The Department of Biotechnology will be investing a massive amount of over Rs 1,800 crore in various projects it is involved over the next five years, said well informed sources. The money will be invested over various research, training and infrastructure projects for biotech infrastructure development.

Apart from the institutions under DBT, funding will be also done in training and biotech research across institutions like ICAR, ICMR, CSIR, DST, DAE, JNU, IITs, Bose Institute, and other Central & State Govt. supported laboratories. Investments in start-ups will also be encouraged.

Since its inception in 1985-'86, DBT has invested over Rs 1,300 crore, it is learnt.

"Almost 80 per cent of Rs 1,800 crore will be invested in activities concerning pharma and healthcare biotechnology. The balance will be invested in developing agro biotech," said sources.

Bioinformatics development will be given good emphasis. Creating Centres of Excellence (CoE) in the area of bio-informatics, developing human resources across institutions and promotion of industry-academia interaction will be other areas, which will receive adequate focus, said sources.

The setting up of a separate Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1986 gave a new impetus to the development of the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India. In more than a decade of its existence, the department has promoted and accelerated the pace of development of biotechnology in the country. Through several R&D projects, demonstrations and creation of infrastructural facilities, a clear visible impact of this field has been seen. The department has made significant achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry.

Investment Banker Rabo India has estimated the Indian biotech market at euro 400 million (Rs 2,200 crore). The US biotech market is estimated at $ 25 billion. According to Rabo India officials, biopharmaceuticals, bioinformatics and biotech services are going to catapult India forward over the next decade.

India, with its cost effective high quality manpower is seen as a seat of biotech research and manufacturing. "The agri-biotech industry will not expand to its potential in India on account of the public cry over the use of genetically modified crops," said a senior Rabo official.