THE WAY TO SERVE
A BILLION
Lalit
Sethi*
India has silently
been engaged for over two decades to enhance the potential of
biotechnology in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, oceans and a number
of other areas to add quality to the life of its billion citizens.
Biotechnology may not, on the face of it, be as exotic as the
frontiers of space but it is something that can negate the prophets
of doom. The doom sayers may not be off the mark when they talk
of an overcrowded planet earth with six billion people and their
ever-increasing numbers causing destruction and playing havoc
with life. Yet biotechnology offers new hope of reversing the
self-destructive tendencies, visible to many and setting nations
of the world on a new path of progress.
Biotechnology
may or may not be concerned with the development of the magic
pill or capsule that could concentrate in it a day’s nourishment.
But it is definitely on the path of doubling or tripling farm
production, curing what may now appear to be incurable diseases
including HIV, AIDS and non-chemical pesticides with no harmful
elements in them. It is involved in not just organic foods or
chemicals-free seafoods, but also in making arid or flooded zones
productive. It is also concerned with diminishing pain and generating
medications, drugs and pharmaceuticals with the least side effects.
To begin with these could be expensive but over a time frame and
with tax incentives and tax breaks, they could be cost-effective.
Biotechnology also seeks to develop safe preservatives
to increase the shelf life of many products and push expiry dates
farther away. These elements are all parts of India’s BT Vision
2010, launched two years ago by the Prime Minister, Shri Atal
Bihari Vajayee. India’s increasing strengths were forcefully brought
out at a seminar a few weeks ago in Washington : "Biotechnology
in India: Emerging Opportunities for Partnerships". It was
pointed out that biotech in India was expected to grow by 40 per
cent every year with a 70 per cent increase in exports. At present
there are 110 biotech units in health care, 140 units in agriculture
and 300 units in industrial and other biotech products sector
concentrated in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow and New Delhi
which are becoming India’s biotech hubs.
Twenty-two Indian
delegates took part in the Washington seminar and disclosed that
the number of biotech units was expected to double in the next
three years from 550 to more than 1100. The purpose of the seminar
was to dispel misconceptions in the USA about investment and business
prospects. It sought to demonstrate specific opportunities available
in India and show that India is a good destination for research,
development and production of biotech goods – as has been appreciated
in the area of information
technology. The biotech growth could be so substantial in the
next few decades that it might overtake information technology
in view of the projects in hand and strong initiatives by the
government and private sector, especially in view of he large
pool of skilled manpower. The Indian biotech sector employs 25,000
scientists for research and development. India’s English- speaking
skills are evident from three million graduates, 7 lakh post-graduates
and 1,500 Ph.Ds in bio-sciences and engineering every year. These
advantages are available to the world community.
It is well known
that India offers the cheapest drugs to combat HIV/AIDS and a
number of countries in Africa and Asia prefer to buy Indian formulations
which are affordable and not as expensive as the products of the
multinational corporations. A globally competitive diagnostic
kit for AIDS made in India costs Rs. 20 whereas the imported ones
cost several dollars. As the HIV strain prevailing in India has
been identified, work on an anti-AIDS vaccine is in an advanced
stage of development. A vaccine to treat leprosy, developed by
India, is the first of its kind in the world. Asmon, a cheap effective
herbal remedy for asthma patients, has no side effects. It is
popular in India and has high export potential.
India’s contribution
in a ten-nation international effort to sequence the rice genome
has received world-wide acclaim. India and Switzerland have now
taken up joint research on Golden Rice, a pro-vitamin A rich variety
of rice.
Commercial production
of the genetically modified BT Cotton has been successful. Modified
tobacco, tomato, potato, brinjal, mustard, cauliflower and cabbage
are undergoing field trials.
The Government
of India’s Biotechnology Department provides financial assistance
to a number of universities for advanced research in biotechnology.
The Council of Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR) is also
engaged in commercializing a number of biotech products developed
by its laboratories in Pune, Goa and elsewhere. The Indian Council
of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which oversees the work of more
than 80 universities and institutes is engaged in biotechnology
in field trials and dissemination of its benefits to the farmers.
To allay fears
about the intellectual property rights (IPR), the Government is
evolving fiscal and regulatory policies to promote capital-intensive
research and manufacturing. The Indian biotech sector is committed
to World Trade Organisation (WTO) and trade-related intellectual
property rights (TRIPS). The patent protection laws have been
strengthened to enable drug companies to protect their products.
In this millennium
modern biology and biotechnology are the emerging sciences both
in the developing and developed countries. More and more young
people are attracted to these disciplines as a career option.
The entrepreneurs see biotech as profitable area for economic
and industrial growth. Research scholars delve deeply into the
fundamentals of life’s secrets at the cellular and molecular levels.
Biotechnology in India seeks to improve health, food, farming
and environment besides contributing to energy requirements of
the people. Several initiatives are being taken during the Tenth
Five Year Plan (2002-07). The focus is evident in research and
development projects in bio-resources including genomics, molecular
medicines, vaccines, bio-instrumentation, bio-fuels, bio-informatics
and nutritional security. Efforts have been made to ensure synergy
among researchers, academics, industries and policy makers for
public welfare.
A number of countries
perceive India as a good place for bilateral cooperation in biotechnology
as excellent infrastructure is available here. The setting up
of an Indo-Asian biotechnology network, an Indo-Singapore Biotechnology
Park and Bio-Informatics Centre in Mauritius underline India’s
interest in international cooperation. A bio-diversity information
system has also been developed. Bangalore’s Butterfly Park serves
as a hub for research education and tourism.(PIB Features)
*Senior
Freelance Writer
