Indian biotechnology sector has crossed the $ 3 billion milestone and is growing at the rate of more than 30% over the last few years.

There seems to be a quite confidence among the stakeholders that have given the present trend, the goal of reaching $ 7 billion by 2010. There is also general feeling that even the target of attaining $ 20 billion turn by 2020 is well within the realm of our capabilities.

India in recent times have overlook China both in terms of number in clinical trials and value. The leaders of the Indian biotech sectors are well aware that the cost advantage which has served India in the past will not last long and only a sound and effective utilization of novel biotechnology platforms will help us to keep pace in the knowledge era. The Indian government has been very supportive to the Biotech sector and the National Biotechnology Development Strategy has been approved.

A new patent regime is in place and the regulatory system is being beefed up. The public involvement in biotech investments have been reinforced through the small business innovation research initative of Department of Biotechnology.

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The Department of Biotechnology has also committed to spend 30% of its budget on public- private partnership programmes. By the end of 11th Plan however the Eleventh related to biotechnology would emphasized on the need for buttressing higher education, establishing 16 new national level universities, 8 new Indian Institute of Technology and 4 new Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research Several new interface structures to link academic with industry so as to bridge the knowledge to market chain.

Biotechnology which is the industrial use of micro-organism, living plant and animal cells to produce substances beneficial to the people. Biotechnology encompasses the manufacture of antibiotics, vitamins, vaccines toxic waste disposal using bacteria etc. But the major areas of biotechnology applications are

(i) Agriculture:

Biotechnology has revolutionized research activities in agriculture which include tissue culture in plants, creation of new transgenic plants, transgenic animals which eventually used as bio- reactors to produce drug from their milk, flood etc. Genetic engineering methods accelerate improvement in plants by increasing the diversity of gene pool. It has also helped in production of such plants which have short maturing period and high yielding varieties. Biotechnology has also helped to production of such plants that have potential to promote food production in adverse conditions like drought, salinity etc.

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(ii) Biofertilizers:

In India, The National Facility for Blue-Green Algal Collection at Indian Agricultural Research Institute has come up with an inexpensive algal biofertilizer technology for rice.

(iii) Animal Husbandry:

The application of biotechnology in production of physiological system, embryos transfer, importing health and well being of animals has assumed a great significance. Recently at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal scientists have developed a procedure for producing several identical buffalo. Calves from a single embaryo by using the nuclear transfer technique.

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(iv) Human Health:

Biotechnology has enabled the production of human insulin through microbes, human growth harmone etc. Another area in the medical field influenced by biotechnology is diagnostic kits to diagnose viral infections, hepatitis B etc.

(v) Waste Elimination:

Biotechnology applications have been successfully made in the treatment of wastes. A notable achievement was made when the Indian borne Anand Chakraborty deigned a bacterium Pseudomonas putida that could feed on oil- this is of great economic and environmental importance in the battle against oil slicks.

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(vi) Industry:

In Industrial sector biotechnology has been used for the production of high fructose corn syrup, sweetening agent for soft drinks, chancing the production of alcohol, production of chemical from agri waste etc.

(vii) Environment:

A special bacterium to eat away oil spilling by digesting hydrocarbon has been developed by the use of biotechnology. Biotechnology has also helped to develop organism’s sons to act as bio- indicators to indicate levels of pollution in the environment.