The demand for bio-technology
products is projected to be around 50 billion dollars by 2010
and India’s share is estimated at about 8 percent of the total.
According to an industry
survey, the actual consumption of bio-tech products during 1999
was about 1.78 billion dollars and projected to grow up to 4.27
billion dollars by 2010 in India. The area-wise demand, will be
for human and animal health care products – 1.7 billion dollars;
agriculture including seeds – 1.4 billion dollars; industrial
products – 978 million dollars and other products – 145 million
dollars.
India has been making
concerted efforts to speed up research and development, application
and commercialisation of research leads. From Rs. 622 crore in
Ninth Plan (1997-2002), the 10th Plan outlay has been
more than doubled to Rs. 1450 crore. Further impetus has been
provided with the establishment of 62 bioinformatics centres,
25 state-of-the-art biotech facilities, Centres of Excellence
and 64 postgraduate teaching programmes, establishment of a National
Bioresource Development Board, new institutions like National
Brain Research Centre, National Centre for Plant Genome Research
and Institute of Bioresource and Sustainable Development in addition
to several other national laboratories in frontier areas of biology
and biotechnology.
Significant achievements
have been, obtained in research leads, transfer of technology,
large-scale demonstrations and commercialisation of products.
Vaccines, diagnostic kits, drug delivery systems and bioremediation
methods, tissue culture protocols, bio-fertilizers and biopesticides
are at various stages of development and commercialisation.
