India is moving from women-specific to women-led projects, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh
Jun 11, 2022
New Delhi [India], June 11 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that India is moving from women-specific to women-led projects.
"India is moving from women-specific to women-led projects. Today, India is looking at a growth of the Biotech sector from USD 70 billion to USD 150 billion in the next four years and this cannot be accomplished without the active participation of women," he said after releasing a book based on "Compendium of 75 Women Biotech Entrepreneurs" at Biotech Start-up Expo at Pragati Maidan here.
Singh was addressing the session "The Way Forward". He said, "in the past eight years of Modi Government, the number of female entrepreneur-owned Biotech companies has seen an exponential rise and this can be aptly described as women-led empowerment, rather than women empowerment only."
The Minister said that women scientists have carved a niche for themselves in Space, Nuclear Science, Drone and Nano-technology and added that many of the big scientific projects including that of the most ambitious manned mission Gaganyaan to be launched in 2023 are being led by women scientists. He said, one of the key pillars of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's New India is the success story of women innovators in the country.
Singh said the DST and DBT in the Union Ministry of Science and Technology have special schemes to attract women scientists and to provide employment opportunities to the unemployed women scientists. The Minister said, "market conditions, access to varied business opportunities, and female entrepreneurs' readiness to jump into the world of business ownership create a winning trifecta."
Singh revealed that the number of Biotech Start-Ups in the country has increased from 50 to over 5,000 in the last 8 years, because of the support and enabling milieu provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since he took over in 2014. It is expected to cross the figure of 10,000 by 2025, he added.
He further added that Biotechnology is the key enabling technology driving the bio-economy that is recognized as a sunrise sector. He informed that India is ranked 12th in the world in biotech, 3rd in Asia-pacific and the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.
Singh said, the role of science and technology in ensuring a just and equitable future for all has always been known, but the last few years have brought this issue to the fore like never before. He further added that in this Amrit-Kaal period, industry, both large and small, and academia have to come together to create and support this ecosystem and culture of innovation. Each partner brings its own expertise, resources and resolve to support this ecosystem, the Minister added.
