Biotechnology thrust areas in India

Pharmaceutical Market

The Indian pharmaceutical market is growing exponentially. In 1997 its value was a US $ 3 bn, and is expected to rise to US $9 bn by the year 2005. A study of the industry by Mckinsey predicts an innovation-led growth of US $ 25 bn by 2010. Vaccine market in 2001 was US $ 100 mn growing at 20%. Diagnostic market was US $ 200 mn in 2001.Biotherapeutics and diagnostics of which recombinant Hep B dominate medical biotech segment vaccine is the major product. Others include GCSF, EPO & Interferon Alpha 2b. The year 2003 is expected to see the launch of Human Insulin, Streptokinase, other vaccines and diagnostics.

Multinationals like Monsanto, Pfizer, Unilever, Dupont, Bayer, Eli-Lilly, Ranbaxy, Hoechst, Chiron-Boerhringer have set up their businesses in India.

Agribiotech

India is the second largest food producer after China, and thus offers a huge market for biotechnology products. Transgenics of rice,brassica, moonbean, pigeonpea, cotton, tomato and some vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower etc. are already into field trials.Some of these would be ready for large scale production by 2005. Protein-enriched wheat with a higher lysine content will be introduced in the farmer's field by 2003-2005. The nutraceuticals market is valued at Rs. 25000-30,000 mn (US $ 532-638 mn) presently in a study by Ernst and young. Genetically engineered seed market was worth an estimated $250 million from a total seed market worth US $ 500 million in 2001. Marine resource development and aqua culture also hold a great potential as India has more than 8000 kilometers of coastline.

Services

Due to the rising costs of R & D abroad, companies from the US and Europe are looking for contract research in India. India also offers a suitable population for clinical trials because of its diverse gene pools covering a large number of diseases.

The IT skill of Indian manpower also offer services in bioinformatics and data mining.

Centres of Excellence

Due to the concerted efforts of the Ministry for Science and Technology, a number of centers of excellence in the field have been created. These places have world-class infrastructure and brains. These centers are open for collaboration and also serve as amajor market for purchase of laboratory supplies and equipment. Some of these are: Plant Genomics Center, New Delhi, Center for Human Genetics, Bangalore, National Institute of Biologicals, New Delhi, Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, National Facility for Macromolecular Crystallography, BARC, Mumbai, National Facility for High Field NMR, TIFR, Mumbai Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, National Brain Research Center, New Delhi.