Indian Institute of Science makes it to Global Employability List, ranked 35th

The 103-year-old Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is the only Indian institution to figure in the Global Employability List 2012. The Bangalore-based research institution , which first made it to the list in 2011, has moved up from 134 to 35.

The list, which includes top-notch institutions like Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, OxfordBSE 0.00 %, Stanford, MIT, Columbia , Princeton, Imperial College of London and Goethe-University , Frankfurt , in its top 10, was done in collaboration with French consulting firm Emerging and German institute Trendence , which specializes in recruitment. "Employers are always looking for strong skill sets from employees. Since researchers and doctoral students have strong technical skills in specialized areas, they are much sought after by employers," IISc director P Balaram, said on Thursday.

"The strength of IISc lies in its ability to recruit talented faculty and bright students from all over the country . Heterogeneity has always helped the institution in its quest for new and fresh ideas. Our students, who are brilliant , are easily employable after they complete their course," he said. Interestingly, Asian universities , particularly Chinese , are creating an eco-system to foster academic excellence — Peking University is one among four mainland Chinese varsities in the top 100.

India-US biotechnology tie-up to invest in joint research

The Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), the apex body of the biotechnology sector in India, and the US-based Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association (WBBA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable broad ranging co-operation in the field of biotechnology. The duo will support breakthrough discoveries in healthcare, agriculture and clean energy in the country.

Both ABLE and WBBA are to provide each others’ members an opportunity to co-operate and invest in the State of Washington and in India, in the field of biotechnology. These activities could be current ones that both associations are engaged in, or future ones that both may decide to do individually or jointly.

Activities could concern technical knowledge, market research, inputs for policy making, internships, exhibitions, workshops, seminars, capacity building, collaborations, investment and business partnering.

P. M. Murali, President, ABLE said, “The collaboration aims to achieve breakthrough discoveries to provide affordable solutions for critical diseases, important challenges in agriculture and energy on mutually agreed topics.”'

Chris Rivera, President, WBBA said, “We see India as the growth engine of tomorrow and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The collaboration with ABLE is significant to facilitate best of research in biotechnology from both the countries.

ABLE roadmap to make biotech $100-billion industry by 2025

Association of Biotech Led Enterprises (ABLE), an industry body for Indian biotech sector, has chalked out a plan to make biotech a $100 billion industry by 2025.

“This is achievable if the biotech industry’s operating landscape becomes more innovation friendly spurred by government’s policies and nudge then the industry could possibly grow at 30 per cent CAGR,” ABLE said. ABLE recently submitted a report ‘Indian Biotechnology: The Roadmap to the Next Decade and Beyond’ to the Union Department of Biotechnology.

Potential
Dr Satya Prakash Dash, former chief operating officer, ABLE, and author of the report, said, “The potential of India to be a global innovation hub especially in biotech exists. But it needs proper support systems which can help deliver scale up innovative products that are affordable and are of high quality.”

“However to scale up and increase the frequency of such innovations from India and make it a top destination for biotech, central government needs to formulate a workable strategy for the future growth of biotech for each of the segments as well as roadmap the evolving areas,” he added.

Over the last decade the biotech sector’s revenues have increased from $500 million in 2003 to $4 billion in 2011, growing at an average rate of 20 per cent year-on year.

“If a favourable business environment is created, the biotech and healthcare sectors combined will be able to grow at much faster pace of 25-30 per cent and have the potential to generate revenues of $100 billion by 2025,” ABLE explained. ABLE has also asked for an institutional and structural framework to help the sector achieve its potential as a break out nation in biotech innovation.

Enablers
Listing out the enablers, ABLE said the government should create a strong, streamlined and transparent regulatory foundation that fosters innovation. Build infrastructure to build capacity for research and development and facilitate translation and commercialization potential. Facilitate technology access as well as market access for innovative products to achieve scale through public procurement.

Promote biotech entrepreneurship and provide a channel to access risk capital for all stages of biotech product lifecycle. And nucleate and foster networks and triple helix collaborations.

Haier sees India as production hub for exports

India is set to emerge as the manufacturing hub for Chinese consumer durables maker Haier’s exports to the neighbouring markets and African region.

Logistically, it makes sense to make India the production base for this region and Africa, according to Eric Braganza, president, Haier Appliances (India). The company would initially export refrigerators and washing machines, most of which would be produced in India. “Over the next two years, about 25% revenue of Indian operations would come from exports,” he added.

With the Buoyant demand in the domestic market and increasing exports, the company would need to set up a second manufacturing plant in about three years from now, said Braganza. “It would be based in the northern part of India. Before that, the company would expand its production facility at Ranjangaon near Pune by 2014, where it produces refrigerators and few models of washing machines at present.

Haier India, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the $20-billion Chinese parent, intends to produce almost all its models across categories in India, including air-conditioning machines and water heaters, going forward, said Braganza. It currently imports all TV panels and water heaters from China.

Quantum of investments for the capacity augmentation at Ranjangaon and the second facility is yet to be firmed up, he added. The company has so far invested about Rs 120 crore at the Ranjangaon factory.

Haier targets revenue at Rs 1,250 crore in 2012, and Rs 1,600 crore in 2013 from Indian market, said Braganza. In 2011, the company had a turnover of more than Rs 970 crore. At present, the Ranjangaon facility has an installed capacity of 10 lakh units of refrigerators annually, which will be ramped up to 20 lakh units in the next two years at an investment of about Rs 40 crore, he added. This year, Haier will produce 6.5 lakh units of refrigerators.

In 2012, the company targets to sell about 4.8 lakh units of refrigerators, 2 lakh washing machines, 2.5 lakh TVs, 60,000 ACs and 55,000 water heaters in India. Haier India currently has 170 exclusive stores, apart from being retailed from 4,500 multi-brand outlets. It is increasing this to 250 exclusive outlets and 6,000 other outlets by 2013. It employs 1,300 people.

Haier, which positions itself as the mid-market brand in India, claims a 12% market share in the deep freeze category, followed by 6% in refrigerator, 4-5% in washing machines and about 3% in the air-conditioning market in India. “We aim to have a three-fold market share within the next three years,” Braganza said.