In fulfillment of the Biotechnology Vision-2020, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has issued the National Biotechnology Development Strategy-2014 (Biotech Strategy II) to establish India as a world class bio-manufacturing hub for developing and developed markets.

Realizing that biotechnology has the potential to be a globally transformative intellectual enterprise of humankind, the Biotech Strategy II aims to provide impetus toward fulfillment of the potential for a new understanding of life processes and utilizing the knowledge and tools to the advantage of humanity. It also aims to launch a major, well-directed effort backed by significant investment for generation of biotech products, processes and technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, safety and cost-effectiveness of agriculture, food and nutritional security; affordable health and wellness; environmental safety; and bio-manufacturing.

The Strategy aims to empower, scientifically and technologically, India’s incomparable human resource and also to create a strong infrastructure for research, development and commercialization for a strong bioeconomy.

The 10 guiding principles that will drive the Strategy-II are build top-notch competence in technologies directly relevant to the growing bioeconomy; continue to provide strong support to basic, disciplinary and inter-disciplinary sciences; encourage use-inspired discovery research; increased investment in R&D directed in such a manner as to improve economic and social impact; promote connectivity in R&D through national or regional alliances; build world class translational capacity; strengthen regulation, accreditation, validation and standards; investing in world class human capital - nurture an outstanding workforce as well as leadership for R&D in both public sector and industry; strengthen institutional capacity with redesigned governance models; and create a matrix of measurement of process as well as outcome.

Earlier in September 2007, the DBT had announced the National Biotechnology Development Strategy -I. Through the strategy, biotechnology was recognized as a sunrise sector that needed focused attention. The cornerstone of the strategy was to focus on building coherence and connectivity between disciplines and bring together variegated skills across sectors to enhance synergy.

The Strategy-II is the direct result of formal and informal consultations over the past two years with over 300 stakeholders including scientists, educators, policy makers, leaders of industry and civil society, voluntary and non-government organizations, regulators, and international experts. The consultations offered an opportunity to discuss and evaluate technological, societal and policy aspirations, critical success factors as well as barriers that will impede growth and put them in newer and broader perspective and action plan. The consultations have resulted not only in identifying guiding principles that will drive Strategy-II but also in detailing the instruments through which these principles will be implemented.

Consultations with stakeholders have identified the 10 guiding principles that shall drive the renewed mission through Strategy-II and these can be applied to R&D, innovation and solution finding for scientific excellence in education, agriculture, health, energy, environment and bio-manufacturing.