Biotechnology Forums

The new govt's Make In India initiative will focus on the biotech industry as well, it seems.
I noticed some interesting and promising statistics on the website, with regard to investing in India's robust biotech industry:

• India is amongst the top 12 biotech destinations in the world and ranks third in the Asia-Pacific region.
  
• India has the second-highest number of USFDA–approved plants, after the USA.
  
• India adopted the product patent regime in 2005.
  
• Increasing government expenditure will augment the growth of the sector — the government aims to spend USD 3.7 Billion on biotechnology between 2012-17.
  
• India is the largest producer of recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine.
  
• 3rd biggest biotech industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
  
• 2nd highest number of USFDA–approved plants.
  
• USD 3.7 Billion to be spent on biotechnology from 2012-17.
  
• No. 1 producer of Hepatitis B vaccine recombinant.
  
• USD 4.3 Billion bio-economy by the end of 2013.
  
• USD 100 Billion industry by 2025.
  

The data is even more encouraging as the govt offers Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100% is permitted through the automatic route for greenfield and through the government route for brownfield, for pharmaceuticals.

Hope to see this initiative result in a more robust industry, creating opportunities for many. India needs a strong pool of engineers, scientists and biotech professionals to separ head the growth of this industry. More information on this can be found on the Make in India website. 

Any thoughts, ideas, criticisms are welcome.

My question is that where should we prefer to do our jobs? foreign or india?
because india is still developing in this fiend- will we be having enough facilitie for research and experts to guide graduates through?

Considering the current reality, India has developing this filed well so maybe we should improve our techniques in the stuff itself.-Creative Peptides

Nice information !

In India the condition of a biotech student is very poor, even after doing Ph.D., because in many government colleges, no vacancies of biotechnology (not as a subject). In pharma companies, they prefer B.Pharma and M.Pharma. Students have to work in marketing companies in very less amount. In higher studies no such good jobs. So please never suggest any one to this biotechnology subject.

(12-19-2015, 03:26 AM)prashantbt Wrote: [ -> ]In India the condition of a biotech student is very poor, even after doing Ph.D., because in many government colleges, no vacancies of biotechnology (not as a subject). In pharma companies, they prefer B.Pharma and M.Pharma. Students have to work in marketing companies in very less amount. In higher studies no such good jobs. So please never suggest any one to this biotechnology subject.

Hi Prashant,

Whereas I do understand your disappointment, I strongly disagree with your way of looking into the scenario. Life is always like this: NO ONE GETS A CELEBRITY BEGINNING. It's the beginning that's always difficult.

There are lakhs of IT students who are sitting unemployed (does that mean that IT is a bad field to jump into?).
There are huge number of civil engineering and mechanical engg people sitting at homes (does that make the field a bad one??)

At the same time, there are thousands of B.Tech, BSc, MSc, M.Tech passed people working in Biocon, Wockhardt, Praj, Nestle (and the names have no limit) who got there either right from their campuses or through some smart decision making "of earning an experience by joining a  "Low Paying" but related research project" and then joining the big firms (because BIG FIRMS DO LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE). Now are they out of this world? No, they were either from good colleges (which is also to their credit for smart work to get there) or they accepted the fact that they need to accept a low paying job to begin their journey to a better future ahead.

No one, (on an average basis) either from CS/IT/CIVIL/MECH/ELEC/BIOTECH gets a super job to begin with. Beginnings are always modest, what to make out of rest of your career is always dependent upon your vision for your career. One needs to plan to get to a position, nothing comes served to one's platter.

India has one of the largest employment in Biotech in entire world, because our country is crowded with Pharma companies (to serve generic drugs to the developing, middle class population), it is crowded with Food and Beverage companies (to feed the nation), it is crowded with Research Labs in all fields of Life Sciences (you will find a commercial research lab as well an academic research lab in almost every city!!), even IT companies are hiring Bioinfo people these days (I am Biochemical guy working in Computational Biosciences group of an MNC)! Point is that, there are plenty of opportunities, but they are not ready to serve. One needs to earn them. And the right way of earning a good job is: a) Work smart for getting admission to a good school or b) Work smart to join a low paying (even for free I would say), lab/company that suits your field and then use your experience and talent to crack the interview of the big firms (there are plenty of walkins for experienced candidates in every company).

In my circle, everyone is settling for a nice career despite a low level beginning. None of them started their career vehicle at 100 kmph, but yes they have reached a modest 60 by now  (2-3 years after beginning).

My point is: Don't curse the field. It exists because it has huge potential. There are people who are working in this field, and that's precisely the reason this field is going on. Don't just blindly add degrees to your resume. If getting a job is your priority, start working on it right after your undergraduate degree. Adding a pile of degrees/ qualifications won't help (unless you vouch for a better school for getting higher education).

