<p>Bengaluru: Scientists working at the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) stare at an uncertain future following the massive fire that destroyed 20 labs on the second floor of the government facility on Tuesday. </p>.<p>The fire, which originated in the Galore TX startup room due to improper management of a flammable solvent in the lab, is estimated to have caused a loss of Rs 150-200 crore. </p>.<p>With expensive equipment gone, start-up employees fear there will not be any work until they are procured again. Startups are unlikely to procure equipment anytime soon, an employee said. </p>.<p>"Some employees will either be laid off or asked to work without pay. Many research scientists will definitely work without pay,” he added. </p>.Voice cloning, fake couriers: How AI is supercharging Bengaluru's cybercrime.<p>Many startup founders fear substantial losses because there is no clear government policy to compensate them. </p>.<p>"This is not everyone’s mistake. Who will make up our losses? There is no disaster relief policy for companies like us," the founder of a company that moved into the incubation centre in 2023 told <em>DH</em>. "This is the sad reality of the IT-BT hub." </p>.<p>Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology, held a meeting on Wednesday with startups affected by the fire. </p>.<p>"The government is already in the process of finalising alternative spaces to help them resume operations at the earliest. Each case will be examined thoroughly to understand the extent of the damage and provide tailored support,” he wrote on X. </p>.<p>Speaking to <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>, Kharge stated that while there is no policy for compensation during incidents of fire, the government's priority is to get the companies up and running. </p>.<p>Writing on X, he said the government is exploring how current policies, CSR initiatives, and corporate funding can further mitigate the companies' losses and help them get back on track. </p>.<p>Kharge stressed that the fire was caused by the incubatees' failure to follow the statutory guidelines about the storage of flammable gases and liquids. </p>.<p>According to him, the startups had been asked to not store and use any large volumes of inflammable chemicals in their lab, and that a separate open storage area was provided for the same. </p>.<p>Asked about the job losses, Kharge said the startups were yet to assess their losses. "The least we (the government) can do is to hear them out. We will do the best we can to get them back on their feet," he added. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Scientists working at the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) stare at an uncertain future following the massive fire that destroyed 20 labs on the second floor of the government facility on Tuesday. </p>.<p>The fire, which originated in the Galore TX startup room due to improper management of a flammable solvent in the lab, is estimated to have caused a loss of Rs 150-200 crore. </p>.<p>With expensive equipment gone, start-up employees fear there will not be any work until they are procured again. Startups are unlikely to procure equipment anytime soon, an employee said. </p>.<p>"Some employees will either be laid off or asked to work without pay. Many research scientists will definitely work without pay,” he added. </p>.Voice cloning, fake couriers: How AI is supercharging Bengaluru's cybercrime.<p>Many startup founders fear substantial losses because there is no clear government policy to compensate them. </p>.<p>"This is not everyone’s mistake. Who will make up our losses? There is no disaster relief policy for companies like us," the founder of a company that moved into the incubation centre in 2023 told <em>DH</em>. "This is the sad reality of the IT-BT hub." </p>.<p>Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology, held a meeting on Wednesday with startups affected by the fire. </p>.<p>"The government is already in the process of finalising alternative spaces to help them resume operations at the earliest. Each case will be examined thoroughly to understand the extent of the damage and provide tailored support,” he wrote on X. </p>.<p>Speaking to <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span>, Kharge stated that while there is no policy for compensation during incidents of fire, the government's priority is to get the companies up and running. </p>.<p>Writing on X, he said the government is exploring how current policies, CSR initiatives, and corporate funding can further mitigate the companies' losses and help them get back on track. </p>.<p>Kharge stressed that the fire was caused by the incubatees' failure to follow the statutory guidelines about the storage of flammable gases and liquids. </p>.<p>According to him, the startups had been asked to not store and use any large volumes of inflammable chemicals in their lab, and that a separate open storage area was provided for the same. </p>.<p>Asked about the job losses, Kharge said the startups were yet to assess their losses. "The least we (the government) can do is to hear them out. We will do the best we can to get them back on their feet," he added. </p>