Mysore University Vice Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar has said that the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has launched the Skill Science program to meet the demand for skill workers in Karnataka, which is expected to reach 8.47 million in the next 10 years. He said that life sciences and biotechnology, agriculture and allied sectors, including sericulture, horticulture and fisheries, are among the major sectors that need skilled labor.
Inaugurating the DBT-Karnataka Skill Science program and a workshop on ‘Entrepreneurship Development in Sericulture Technology’ organized at the Department of Sericulture Studies, University of Mysore, he said that the skill development training programs would bring significant changes in both social and economic sectors. In rural and semi-urban areas, avoiding migration from rural to urban areas. Those who have migrated from urban areas to villages due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years will also find lucrative business both in cocoons and skill production.
Pro. Kumar said Karnataka employs about 54% of India’s biotech workforce, while export revenue is around 33,351 crore and domestic revenue is valued at around 11,072 crore. The industry is providing direct and indirect employment to an estimated over 19,000 individuals, of which males constitute 69%, as Karnataka is the biotech capital of India and one of the earliest and most thriving biotech ecosystems in India.
Karnataka’s biotech industries include around 380 small, medium and large sized companies and over 270 start-ups, which add up to 60% of biotech companies in India. Being the hub of biotechnology in India, Karnataka contributes to a market size of $6.5 billion, which is about 35% of the total revenue generated by the Indian Bt industry.
Pro. Kumar suggested adopting new techniques and developing skills to make sericulture a successful business. India is currently the world’s second largest producer of raw silk and the largest consumer of raw silk and silk fabrics.
“However, I understand that sericulture technologies are changing at a rapid pace and extension work has been set up at the national, state and village level to educate the silk producers. Nevertheless, based on the recent reports available technologies and farmers There is a wide gap between adoption by them,” he said.
Therefore, proper knowledge based skill development is the need of the hour not only to skill the silk producers but also to provide assured vocation to the unemployed youth who want to establish themselves, Prof. Kumar said.
H. Honne Gowda, Dean (Research), JSS Science and Technology University, and Kirannagare Jagadish, Founder, Kirangare Chowki Rearing Centre, Kanakapura, were the chief guests. Head of the department HB Manjunath was present.
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