‘Biotechnology witnessed a boom in the Covid-19 pandemic’

Ankit Singh, who pursued Integrated (BTech and MTech) Biotechnology from ASU between 2015-20, juggled academics and co-curricular activities throughout his time in college, winning accolades in both. After a brief professional stint, the Jaipur-based alumnus is now doing his second post-graduation, this time in Environmental Engineering. In an interview, Ankit talks about the prospects in Biotechnology, aspects of Environmental Engineering, and more. Read on:

What did you pursue after MTech?

After I completed the course, I got a job opportunity as a research analyst at Apelo Consulting Pvt Ltd, a market research company in Gurugram. I worked with them for the last 1.5 years. Now I am pursuing my second post-graduation in Environmental Engineering. Simultaneously, I am looking for other job opportunities.

Why did you opt for Biotechnology?

Biotechnology focuses on research. The human body is not just made up of organs; biotechnology investigates the smallest elements that a body is made of. I was amazed to know about it and was encouraged to choose the subject. I wanted to learn more about cells, genetics, food industry, etc, and biotechnology gives you that exposure to different verticals.

Is it true that there are better opportunities in Biotechnology abroad? Were you aware of the career prospects when you opted for the course?

Yes, I researched the scope and benefits of opting for Biotechnology as a career. When I joined the course in 2015, Biotechnology in India was still growing as a field and it was predicted that in the next five years, the industry would bloom. And we all saw that during the pandemic—vaccines, personalised medicine, machinery, rapid testing, etc, all came into force. It became very obvious that Biotechnology has a very good scope not only outside India but also within, where companies are working hard to make sure that the field is accessible to everyone who thinks of taking it up as a career.

What is Environmental Engineering all about? Where are you pursuing the course from?

I am pursuing a distance-learning post-graduation course from Jagannath University. Environmental Engineering involves an understanding of the environment, including the protocols, rules and regulations, environmental clearances, and how industries can be set up keeping all the guidelines in mind.

In Biotechnology, we have a vertical called Environment Biotechnology. When I got to learn about it, I was intrigued to delve deeper. Industrialisation is not something you can restrict but as it grows, one has to be mindful of the aspect of sustainability. Down the line, the industries require the skillset to get the required environmental clearances so that they can have a “green future” and not harm their surroundings.

Can you tell us about the work you did in your previous role as a research analyst?

As a research analyst, I had to go through the client projects and requirements of both the healthcare and non-healthcare sectors. We tried to deliver the best of the knowledge to the clients about their market competition, feedback from the consumers, how the market would behave in the future, and so on. We were given the opportunity to explore the complete world geography as well as in vitro diagnostic products, Covid rapid testing products, surgical products, etc. In the non-healthcare sector, we tried to analyse the social coherence of different countries.

In what ways did ASU prepare you for the industry?

As a fresher, I obviously took some time to adapt to the new environment. I was fortunate to have brilliant mentors and batchmates in college. We all strived to learn together with the help and guidance of our mentors. I was also involved in co-curricular activities—I was the president of the Rotaract Club and the Cultural Club. I was good at sports and was the captain of the football and cricket team at the university as well. I learned leadership and management skills through my journey. Talking about academics, the hands-on learning with experiments and the subject material that professors provided were very much up to the mark with the industrial requirements. When I entered the professional world, I did not feel like I lagged behind in anything—I was equipped with the necessary skillset. Even now, if I need some guidance about anything, I reach out to my professors for their advice. That has helped me a lot. Overall, I had a very good experience.