Four mirror sites for mirroring important biological databases are being established at IISc, JNU, Pune University, and IMTECH to promote and support R&D activities in Genomics and Proteomics, the two emerging fields of biotechnology requiring critical support of genomic databases. With these resources now available on the BTISnet, it has now become a single largest information resource for all references to biotechnology related literature, scientific data, patent information, policy matters and related issues. Several Home Pages have been hosted on the Internet to give details of the services being provided to the scientific community. The Biotechnology Information Centre (BTIC), the Apex Centre, established at the Department of Biotechnology, is coordinating the entire network activities, including hosting of a Home Page on the activities of the Department of Biotechnology and its major programmes, as well as maintaining several directories and databases on the Research projects funded by this department. A Biotechnology Patent Facilitating Cell has recently been established which uses the facilities of the BTIC to provide full scale patent search services.