INDUSTRY WATCH: BIOTECHNOLOGY
THE SKILL GAP DENIES MOST GRADUATES EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA
INDIA IS DESTINED TO POSITION ITSELF AS A LEADING GLOBAL INNOVATION HUB FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY,WRITES KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW,CMD,BIOCON
The biotechnology sector in India has sustained its growth momentum over the years,despite a challenging environment.It is currently valued at about $11 billion.It is estimated that enabling policies can create a favourable business environment capable of generating biotech revenues of US $100 billion by 2025.The presence of a large pool of English speaking scientific and engineering talent and an educated technical workforce has allowed the home-grown biotech sector to deliver cost competitive R&D and manufacturing,thus propelling India ahead of many other nations.
However,currently,there is a growing skill deficit in the biotech sector.So far,our academic institutes have focused on developing a large number of science graduates and biotech engineers.While they have basic chemistry and biology skills,they lack the attributes that will make them employable in the life sciences industry.Most of these graduates have academic learning but very little perspective on real-life business situations.This puts life sciences companies at a disadvantage as they have to invest a considerable amount of time,money and effort in training freshers.
Today,the rapid advancement in the world of science is leading to an increased demand for highly-skilled bio-scientists and bioengineers.We need to push the boundaries of genetic engineering in order to find innovative applications across a diverse cross section of industries.Furthermore,synthetic biology is gaining great prominence in developing new diagnostics,novel vaccines and drugs and a number of value-added nutritional and food ingredients.
Another evolving field of study is the area of bio-markers and companion diagnostics,which is the future of new medicine that will personalise therapy and optimise the benefits of biotech drugs.DNAbased biometrics is another promising field of study.It can far outweigh the benefits of retinal and fingerprinting technologies of today and emerge as the most reliable identification technology of the future.The talent shortage is mainly in high-skill roles.The skills gap denies most graduates employment opportunities at over 500 biotech companies in India.On an average,300-500 hopefuls apply for a new biotechnology-related job vacancy but most of them get rejected as they are not industry-ready.
Many Indian biotech students,who are committed and can also afford the fee choose to go abroad for higher studies,while the rest apply for jobs in biotech and pharma companies or universities and research institutes in India.However,only a handful find the employment of their choice.A majority is forced to take up underpaid marketing and administrative roles in sectors like the KPOs.
The need of the hour is to equip students not only with theoretical skills but also help them specialise in their chosen field of biotechnology through a multidisciplinary project-oriented approach that encompasses practical training on sophisticated laboratory instrumentation.
INDIA IS DESTINED TO POSITION ITSELF AS A LEADING GLOBAL INNOVATION HUB FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY,WRITES KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW,CMD,BIOCON
The biotechnology sector in India has sustained its growth momentum over the years,despite a challenging environment.It is currently valued at about $11 billion.It is estimated that enabling policies can create a favourable business environment capable of generating biotech revenues of US $100 billion by 2025.The presence of a large pool of English speaking scientific and engineering talent and an educated technical workforce has allowed the home-grown biotech sector to deliver cost competitive R&D and manufacturing,thus propelling India ahead of many other nations.
However,currently,there is a growing skill deficit in the biotech sector.So far,our academic institutes have focused on developing a large number of science graduates and biotech engineers.While they have basic chemistry and biology skills,they lack the attributes that will make them employable in the life sciences industry.Most of these graduates have academic learning but very little perspective on real-life business situations.This puts life sciences companies at a disadvantage as they have to invest a considerable amount of time,money and effort in training freshers.
Today,the rapid advancement in the world of science is leading to an increased demand for highly-skilled bio-scientists and bioengineers.We need to push the boundaries of genetic engineering in order to find innovative applications across a diverse cross section of industries.Furthermore,synthetic biology is gaining great prominence in developing new diagnostics,novel vaccines and drugs and a number of value-added nutritional and food ingredients.
Another evolving field of study is the area of bio-markers and companion diagnostics,which is the future of new medicine that will personalise therapy and optimise the benefits of biotech drugs.DNAbased biometrics is another promising field of study.It can far outweigh the benefits of retinal and fingerprinting technologies of today and emerge as the most reliable identification technology of the future.The talent shortage is mainly in high-skill roles.The skills gap denies most graduates employment opportunities at over 500 biotech companies in India.On an average,300-500 hopefuls apply for a new biotechnology-related job vacancy but most of them get rejected as they are not industry-ready.
Many Indian biotech students,who are committed and can also afford the fee choose to go abroad for higher studies,while the rest apply for jobs in biotech and pharma companies or universities and research institutes in India.However,only a handful find the employment of their choice.A majority is forced to take up underpaid marketing and administrative roles in sectors like the KPOs.
The need of the hour is to equip students not only with theoretical skills but also help them specialise in their chosen field of biotechnology through a multidisciplinary project-oriented approach that encompasses practical training on sophisticated laboratory instrumentation.
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