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Biotechnology Sector: Employment |
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Biotech Jobs
Biotechnology is a relatively new field. It is a very exciting sector with tremendous possibilities. It is an emerging field, yielding wonder drugs and new and improved varieties of plants and animals. By patenting their research, scientists get name as well as large fortunes as fruits of their research.
Research Scientists not only perform experiments in labs but also devote much of their time in attending seminars, conferences, teaching university students, writing papers. Research scientist has a very creative role as he has to work on the forefront of scientific discovery. He has to decide what to study, how to study, and thereby he can learn new things.
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Laboratory Assistants and Lab Technicians work on a variety of sophisticated equipments, prepare chemicals, maintain experimental microbial, plant, or tissue culture in research labs. Lab technician helps research scientists in their scientific discoveries. Lab technician after doing MBA can get management position in a biotech firm.
Sales Representatives try to sell the biotech industry products to doctors, farmers, other industries, or sell and supply scientific equipments to biotech researchers.
Quality Assurance Technicians test the biotech products in labs or production facilities to ensure that they are safe and meet the required standards.
BioInformatics Personnel work on designing and maintaining scientific data and analysing the results of various research trials.
Job Prospects of Biotechnology in India:
As the biotech industry is growing and commercializing, the number of job vacancies is also increasing. Companies are staffing more and more sales force to push their products in the market. They are also employing trained people for clinical research so as to get through the clinical approval process.
This has increased demand for clinical trial managers, clinical research professionals, clinical research associates and outsourcing managers. Because of commercialization of the industry, the demand for finance and administration personnel is also increasing. Thus, biotech companies are recruiting people at all levels.
A biotechnologist may also work in government institutes and organizations. These days agriculture, dairy, horticulture and drug companies are also employing large number of biotechnologists. Biotech companies like Dr. Reddy's Labs, Ranbaxy, Dabur, and Hindustan Lever have openings in their R&D facilities.
The starting salary while doing fellowship in a research institute comes around Rs. 3,000 per month. Private companies pay around Rs. 5,000-10,000 per month to a qualified biotechnologist.
Currently there is shortage of trained people in biotech field in India. To overcome the shortage, Department of Biotechnology is promoting this field in schools and colleges. Those who wish to work in this industry can go for a short-term training for biotechnologists, organized by Biotech Consortium India Ltd. According to an estimate, 300 biotech companies in India could provide employment to more than 20,000 students.
At present India has a capacity of less than 700 post graduate students spread over the various segments like agriculture, vaccine research, neurosciences, brain cell research, etc. Although the biotech industry hopes to touch US$ 25 billion mark by 2015, manpower shortage has emerged as a major problem that might derail its progress.
Biotech industry survey done by BioSpectrum shows that despite the fact that over 200 biotech colleges are producing about 8000 fresh biotech graduates and post-graduates every year, the industry will face looming shortage of trained manpower. It points out the huge difference between the industry's expectations and availability of quality manpower. The situation is aggravated by the fact that students from the top institutions prefer to go abroad for higher studies rather than taking jobs in India.
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