India has potential to emerge world leader in Biotechnology : Dr Vardhan

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi  : Union Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on November 21, 2019, said India has the potential to emerge as the world’s top industry destination in biotechnology sector. Addressing the Inaugural function of the 3-day Global Bio-India Summit, 2019 here, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said India has the expertise and the biotechnology sector has witnessed exponential growth in recent decades.

The Government has encouraged the sector by setting up hundreds of Biotechnology Parks and Incubators while thousands of Start-ups have been supported by the Government, he added. Dr Vardhan said the Prime Minister has set a target of making India the top country in Science & Technology by 2030. As compared to 5% growth in scientific publications worldwide, India has notched a growth of 14% in this sphere, he said. “We have developed a number of vaccine and the rotavirus vaccine is now a part of the National Immunisation programme, besides our laboratories have also produced vaccine against Dengue and Malaria. We are No.3 in Nanotechnology and our Tsunami Early Warning System has been ranked No.1 in the world,” he added, according to a PIB release.

Dr Vardhan said India plays a pioneering role in the UN sponsored Mission Innovation (MI) programme and is the leading country in three MI challenges on Smart Grids, Off-Grid Access to Electricity, and Sustainable Biofuels. He said we are a “Changed India” today, he said. He said Biotechnology serves mankind to move towards a biotechnology-led economy, transforming as many lives as possible, creating opportunities and promising development for all.  He encouraged young innovators and entrepreneurs in the Biotech sector to come forward for the development of the country. The Government of India will support and assist their ideas to make it a reality, Dr Vardhan added.

Speaking on the occasion, Petroleum & Natural Gas and Stee Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Government has set a target to achieve 20% ethanol blending of automotive fuels. “When we took charge ethanol blending was less than 1%, today it has increased to 6% and further we have targeted to achieve 20% ethanol blending,” he said. Pradhan said we are committed to work towards greater decarbonisation and make India a gas based economy.

Bio-energy will play an important role in this, he said. “Through innovations developed by our bio-energy scientists we are now working on utilising waste biomass by converting it into Biofuels. With 600 MT of biomass, which can be used as raw material, India remains the only country with highest scope for growth of Biofuels,”Pradhan added. “In future ethanol will be produced from raw materials like excess foodgrains to help transform our ‘Annadatas’ to ‘Urjadatas.” said Pradhan.

Pradhan said the Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry has instituted a Rs 300 crore Start-Up Fund. “I have advised my colleagues to have biofuels as a key focus area and provide stimulus to the industry by giving handholding support and offtake guarantee to new & emerging entrepreneurs in the Biofuel sector,” he said.

Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr Renu Swarup,  said the 3-day Biotechnology Summit will discuss roadmap to achieve $100 billion bio-eceonomy target. “We have scaled $51 billion already and the sector is growing at 14.7%. So the $100b target seems very modest,” she said.

Dr Vardhan and  Pradhan later inaugurated the Global Bio-India Exhibition.