Studies of IDC points out that India will be a potential star in bioscience field in the coming years after considering the factors like bio-diversity, human resources, infrastructure facilities and government's initiatives. According to IDC, bioscience includes pharma, Bio-IT (bioinformatics), agriculture and R&D. IDC has been reported that the pharmaceutical firms and research institutes in India are looking forward for cost-effective and high-quality research, development, and manufacturing of drugs with more speed.
Bioinformatics has emerged out of the inputs from several different areas such as biology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, biostatics, and computer science. Specially designed algorithms and organized databases is the core of all informatics operations. The requirements for such an activity make heavy and high level demands on both the hardware and software capabilities.
This sector is the quickest growing field in the country. The vertical growth is because of the linkages between IT and biotechnology, spurred by the human genome project. The promising start-ups are already there in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi. There are over 200 companies functioning in these places. IT majors such as Intel, IBM, Wipro are getting into this segment spurred by the promises in technological developments.
Government initiatives
Informatics is a very essential component in the biotech revolution. Ranging from reference to type-culture collections or comparing gene sequences access to comprehensive up-to-date biological information, all are crucial in almost every aspects of biotechnology. India, as a hub of scientific and academic research, was one of the first countries in the world to establish a nation wide bioinformatics network.
The department of biotechnology (DBT) initiated the program on bioinformatics way back in 1986-87. The Biotechnology Information System Network (BTIS), a division of DBT, has covered the entire country by connecting to the 57 key research centers. BTIS is providing an easy access to huge database to the scientists. Six national facilities on interactive graphics are dedicated to molecular modeling and other related areas. More than 100 databases on biotechnology have been developed. Two major databases namely coconut biotechnology databases and complete genome of white spota syndrome of shrimp has been released for public use. Several major international data bases for application to genomics and proteomics have been established in the form of mirror sites under the National Jai Vigyan Mission.
The BTIS proposes to increase the bandwidth of existing network and provide high-speed internet connectivity to continue with its present activities of training, education mirroring of public utility packages, consideration of R&D projects and support to different research activities in this field. The DBT is planning to set up a National Bioinformatics Institute as an apex body for the bioinformatics network in the country. The DBT also proposes to bolster a proper education in bioinformatics through publication of textbooks and monographs by reputed scientists in the field. Collaboration with the industry is also poised to increase in the coming years.
Opportunities
According to Confederation of Indian Industry(CII), the global bioinformatics industry clocked an estimated turnover of $2 billion in 2000 and is expected to become $60 billion by 2005. If the industry and government work together it is possible to achieve a five percent global market share by 2005, i.e., a $3 billion opportunity in India.
The past two years has seen many large multinational pharmaceutical companies acquiring other small companies and developing in the biosciences sector. IDC currently forecasts a compound annual growth rate (from 2001-02 to 2004-05) of about 10 percent in the spending on Information Technology by bioscience organizations. Considering the local market is generally less mature than those in the US and Europe, IDC forecasts more aggressive growth beyond 2005, as many of the organizations attempt to play "catch-up". Enterprise applications including data warehousing, knowledge management, and storage are being pursued by these companies as priorities.
IDC expects IT spending in biosciences in India will cross $138 million by 2005, mainly in the areas of system clusters, storage, application software, and services. Also the governments life science focus provides a great deal of the necessary backbone to develop and deliver innovative products and technologies. This focus will also helps to build fast-growing and lucrative enterprises, attract international investment, and create additional high-value employment opportunities.
Hence the focus of the IT sector should be on products and services that aligns with bioscience needs. Demonstrating a true understanding of the IT requirements of biotechnology processes is the key for IT suppliers to bridge the chasm that currently exists between IT and Science.
Advantages India has
India is well placed to take the global leadership in genome analysis, as is in a unique position in terms of genetic resources. India has several ethnic populations that are valuable in providing information about disease predisposition and susceptibility, which in turn will help in drug discovery.
However, as India lacks the records of clinical information about the patients, sequence date without clinical information will have little meaning. And hence partnership with clinicians is essential. The real money is in discovering new drugs for ourselves and not in supplying genetic information and data to the foreign companies, who would then use this information to discover new molecules .
