Biotechnology in India: Four Decades of Human Resource Development: Challenges and the Road Ahead

Around the year 1982, the Government of India decided to focus on the newly emerging area of modern biology and biotechnology. This vision resulted in the creation of the National Biotechnology Board which later on became the Department of Biotechnology. At that point, the country had very few trained modern biotechnologists and they were scattered around some Indian Universities and National laboratories. It was decided to establish Biotechnology centres that were similar in concept to the IITs but differing in approach by identifying five already well established universities that had an ecosystem suitable for the growth of modern biotechnology. The National Biotechnology Strategies I, II, and III aimed to harness the potential of biotechnology as a premier precision tool for national development and well-being of society. The approach was to building and strengthening of the nationwide education, research, and translation ecosystem that would lead to India becoming Globally competitive. The New Education Policy (NEP 2020) has evolved to provide multiple entries and multiple exits in higher studies as the future jobs will require skilled workforce in a particular area of specialization rather than just a degree. The proposal of an 8 to 10-week internship as part of higher education allows the student to experience challenges in the career path. The World Economic Forum Report 2023 has suggested that the biotech sector should focus on big data analytics, climate change and environmental management technologies, and encryption and cybersecurity to not only protect innovation but also to incorporate these areas in biotechnology education. Empowering future biotechnologists in the areas of agriculture technologies, digital platforms and apps, e-commerce, digital trade, and AI will help them move forward in their careers. This article traces the evolution of the ecosystem to promote the workforce in biotechnology in India since 1982 and the role of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in providing the policy support and required approvals to recognize biotechnology as an industry.