Nandita Singh
The author is
Editor of BioSpectrum
nanditas@cybermedia.co.in

What does the bioscience industry in India need? Many things. Actually, right from funding to technology access to talent pool to infrastructure et al the list can be long. However, more importantly what the industry needs is stepped up information sharing and a collaborative approach to opportunities. Both are internal impetus at the individual and company level, which at the collective scale translate into the buzzing culture of collaboration in the industry.

At the recently concluded BioSpectrum Technology Forum 2012, in Delhi, there was a hint that this was the missing “piece� that can help propel the industry ahead. Delhi that boasts of a high concentration of research institutes saw thin participation from the industry at this R&D focused Forum. Maybe, it was reflective of the commitment industry and academia accord to such discussion Forums. Or maybe it was an overload of events and internal meetings that kept the audience away, as some industry leaders pointed out.

After holding three such Forums, in three different metros, in the last six months, I must say Mumbai buzzed a lot more on the discussion, and experience and information sharing level, as compared to Bangalore and Delhi. So, how can you as an individual working in this industry benefit from participating in such industry Forums?

I am putting down a simple 3-point guideline that you can utilize.

1. Choose wisely but once you decide to participate in any such event, keep the commitment – be it as a participant or as a speaker or panelist.
2. At such Forums, there is not much of a differentiation between a panelist or participant, just about everybody present is an industry captain and can add to the discussion points as s/he deems fit. So, feel free to contribute. In fact, make sure that you contribute in some way or the other while you are there. Make notes of any ideas that the discussion may have generated and do share your thoughts, if time permits.
3. And, if you believe the Forum could have been handled differently, do not shy away from giving feedback to the organizer.

I am sure all of you know this already. After all, it's basic. However, the point is about making the time for practicing it and being out there. Now, that requires a certain degree of commitment, and factoring in time for this is worthwhile. While the immediate benefit may not be visible to you but as someone remarked to me recently: the network always works. So, make time for it. Don't miss such opportunities.

By the way, BioSpectrum, this March, just finished nine years of creating such opportunities for you and is entering its 10th year with lots more on the agenda.

Stay connected with us for more. Cheers!