The Union Cabinet, while formally approving the setting up of the NABI, in the Knowledge City, had last month approved a budget of Rs 380 crore to be spent on the NABI for the next five years.

To be set up with Canadian help, the cluster will be built within two years from now, said a senior official in the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

Canadian experts from the NRC and other institutions will provide technical support and consultancy towards the designing of the cluster and will be on its advisory board as well.

The cluster, besides including NABI, will also have a Bio-processing Unit (BPU). Both NABI and BPU, to be locatsed in the Park, will be autonomous institutions under the Union Department of Biotechnology. NABI will work on innovative food processes and products keeping in view the present and future markets both within and outside the country.