Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU) held its second convocation on Wednesday at its GIFT City campus, where 94 students graduated with MSc degrees in Biotechnology.
The convocation was attended by Minister of Science and Technology Arjunbhai Modhwadia as the Chief Guest, while Dilip Shanghvi, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Chairman of the University, presided over the event.
Addressing the graduates, Director General of GBU Subeer Majumdar said the university had expanded its research footprint through more than 70 competitive grants amounting to nearly ₹40 crore. He said GBU has developed collaborations with international institutions and continues to attract students and faculty from diverse scientific backgrounds.
Mr. Majumdar said the graduating batch included students who had secured national fellowships, research awards and industry placements. He noted that GBU now hosts the highest number of GAT-B qualified students from a single campus in the country.
Mr. Modhwadia said the convocation represented the growing role of Gujarat in science and technology. He said GBU was established with the aim of strengthening national capacity in biotechnology and urged students to ensure their work benefits society.
“Biotechnology must reach coasts, farms, villages and industries,” he said, adding that the university should work toward establishing four specialised satellite centres focused on coastal, industrial, agro-food and dryland biotechnology.
Presiding over the ceremony, Chairman Dilip Shanghvi said GBU was created as a research-focused university with strong industry connections. He highlighted the steady growth in research output over the past three years and encouraged students to maintain integrity and discipline in their scientific careers.
“Persist even when results take time, and uphold ethics even when easier options appear,” he told the graduating class.
Five gold medalists, one from each of the university’s biotechnology specialisations were felicitated. They were Waman Nachiket Somnath in Animal Biotechnology, Sheikh Mohammed Atique Mohammed Siddique in Environmental Biotechnology, Radikar Madhura Damodhar in Industrial Biotechnology, Aniket in Medical Biotechnology, and Jayshree Pawar in Plant Biotechnology.
The graduating cohort included: Medical Biotechnology (20), Industrial Biotechnology (20), Plant Biotechnology (16), Animal Biotechnology (19), and Environmental Biotechnology (19).
Published – November 27, 2025 03:02 pm IST
