By  Team Mangalorean Bangalore

Bangalore Jan 19: India's biotech "queen" Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon Tuesday appealed for considering the issue of Bt brinjal cultivation on a scientific basis and not on "unfounded fears".

"We would really like to ensure that we take this whole issue of Bt brinjal on a scientific basis and not on unfounded fears, creating a fear psychosis," Mazumdar-Shaw said at a conference on biotech event Bangalore India Bio, to be held June 2-4.

Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director of leading biotechnology firm Biocon, said the issue of commercially release of the Bt brinjal, after the cotton variety had proved beneficial, has to happen through a detailed scientific evaluation and debate, and not due to fear or an "unfounded" distrust.

"BT is a safe science and it is aimed at boosting agriculture. It is the technology of the future and is safe. Through varieties like genetically modified brinjal we could spur the agri-economy," she said.

The chairperson of Karnataka Vision Group for BT said the industry had fully understood its responsibility and would never develop a technology that was unsafe for human consumption.

"This technology is not being forced on anyone. When Bt cotton was introduced many were skeptical. Later, when it proved to be a big success, farmers voluntarily adopted it. It will be the same with Bt food crops which are safe for human consumption," she claimed.

Campaigners against Bt brinjal are apprehensive of adverse effects of Bt technology that could impact human and animal health and also on the environment. They fear Bt food could increase health risks and seriously affect the livelihood of farmers.

Bangalore would host a public consultation by the Ministry of Environment on January 25 on permitting Bt brinjal for commercial release.

A section of farmers in India and several civil society organisations are opposing introduction of Bt brinjal for commercial cultivation. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has now begun meeting them in a bid to remove their fears.

Indian BT industry to top USD 10 billion

Positive triggers would propel India’s biotech sector to become a USD ten billion industry by 2015, CMD of Biocon Ltd., Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, said on Tuesday.

The BT industry veteran expects the industry to grow to USD five billion by next year.

"By 2015, we expect it to become a size of USD ten billion", Mazumdar-Shaw told reporters.

India’s BT industry is at an inflexion point, has attained "critical mass" and created a platform that allows it to leapfrog and delivery exponential growth, she said.

"India is today becoming the vaccine capital of the world. Bio-manufacturing offers a huge potential and already there are indications that many global contract manufacturers announced they will be shifting their base from Europe to Asia. I think India will be one of the beneficiaries of that particular strategy", Mazumdar-Shaw said.

Clinical trials, agri-biotech and bio-fuels are becoming big opportunities for India, she said. "There are lot of growth drivers and trigger points which we think will deliver in the next five years".

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Bt Brinjal safe for humans, says science ministry

While the government is conducting nationwide public consultations on whether genetically modified brinjal should be commercially released, the science ministry Tuesday endorsed the product, calling it "safe for all".

"As science and technology ministry, we support the clearance of the expert group. It is safe for all," Science and Technology Minister P. Chavan said at the social editors' conference here.

"Thirty best scientists have cleared it and we stand by it. I am a health professional and let me tell that BT Brinjal is absolutely safe for all mammals," said M.K. Bhan, secretary in the department biotechnology.

"It's safe for the human body and it's safer technology," Bhan added.

This is the first time a ministry has openly supported the genetically modified product despite protests across the country.

"I don't know whether people will like the taste or not but it is safe for all humans. Let me also say that adopting this technology will help thousands of farmers," said Samir Bramhachari, chief of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex body of government-run research institutions.

In October last year, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) which is the government's biotech regulator approved the commercialisation of the genetically modified crop. Now the environment ministry has to decide if Bt Brinjal will be allowed for commercial use. On Jan 13 the ministry started a series of public consultations on the issue.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has now put the process on hold after three major brinjal producing states that account for nearly 60 percent of the produce refused to endorse the product. After West Bengal and Bihar, Orissa has opposed the commercialisation of Bt Brinjal. Earlier, the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had said they would not have Bt Brinjal in their states.

Green NGOs have strongly condemned the regulator's clearance. Global environmental activist group Greenpeace has said GEAC "mindlessly" gave its clearance "when informed scientists and citizens raised serious concerns on the nature of the safety studies".