The sheer shortage of courses is a clear indicator about the nicheness of the veterinary field. Everyone wants to treat humans and have the M.B.B.S. tag to boast about, but quite a handful of the so-called animal lovers actually indulge themselves in diagnostics services provided to all species barring human beings. In hindsight, both are equally noble careers.
As of 2016, there were 67,784 registered veterinarians across the country which has certainly risen over the years but not at the pace that matches up with the requirements. In a country that requires close to 2 lakh vets to safeguard one of the most profitable industries- livestock and animal husbandry- the current situation paints a very dismal picture. The VCI, though, has taken steps to improve the influx by increasing the number of seats and also by easing out the procedure to open veterinary colleges in India.
The demand for vets has always been high as the sectors of employment are vast. Poultry and breeding farms, government and private veterinary hospitals, meat and milk processing units, animal husbandry-related facilities and many other such establishments need vets to function on a day-to-day basis.
While the demand may not be as high as its counterpart medical offerings, building a career in the diverse veterinary domain is as lucrative as you can imagine.