Introduction

Biotechnology is one of the most revolutionary and beneficial scientific advances of the last quarter century. It is an interdisciplinary science including not only biology but also subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering and many more. It is also a conglomeration of various combined technologies applied to living cells for production of a particular product or enhancing its quality according to our preferences. Its application varies from agriculture to industry — food, pharmaceutical, chemical, bio-products, textiles, medicine, nutrition, environmental conservation, animal sciences etc., arguably making it one of the fastest growing fields.

 

Eligibility

Candidates having a background in science at the 10+2 level are eligible for the B.Tech course in biotechnology as well as the integrated M.Tech program at IIT Delhi.

Graduates in all sciences/engineering technology/medicine are eligible for the post-graduate course in biotechnology.

Admission to the integrated five year M.Tech program offered by IIT Delhi and Kharagpur is through the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE). The Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, also offers integrated M.Tech course.

In order to meet the long-term requirement of trained personnel in the multidisciplinary field of biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) also supports courses at postgraduate level in selected universities/ institutions.
In addition, DBT also supports two-year post-doctoral programs in four leading research institutions with the objective of training young scientists in frontier research areas of biotechnology and in advanced research methodologies.

One year post MD/MS training course in medical biotechnology covering areas like vaccines, therapeutic hormones and enzymes, immuno-diagnostics, gene therapy etc. is also supported by DBT in two institutions.

The total intake of students to these courses is around 400 per year.

 

Job Prospects

According to Subhas Reddy, vice-president, e4e Labs, forum like EPPIC will throw up tremendous scope for growth in biotech sector with the global market estimated to be $350 billion, of which India’s share is $2.5 billion, which is growing rapidly.

A biotechnologist may be absorbed in government institutes and organisations, such as DBT and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology at Thiruvananthapuram. A host of agriculture, dairy and horticulture institutes also exist which would employ biotechnologists.

Drug companies in biotechnology, like Dabur, Ranbaxy, Hindustan Lever, Dr Reddy’s Labs that have their R & D units and corporate sector would be another area, which have openings. There are ample opportunities available for biotechnologists in the food processing industry, chemical industry and the textile industry.

Some industries employ biotechnologists in their marketing divisions to develop business in sectors where their products would be required. There are many opportunities in government labs as well.

The major companies, which hire biotechnologists, are Hindustan Lever, Thapar Group, Indo American Hybrid Seeds, Bincon India Ltd., IDPL, Hindustan Antibiotics etc.

 

 
 

 

Where to apply

Following are some more prominent institutions of biotechnology, which offer graduate courses in the subjects :

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pant Nagar, UP

National Centre for Plant Genome Research, JNU, New Delhi

National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi

National Dairy Research Institute, Bangalore


The following universities also offer a B.Sc. in biotechnology:


Kakatiya University, Warangal (AP)

Osmania University, Hyderabad (AP)

Visva-Bharati, Birbhum (WB)

Madras University, Chennai (TN)