When India came out with its Covid 19 vaccine, Covaxin, the entire world sat up and took notice, as the country joined an exclusive club of the first Covid 19 vaccine producers of the world. Credit goes to our scientists who were able to bring out the vaccine in a short spell of time.
However, not all know that a now-retired IAS officer also had an indirect hand in the vaccine production, as he was the man behind the establishment of Genome Valley, the production hub of Covaxin. It was because of his efforts that the Valley was set up in Hyderabad, and, notably, India’s first indigenous Covid 19 vaccine was developed and produced in Bharat Biotech’s facilities inside it.
He is 1983-batch IAS officer B.P. Acharya, and he had facilitated the creation of 20 world-class industrial clusters in undivided Andhra Pradesh and, later, in Telangana. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Acharya shared details about these projects.
WORLD-CLASS INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS
Mr. Acharya, who retired from service in 2020, is currently an Advisor to ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) for the National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research (NARFBR). He played a major role in the development of 20 World Class Industrial Clusters in undivided Andhra Pradesh and, later on, in Telangana, which are providing direct and indirect employment to over 40 lakh people today!
These clusters are:
- Genome valley
- L&T Infotech (Hitec City)
- Raheja Mindspace
- Financial District and IT Cluster
- Hyderabad Knowledge city
- Aerospace cluster
- Hardware Park
- Pharma Formulation SEZ
- Brandix India Apparel Park
- AP Multi Product SEZ
- JN Pharma City
- IT Park, Madhurawada
- Sri City SEZ
- Apache Footwear SEZ
- Mambattu Industrial Park
- Naidupeta SEZ
- Granite SEZ
- Hindupur Industrial Park
- Bobbili Industrial Park
- L&T IT Park
Encouraged by proactive leadership in the states, Mr. Acharya was able to contribute not only to allotting land for these projects, but also in facilitating basic infrastructures such as water supply, uninterrupted power supply, and road connectivity. He was involved in these projects right since their conception and made them successful through his contribution.
“During my 37 years career in IAS, I was fortunate to be posted in the industrial sector for nearly a decade, from March 2001-Dec 2009. It was indeed a satisfying and challenging period in my career with tenures as Secretary, Industries & Commerce (2001-2004) and CMD APIIC (2005-2009), which helped me to facilitate at least 20 world-class industrial clusters which have created as many as 40 lakhs jobs, directly and indirectly,” he told Indian Masterminds.
ENABLING REVERSE MIGRATION
Notable among the clusters are Sri City and Brandix Apparel City, which have turned out to be models worthy of emulation. Sri City is inducing reverse migration at a time when there is an increased exodus of people from villages to urban areas.
Spread over a 100 sq. km area, Sri City comprises a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a Domestic Tariff Zone, Free Trade Warehousing Zone, and an Electronic Manufacturing Cluster. It changed the lives of people in the once backward Nellore district.
Today, the cluster is providing innumerable employment opportunities with a scope to earn more in one’s mother district compared to jobs in larger cities. This is the reason why rural educated and aspiring youth and even the unschooled and unskilled ones, who were earlier forced to leave their villages in search of livelihood in towns and cities, are now returning to Sri City.
“For Sri City, we worked with promoter Ravi Sanareddy, who was keen to create a manufacturing hub, right from the planning stage. With his help, we could acquire over 6,000 acres near Chennai at a vantage point abutting the national highway. We visited Shenzhen and Shanghai together to emulate the Chinese models to make it a ‘factory of the world’. That dream is fulfilled today to a large extent, and it’s a shining example of ‘Make in India’,” Mr. Acharya said.
STAR CLUSTERS
Sri City is providing employment to all classes of people, irrespective of their qualifications. Today, uneducated men and women are also working here and earning a respectful livelihood for themselves. Industrialization and concomitant employment brought about by the cluster have also wiped out the crime and illegal activities from the surrounding villages completely.
While Sri City is one of the best multi-product SEZs in the country today, which has attracted over 90 MNCs to provide direct employment to over 50,000 persons, Brandix, with 25000 workers, is the best modern apparel cluster in the country.
“We could achieve similar success in other important clusters such as Aerospace cluster in Adibhatla, a global hub for aerospace manufacturing, with the presence of all top players such as Boeing, Airbus, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, etc. Similar clusters like Pharma SEZ in Jadcherla and Ramky Pharma city in Visakhapatnam have also generated significant employment,” Mr. Acharya told Indian Masterminds.
MILESTONES AND ACCOLADES
Another recent feather to his cap is the production of Biological E Vaccine, Corbevax, which also came out from Genome Valley, just like Covaxin. This vaccine is allowed for kids from 12-14 years of age, whereas kids from 15-18 years of age can receive shots of Covaxin.
Another noteworthy achievement for the officer is that the Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS), launched by the Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, rated Sri City in the ‘leaders’ category, making it the only park from South India to get this rating. It was also recognized as one of the Top 14 Performing Private Industrial Parks.
For his determined contribution to All India Biotech Associations (AIBA) and Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA), the senior IAS officer has been conferred with FABA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Commenting on it, he said, “Proud of my role in facilitating these world-class clusters and happy when it is recognized, as was done by FABA recently. All in all, my experience in creating these clusters was truly a labour of love to look back upon with a sense of pride.”
