The government has approved the setting up of a National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research (NARF) for breeding animals required for research and development of various products.

The facility will be set up at Genome Valley in Hyderabad by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at an estimated cost of Rs 338.58 crore. The resource centre is expected to be functional by 2018-19.

The centre will be developed as a facility for breeding and housing of animals such as primates and transgenic and knockout rodents required for testing of various R&D products.

The centre will create, develop and provide access to a range of laboratory animals and related technological resources for advancement of biomedical research in the country to facilitate research in medical colleges, research and academic institutions, universities and biotech/bio-pharma companies.

The state government has allotted 102.69 acre of land at Genome Valley in Hyderabad free of cost to ICMR to set up NARF.