Global Biotechnology Summit on “Destination India”

A two day Global Biotechnology Summit on “Destination India” will be held on 5th & 6th February 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event would showcase India’s Biotechnology strength and capacity. It would provide an opportunity to bring together all stakeholders to discuss opportunities, collaborations and to prepare a joint action plan for achieving the target of 100 billion US dollars for the Biotech sector by 2020.

The Summit will be held as a run up to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) celebrating its 30th Foundation Day on 26th February, 2016. The last 30th years, after the Department can into existence in 1986, have been crucial for the growth of Life Sciences and Biotechnology in the Country and DBT’s impact has been both national and global. To mark this event, a series of scientific activities including town-hall lectures, debates and other interactions with eminent scientists as well as overseas experts were organized in association with various autonomous institutes and star colleges. Contributions of key stakeholders – Individuals, Institutions (including Universities), Industry and Society are being show cased to mark the occasion. The Department is also making efforts to spread the message across the country and internationally on the impact which Life Sciences and Biotechnology have made on society. It also feels that this is an occasion to explore new opportunities and build new partnerships.

The Summit would also help attract investors and other key partners to invest in the biotech sector in India, in response to the call given by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for Make in India and for encouragement of the start-up ecosystem with a potential for scale-up. It would broadly focus on the priority themes – Make in India, Nurturing Bio entrepreneurship, Skill India, Biotech opportunities and action for Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat. Biotechnology cooperation, Biotechnology Innovation for inclusive development, Biotechnology and Society or other topics scheduled for panel discussions at Plenary talks during this Summit. These discussions are expected to help to align the goals of the biotech strategy with policies of State Governments and to prepare joint action plans. It will also help to create exciting opportunities for students and researchers by giving them an exposure to the best experts in the field.

About 1200-1500 participants are expected to attend the event including eminent scientists from national and international public and private sector organizations and universities. Delegations from State Governments, representatives and delegations from other countries with which DBT partners, students, research fellows, Biotech Start-up Entrepreneurs, policy-makers, Civil society and other stakeholders are to be the participants. In addition all DBT ex-secretaries would be present.