Agri-biotech is 3rd largest in Indian biotech sector: USDA

Driven by the success of Bt Cotton, agricultural biotechnology is the third largest sector in the Indian biotech industry, with a turnover of Rs 1,940 crore in 2009-10, the US Department of Agriculture said.

"The adoption of Bt Cotton has encouraged the development of agricultural biotechnology into one of the fastest growing segments of the Indian biotech industry," USDA has said in its report on Indian Biotechnology sector

As per the report, agricultural biotechnology is now the third largest sector in the domestic biotech industry, with total revenues of Rs 1,940 crore in the 2009-10 fiscal, a 37 per cent growth over the previous fiscal.
    
Export revenue from agricultural biotechnology is estimated at Rs 58 crore in the last fiscal.
    
The total size of the domestic biotech industry is around Rs 14,200 crore ($3 billion) and pharmaceuticals is the largest sector in the segment accounting for 61 per cent followed by bioservices with 19 per cent share in it.
    
The report pointed out that Bt Cotton is well-documented success story in Indian agriculture after the 'Green Revolution' in wheat and rice crops in 1960's.
    
"Since the introduction of Bt Cotton in 2002, area under Bt Cotton has grown nearly 90 per cent of the total cotton area in 2009," USDA said, adding that the use of Bt Cotton has helped the country emerge as the second largest producer and exporter of cotton in the world.
    
Besides Bt Cotton, Indian private seed companies and public sector research institutions are working on the development of various biotech crops aiming at improving pest resistance, nutritional enhancement, drought tolerance and yeild enhancement qualities.