalore, was recognised as the BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year.

Hyderabad's Nuziveedu Seeds bagged the BioAgri Company Award, while the Bioinformatics Company Award went to Ocimum Biosolutions, also based in Hyderabad.
Bangalore's Novozymes South Asia fetched the BioIndustrial Company Award, Quintiles India, which has five offices in India, won the BioServices Award, and Bangalore’s Waters India made it to the BioSuppliers Award category.

Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, was recognised as the Biotech School in the Public category, while Jaypee University of IT, Solan, HP was awarded as the Biotech School in the Private segment

CyberMedia’s flagship journal for biotechnology industry, BioSpectrum, hands out these awards along with the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) annually.