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

“India has the potential to emerge as the world’s top industry destination in biotechnology sector.

- 

India has the expertise and the biotechnology sector has witnessed exponential growth in recent decades. 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,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

Addressing the Inaugural function of the 3-day Global Bio-India (GBI) Summit, 2019 in New Delhi on November 21 Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the Prime Minister of India has set a target of making India the top country in Science & Technology by 2030. As compared to 5 per cent growth in scientific publications worldwide, India has notched a growth of 14 per cent in this sphere.

“We have developed a number of vaccines and the rotavirus vaccine is now a part of the National Immunization programme, besides our laboratories have also produced vaccines 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.

The minister further said that 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, and as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has aimed, we will make a “New India” by 2022 and finally we aim to be the world leader, “Vishwa Guru”.