Head: Pharma to security, innovation park to have it all
Strap: Focus group finalises key areas forming part of the research park

Ninad Siddhaye

The proposed innovation park conceived by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) will focus on areas ranging from pharma industry to internal security and digital media. In a meeting of the vision group established by the authority on Tuesday, the expert members finalised these key areas which will be included in a report to be submitted by the group within three months.
According to metropolitan commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad, identifying key areas has been a major step of the vision group. "We have identified Pharma, nano, bio-technology, functional foods, biopolymer, micro electronics and embedded systems, perfumes and aromatic compounds, water technologies, clean technologies, green energy, fuel cell, efficient lighting, defence and internal security, digital media and health," he said.
Gaikwad informed that the vision group will mull over these key areas and will submit a report in three months. "This will help in understanding the roles of various stake holders such as the state government, investors, scientists, developers etc. There are also other issues such as legal patenting, insurance, security — not only for the infrastructure, but also for intellectual properties," said Gaikwad.
The innovation park would also have an international convention centre, international research university, Asia centre, business incubator, design institute, language centre etc. The ambiance of the innovation park would be conducive for nurturing innovation and creativity and will have centres for fine arts, music culture, sculptures, museum, etc. It will also host several national and international festivals. This would help Maharashtra to become a global destination for scientific conventions.
The innovation park would create nearly one lakh of jobs related to science and nearly 8 lakh jobs for allied services. Various ministries like human resource development, ministry of small and medium enterprises, science and technology, health, agriculture, food, non-conventional energy, urban development, finance and industries etc. would be key stakeholders of the park.