India's largest biotech firm Biocon on Wednesday launched its "recombinant human insulin (r-DNA), Insugen", with the objective of capturing a 20 per cent share over two years in the fast growing Rs 220 crore (Rs 2.2 billion) human insulin market.

"We think we should be able to get a 20 per cent market share in two years," Biocon chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw told reporters in Bangalore.

Biocon is pricing Insugen, that has 'pichia expression', a micro-organism, which is a powerful producer of protiens -- a bit lower than products from rival firms like Eli Lilly, Nova Nordisk and Wockhardt, she said.

India has an estimated 30 million diabetics, one of the largest in the world.

Shaw said the firm had invested Rs 75 crore (Rs 750 million) on the project over four years, including R&D costs and manufacturing facility in Bangalore, built both for domestic and export market.

"We will initially have a presence in unregulated markets like West Asia, Asia, South East Asia and Latin America," she said, adding the product was being registered in 20 countries.

Biocon had employed over 100 people for marketing its insulin across the country and plans to expand into Eastern India by March 2005.