Parallel to its rich agroclimatic diversity, India is equally rich in biodiversity. These biological resources have provided useful gene pool to humankind since time immemorial. However, a number of such biological resources have been lost due to over-exploitation on the one hand, and immense selection and domestication of fewer species on the other. Thus in the context of the present demand and future needs, the major global concern is for the conservation and sustainable utilization of our genetic resources for sustainable growth. The Convention of Biological Diversity was formulated during the UNCED Earth Summit held at Rio de Janerio in Brazil in June 1992 to achieve these goals. While the technologically rich developed countries lack genetic resources, most of the developing countries including India, have not been able to get full benefit from its biological riches due to lack of sound technologies. It is, therefore, important to strengthen our technologies and rise to the much desired status of technologically and genetic resources rich nation. It becomes mandatory to bioprospect, document and conserve the valuable gene pool. It may also involve adequately compensating the indigenous communities that have conserved the biological resources through centuries, and have also generated valuable knowledge regarding their use. There is a need for using traditional knowledge and biotechnological interventions for sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources. This paper highlights an urgent need for systematic programme of bioprospecting of India's rich biodiversity using molecular and biochemical approaches. Such a systematic study would enable identification of new genes and molecules that may be useful in agriculture, medicine and other cognate disciplines.
Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, biotechnology, bioprospecting, benefit sharing