There is this paradox existing in this field--People keep studying till PhD and then apply for jobs for which they are "Over-qualified" (companies have a policy of considering only Undergrads or post grads for a set of jobs, for which PhDs are obviously not going to be considered). It's an irony that Biotech is trending towards having huge numbers of PhDs every year and reason for that being the fear of not getting  a job after Undergraduate/Post grad studies (please shed your fears, if you wish for a job, try harder for a year for the same, you will get it!).

I hope I conveyed my thoughts on this to some extent. Having said that, all these thoughts are my personal opinion and I firmly believe in it.

Nutshell: There are plenty of opportunities, but nothing will be served easy.

Best wishes

Sunil

hello sunil sir.....my self issral khan from jaipur in b.tech 5th sem....so i wanna go aboard so give me information. that how i can get it...what type of exams i have to done

(12-19-2015, 04:21 PM)SunilNagpal Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-19-2015, 03:26 AM)prashantbt Wrote: [ -> ]In India the condition of a biotech student is very poor, even after doing Ph.D., because in many government colleges, no vacancies of biotechnology (not as a subject). In pharma companies, they prefer B.Pharma and M.Pharma. Students have to work in marketing companies in very less amount. In higher studies no such good jobs. So please never suggest any one to this biotechnology subject.

Hi Prashant,

Whereas I do understand your disappointment, I strongly disagree with your way of looking into the scenario. Life is always like this: NO ONE GETS A CELEBRITY BEGINNING. It's the beginning that's always difficult.

There are lakhs of IT students who are sitting unemployed (does that mean that IT is a bad field to jump into?).
There are huge number of civil engineering and mechanical engg people sitting at homes (does that make the field a bad one??)

At the same time, there are thousands of B.Tech, BSc, MSc, M.Tech passed people working in Biocon, Wockhardt, Praj, Nestle (and the names have no limit) who got there either right from their campuses or through some smart decision making "of earning an experience by joining a  "Low Paying" but related research project" and then joining the big firms (because BIG FIRMS DO LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE). Now are they out of this world? No, they were either from good colleges (which is also to their credit for smart work to get there) or they accepted the fact that they need to accept a low paying job to begin their journey to a better future ahead.

No one, (on an average basis) either from CS/IT/CIVIL/MECH/ELEC/BIOTECH gets a super job to begin with. Beginnings are always modest, what to make out of rest of your career is always dependent upon your vision for your career. One needs to plan to get to a position, nothing comes served to one's platter.

India has one of the largest employment in Biotech in entire world, because our country is crowded with Pharma companies (to serve generic drugs to the developing, middle class population), it is crowded with Food and Beverage companies (to feed the nation), it is crowded with Research Labs in all fields of Life Sciences (you will find a commercial research lab as well an academic research lab in almost every city!!), even IT companies are hiring Bioinfo people these days (I am Biochemical guy working in Computational Biosciences group of an MNC)! Point is that, there are plenty of opportunities, but they are not ready to serve. One needs to earn them. And the right way of earning a good job is: a) Work smart for getting admission to a good school or b) Work smart to join a low paying (even for free I would say), lab/company that suits your field and then use your experience and talent to crack the interview of the big firms (there are plenty of walkins for experienced candidates in every company).

In my circle, everyone is settling for a nice career despite a low level beginning. None of them started their career vehicle at 100 kmph, but yes they have reached a modest 60 by now  (2-3 years after beginning).

My point is: Don't curse the field. It exists because it has huge potential. There are people who are working in this field, and that's precisely the reason this field is going on. Don't just blindly add degrees to your resume. If getting a job is your priority, start working on it right after your undergraduate degree. Adding a pile of degrees/ qualifications won't help (unless you vouch for a better school for getting higher education).

There is this paradox existing in this field--People keep studying till PhD and then apply for jobs for which they are "Over-qualified" (companies have a policy of considering only Undergrads or post grads for a set of jobs, for which PhDs are obviously not going to be considered). It's an irony that Biotech is trending towards having huge numbers of PhDs every year and reason for that being the fear of not getting  a job after Undergraduate/Post grad studies (please shed your fears, if you wish for a job, try harder for a year for the same, you will get it!).

I hope I conveyed my thoughts on this to some extent. Having said that, all these thoughts are my personal opinion and I firmly believe in it.

Nutshell: There are plenty of opportunities, but nothing will be served easy.

Best wishes

Sunil

hello sir..!
I am persuing m.sc in biotechnology . what steps should i follow at thiis stage to have good carreer in this ? so that i can prove myself to have right choice of the subject.

one question is that does the institute affects the oppurtunities.....or only the quality of the person.

sir yet.....u didt my question 's answer

n m agree. with ds.............n i luv biotechnoloy.........n 1 more to prashant.....LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.....