There is a need for collaborative projects , teamwork , and connecting with experts to solve problems and challenges . The DBT fosters innovations and enterprises and is also striving to strategically nurture and strengthen the bio-economy .
Dr Rajesh Gokhale , Secretary , Department of Biotechnology
from the private sector and younger talents in the development and implementation of their policies . At the level of the union government , entrusting the co-ordination of innovation policies to a single office would avoid the current ‘ silo approach ’ to policy-making . Currently , every state is designing its own policies for areas such as biotechnology and information technology . They should also be encouraged to do more within the national framework , while focusing on local challenges . Moreover , rather than trying to invest across the board , states should focus on their own particular strengths .
As per Gaurav Kaushik , Managing Director & CEO , Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals , the research in biotech labs is undergoing a huge shift “ Personalized medicine and synthetic biology are contributing in a big way to the R & D programmes in India . The
Roadblocks
• Lack of expertise
• No experimentation
• Meagre funds for translation
• Closed for discussion
future trends will be all about better alternatives to the existing biopharmaceutical options .”
The future opportunities in biotech are expected to be driven by the country ’ s diverse population and climatic zones ; vast talented human capital pool ; increasing efforts for ease of doing business ; and continuously increasing demand for bioproducts . Although the number of startups has grown steadily since 2016 , these tend to be concentrated in the cities of Bangalore , Delhi , Hyderabad , Mumbai and Pune . To expand the horizons , more and more states should be encouraged to learn from one another .
Few of the challenges of R & D in biotech are the lengthy incubation time for product development and the requirement of an extensive clinical trials infrastructure , making it more expensive . Therefore , it is highly imperative for India ' s Innovation agenda to prioritize thriving industry-academia R & D synergies . Having said that , the hunger for innovation has to come from within the industry . One can argue about the lack of policies and funding but real innovation requires the intent and clear focus to solve the complex challenges . Is the industry listening ?
BIOVOICENEWS . COM 17