The genomic data provides information about the sequence, but it doesn't give information about the function. It is still not possible to predict the actual 3-D structure of proteins. This is a key area of work as tools to predict correct folding patterns of proteins will help drug design research substantially. India has the potential to lead if it invests in this area.
Looking at this biotech and pharma companies need tremendous software support. Software expertise is required to write algorithms, develop software for existing algorithms, manage databases, and in final process of drug discovery.
Some major opportunity areas for IT companies include:
- Improving content and utility of databases
- Developing better tools for data generation, capture, and annotation
- Developing and improving tools and databases for comprehensive functional studies
- Developing and improving tools for representing and analyzing sequence similarity and variation
- Creating mechanisms to support effective approaches for producing robust, software that can be widely shared.
As major pharmaceutical and genome-based biotech companies invest heavily in software, Indian IT companies have a great business opportunity to offer complete database solutions to major pharmaceutical and genome-based biotech companies in the world.
Pure cost benefits for the biotech companies will definitely drive the bioinformatics industry in the country. The biotech industry in 2000 has spent an estimated 36 percent on R & D. Success for many will mean a drastic reduction in R&D costs. Thus biotech companies will be forced to outsource software rather than developing propriety software like in the past. Since the cost of programs for handling this data is extremely high in the west, Indian IT companies have a great business opportunity to offer complete database solutions to major pharmaceutical and genome-based biotech companies in the world.
The IT industry can also focus more on genomics through different levels of participation areas such as hardware, database product and packages, implementation and customization of software, and functionality enhancement of database.
Abraham Thomas, managing director, IBM India Ltd, says, "the alignment of a vast pool of scientific talent, a world-class IT industry, a vigorous generic pharmaceutical sector and government initiatives in establishment of public sector infrastructure and research labs are positioning India to emerge as a significant participant on the global biotech map."
With an objective to help and rise bioinformatics sector to the world map the Bioinformatics Society of India (Inbios) has been working since August 2001. The Inbios already has over 270 members in a short span of one and half years. It has become a common informal platform for the younger generation to learn and contribute to this sun rising field in India.
Problems in the sector
The major issue for India is its transition from a recognized global leader in software development to areas of real strength upon which it can capitalize in the biosciences. The identifiable areas are in computation biology and bioinformatics, where a substantial level of development skills are required to develop custom applications to knot together and integrate disparate databases (usually from several global locations), simulations, molecular images, docking programs etc.
The industry people, meanwhile, say that the mushrooming of bioinformatic institutes is creating a problem of finding talented and trained individuals in this industry. While many of them has a superficial knowledge and a certificate, India lacks true professionals in this area.
Most people, who opt for bioinformatics are from the life sciences areas that do not have exposure to the IT side of bioinformatics, which is very important. Another issue is that some companies face shortage of funds and infrastructure. The turn around time for an average biotech industry to breakeven would be around three to five years.
Most of the venture capitals and other sources of funding would not be very supportive, especially if the company is not part of a larger group venture. It would help if the government would take an active role in building infrastructure and funding small and medium entrepreneurs.
Biotechnology Information Systems (BTIS)
The objective of setting up BTIs
- To provide a national bioinformation network designed to bridge the inter-disciplinary gaps in biotechnology information and to establish link among scientists in organisations involved in R&D and manufacturing activities in biotechnology.
- To build up information resources, prepares databases on biotechnology and to develop relevant informtion handling tools and techniques.
- To continuously acess information requirements, organize creation of necessary infrastructure and to provide informtion and computer support services to the national community of users.
- To establish linkages with international resources in Biotechnology information (eg.Databanks on genetic materials, published literature, patents and other information of scientific and commerical value).
- To evolve and implement programmes on education of users and training of information scientsts responsible for handling of biotechnology informtion and its applications to biotechnology research and development.
- To develop, support and enhance public informtion resources for biotechnology in India, eg.Genbanks, molecular biology data and related research information resources.
- To undertake preparing and publishing surveys, state of the art reports and forecasts for several branches of the sector.
- To provide a national backbone for exchange and analysis of information covering aspects of mult-disciplinary Biotechnology amongst the national community comprising scientists, research scholars, students, industry and planning personnel.
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