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India is emerging as a major player in the global biotechnology scenario.
In 2003-2004 the Indian Biotechnology Industry witnessed accelerated growth of 39% and accounted for 1.5% of the global biotechnology sector of US$ 46 billion. The turnover of Indian Biotechnology Industries during 2003-04 was US$ 705 million of which 56% was from Exports. Indian Biotechnology companies have made significant inroads into overseas generic markets. 17 Indian Biotech products are already in the market.
The National Science and Technology Policy of the Government and the Vision Statement on Biotechnology issued by the Department of Biotechnology have directed notable interventions in the public and private sectors to foster life sciences and biotechnology.
In the area of Agriculture, the emphasis of R&D activities has been on improving productivity of crops, reducing losses due to biotic and abiotic stresses and improving nutritional quality of food crops, through marker aided selection and transgenics. Biofertilizer and biopesticide formulations have been developed and commercialized. India is one of the 14 Mega Countries growing more than 50,000 ha transgenics crop, though the area is very small 1% of global area. (0.5 mha) as compared to US which occupies 59% global area (47.6 mha).
In the area of healthcare, the thrust has been on the development of new vaccines and diagnostics for major diseases affecting the human population and livestock. The new generation vaccines, diagnostic kits and therapeutics developed are likely to effect a major shift in the healthcare strategy for prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases. New vaccines/constructs have been developed indigenously and are in clinical trials. Some examples are rota-viral vaccine for childhood diarrhoea, vaccines for cholera, anthrax, rabies and malaria. A number of diagnostics for HIV, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis A and B and Dengue have been developed and transferred to the industry. Stem cell technology has begun to be used for the treatment of ocular and cardiac disorders.
The strong science base existing in the country has enabled its success in biotechnology. India has the 12th most successful biotechnology industry in the world as measured by number of companies. A recent report in 2004 by US Patent Office ranks India the first among developing countries in terms of patents issued in health biotechnology and third in terms of scientific publications in this sector.
The Department of Biotechnology, Government of India has laid special emphasis on Human Resource Development and supports post graduates/diplomas courses in different Universities across the country. In addition PhD and Postdoctoral fellowship programmes have also been supported to attract students/scientists for research in Biotechnology. For creating specialized human resource to meet the industrial needs, Industrial training programmes are supported for post graduate students. Mid carrier scientists are provided short term training courses. To encourage students to pursue their studies in Biotechnology, 25 biology scholarships are awarded each year to the top students of 10+2 CBSE. Overseas fellowships are provided for Post Doctoral research to scientists.
Bioinformatics, the convergence of information technology and biotechnology, which is the present day frontline discipline in science, has been attaining rapid developments in India. The Department of Biotechnology has a Biotechnology Information System Networking (BTISNet) programme established in almost all parts of the country through a dedicated network of computer and communication system connecting R & D Institutions and Universities in different parts of the country. Today the facility is directly accessed by more than 25000 registered users through 65 Bioinformatics Centers of the network. Besides, millions of users from all over the world have been logging to the network system.
International collaboration with developing and developed countries including countries of the South-east Asian Region are being promoted to foster partnerships in R&D and product and processes development. There are today ongoing bilateral cooperative programmes with 20 countries and multi-lateral cooperation in biotechnology under SAARC, ASEAN, G-15, etc.
The Indian Biotechnology sector has, over the last two decades, taken shape through a number of scattered and sporadic academic and industrial initiatives. The time is now ripe to integrate these efforts through a pragmatic National Biotechnology Policy. It is imperative that the principal architects of this sector along with other key stakeholders play a concerted role in formulating such a policy to ensure that we not only build on the existing platform but expand the base to create global leadership in Biotechnology by unleashing the full potential of all that India has to offer.
This is the time for investment in frontier technologies such as biotechnology. It is envisaged that clearly thought out strategies will provide direction and enable action by various stakeholders to achieve the full potential of this exciting field for the social and economic well being of the nation.
SK
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