Reaping
the benefits of biotechnology
Monsanto
India highlights the positive effects of using biogenetic seeds and
its successful impact on the global agricultural scenario
Monsanto
India highlights the positive effects of using biogenetic seeds and
its successful impact on the global agricultural scenario Reaping
the benefits of biotechnology This year marks the beginning of the
tenth consecutive year of large-scale commercial cultivation of transgenic
crops in multiple countries. A year ago, in 2004, biotech crops were
grown on 200 million acres in 17 countries including India, a significant
jump since the first commercialisation in 1996. Traditionally, Indian
biotechnology was confined to conventional biotechnology, but of late,
it is seeing the emergence of new age biotech products like vaccines,
diagnostics, pharmaceutical products and seeds. In India, major biotech
activities are confined to large pharmaceutical and agribusiness corporations.
Currently, there are very few small players involved in these. India
possesses the skill and talent for these sectors and is being eyed
by the west as a major resource for skilled manpower. Our expertise
in the fields of biochemistry, organic chemistry, biotechnology and
bio-informatics etc., is comparable to the best in the world.
The
setting up of the Department of Biotechnology in 1986 by the Government
of India was a major step towards the encouragement and development
of various biotech initiatives. This led to the establishment of world-class
R & D facilities in different sectors. In agriculture, top class
facilities were set up in different fields like entomology, disease
screening, plant genomics, DNA research, bioinformatics, etc. All
these are set up by the government as well as the private sector.
Evidently, there are several agricultural universities, government
and state departments who are actively involved in biotech research
in the country. Consequently, there are several agri and pharma biotech
products in the pipeline and it's only a matter of time before their
benefits could be realised. Another encouraging sign is the emergence
of biotechnology as a preferred educational and career option for
the new generation, perhaps only next to software.
contd...
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