What is the future of pharmaceutical industry in Karnataka?
For the future, the State government has to take a lead to improve investments. What has happened today is that, in our enthusiasm for IT and to some extent biotechnology, every body wants to run behind what is in the limelight worldwide. But if we want to operate with a vision, I would say that biotechnology, which is the buzzword today, must be integrated with pharmaceutical business. Biotechnology (BT) will not be able to survive without the support of pharmaceuticals unlike IT, which can operate on a stand-alone-basis. It is not practical for a biotechnology company to take up research, which is a capital-intensive exercise that takes time to bear fruits. Do you think there is a lull in the Karnataka pharma sector? The lull experienced in Karnataka is more in terms of investments and not performance. While the Indian pharma sector is growing at 15 percent per annum, Karnataka has managed to keep pace with almost the same growth rate. There are around 250 companies in the State and