India is striving forward to become an
international player in the life science field, backed by the recent economic
growth and the willingness to add biotechnology to its portfolio.
Biotechnology has a great potential to uplift the
rate of economic growth and is an essential constituent of India's national
health agenda. After realizing the importance of the role of biology in
economic growth, the Indian Government is taking various initiatives to expand
as well as start new research centers which will bring forth new opportunities
in the field of biotech researches. It is also providing funds for state-of-art
equipment and facilities. India is steadily becoming a feasible center to carry
on biological researches and a hub for new firms. Even foreign academic
institutions and universities are planning to take up collaborations with
Indian institutions. India's steps in life sciences field are small, but
steady, compared to the large population. Majority of the high-level researches
in India are pursued at approximately 15 institutes and few universities. The
major centres that are carrying forward this development include:
Institutes
|
Location & Year Institute Opened
|
FacultyNumber
|
Junior Faculty
|
Women Faculty
|
PhDStudents
|
Postdocs
|
All-Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Basic
Science Depts.
|
New Delhi, 1956
|
85
|
39
|
42
|
278
|
∼40
|
Anna University, Center for Biotechnology
|
Chennai, 1993
|
12
|
5
|
5
|
100
|
5
|
Bose Institute, Dept. of Biochemistry
|
Kolkata, 1974
|
7
|
0
|
2
|
19
|
5
|
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB)
|
Hyderabad, 1977
|
53
|
10
|
9
|
150
|
20
|
Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI)
|
Lucknow, 1951
|
156
|
43
|
31
|
297
|
5
|
Delhi University, South Campus
|
New Delhi, 1988
|
33
|
12
|
9
|
137
|
26
|
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB)
|
Kolkata, 1935
|
75
|
12
|
20
|
190
|
21
|
Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB)
|
New Delhi, 2002 (1977)
|
49
|
15
|
14
|
100
|
1
|
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Division of
Biological Sciences
|
Bangalore, 1941
|
57
|
12
|
15
|
305
|
55
|
Indian Institute of Science Education & Research
(IISER), Biology, Kolkata
|
Kolkata, 2006
|
9
|
9
|
2
|
11
|
2
|
Indian Institute of Science Education & Research
(IISER), Biology, Pune
|
Pune, 2006
|
9
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
1
|
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Biosciences
& Bioengineering, Bombay
|
Mumbai, 1990
|
12
|
2
|
2
|
96
|
2
|
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Biosciences
& Bioengineering, Kanpur
|
Kanpur, 2001
|
10
|
9
|
1
|
65
|
2
|
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB)
|
New Delhi, 1988
|
34
|
8
|
5
|
101
|
44
|
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Life Sciences
|
New Delhi, 1970
|
68
|
38
|
21
|
250
|
25
|
National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
|
Bangalore, 1992
|
25
|
8
|
8
|
110
|
14
|
National Brain Research Center (NBRC)
|
Manesar, 2003
|
16
|
10
|
6
|
62
|
2
|
National Center for Cell Science (NCCS)
|
Pune, 1995 (1988)
|
29
|
7
|
7
|
137
|
3
|
National Institute of Immunology (NII)
|
New Delhi, 1986
|
47
|
13
|
11
|
130
|
30
|
Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Dept. of Biological
Sciences (TIFR-DBS)
|
Mumbai, 1962
|
16
|
6
|
5
|
46
|
5
|
Since the very onset, India is slowly but gradually
moving forward towards a well developed biotechnology sector, where the above
mentioned 15 premier organisations have a crucial role to play, which boast of
holding around 10-80 faculty members each. India’s progress is slow but its
seeds were planted even around the time of Independence in 1947 where this was one
of the national scientific agenda. Thus, it clearly depicts the historical
background for the scientific developments of the country and also a prospective
path it will take in the coming future.
In this
context, Independent India’s first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said, “It
is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of
insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening of custom and
tradition, of vast resources running to waste, or a rich country inhabited by
starving poor… Who indeed could afford to ignore science today? At every turn
we have to seek its aid… The future belongs to science and those who make friends
with science.”
Before the
formation of biology research Institutes, the premier Universities were centres
to much of India's best biology research. However, since the 1990s the research
Institutes have been highly favoured in research funding and faculty
recruitment, which has contributed to a two-decade decline in the stature of
the Universities. Currently, there are around more than 350 Indian Universities,
a great rise since Independence. Most are operated by State governments along
with a smaller number of Central Universities, and now also as private
Universities.
Just as the
nation is rising in economic and social stature, the progress in the biological
science sector is also going hand-in-hand. Many new initiatives and steps have
begun or are in the planning phase. Many of the major research institutes
(e.g., NCBS, CCMB, and TIFR [Dept. of Biological Sciences]) are or will soon be
setting-up new buildings on their premises, which will result in a manifold
increase of their faculty. Several new research Institutes also are being
planned. We are expecting an exponential rise in this sector of this industry.