The Rs 100-crore (Rs 1 billion) DuPont Knowledge Centre in Hyderabad, being set up by global science-based products and services company DuPont, will focus on molecular biology, bio-informatics and polymer synthesis, besides prime crops such as corn and soyabean. The foundation stone for the centre was laid today by chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
"The global demand for agricultural crops is very strong. We have the science to help farmers and this research centre is going to help us do that faster," Richard Goodmanson, chief operating officer of DuPont, told mediapersons.
The DKC is being set up on 15 acres in the ICICI Knowledge Park. This will be the sixth DuPont R&D facility outside the US.
The centre, which will include biotechnology laboratories, materials research laboratories, engineering design centre, high-end information technology capabilities, will also house the company's first plant biotech research centre outside the US.
According to Goodmanson, 20 DuPont crop genetics scientists had already begun working out of leased facilities near the project site. The company expects the number of crop genetics scientists on site to grow to nearly 100 by this year-end.
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