The authorities on Monday (September 1, 2025) launched a community of advanced biomanufacturing hubs to scale up the nation’s bioeconomy and speed up innovation throughout numerous sectors, officers mentioned.
The High Performance Biomanufacturing Platforms, an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), are being rolled out underneath the BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Environment, Economy and Employment), they mentioned.
Speaking on the launch occasion, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh mentioned the transfer marks a turning level for India’s innovation journey because it makes it one of many earliest movers in advanced biomanufacturing.
“The High Performance Biomanufacturing Platforms are a network of advanced bio-foundries and biomanufacturing hubs designed to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure, technology, and expertise for scaling up bio-based innovations from the laboratory to pilot and pre-commercial stages,” an official assertion mentioned.
The platforms combine instruments reminiscent of artificial biology, synthetic intelligence, machine studying, and omics applied sciences to speed up the event of sustainable options in well being, agriculture, meals programs, clear vitality, industrial biotechnology, and local weather resilience, it mentioned.
By providing shared services to start-ups, SMEs, industries, and educational researchers, the initiative goals to fast-track innovation and place India as a world chief within the bioeconomy.
Mr. Singh mentioned the initiative mirrored India’s rising stature as a world biotech powerhouse.
“Unlike in IT and computers, where we were at least a decade late, this time we are among the first to have launched an institutionalised policy at the level of government,” Mr. Singh mentioned.
He underlined that India already has over 21 bio-foundries, in contrast to simply round 100 worldwide, and greater than 4,000 biotech start-ups.
“For a country like India, this is not a small feat. We have ensured that we are not leaving any area untouched— whether it is biopharma, bio-agri, bioservices or bio-industrial applications,” he mentioned.
Mr. Singh famous that India’s bioeconomy has additionally gone up from simply $10 billion and is now set to leapfrog to the $300 billion mark by 2030.
He mentioned the biomanufacturing hubs and bio-enablers would additionally contribute to India’s geopolitical empowerment, decreasing dependence on petroleum imports and creating sustainable options by biotechnology.
Calling biotechnology the “next big buzzword” after IT, Mr. Singh mentioned, “By 2040, even before 2047, biotechnology will be what IT was in the 1990s. The youth of India will be the torchbearers of this transformation.” According to officers, the Biofoundry Network underneath the BioE3 Policy will function a nationwide platform to speed up advanced biomanufacturing.
It brings collectively 21 bio-enabler services throughout the nation, supporting start-ups, SMEs, industries, and academia in scaling up applied sciences in areas starting from cell and gene remedy to marine biotechnology, precision biotherapeutics, sensible proteins, and carbon seize.
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary Rajesh S. Gokhale hailed the event as a “landmark moment” for India’s bioeconomy.
He emphasised that biomanufacturing could be among the many best alternatives of the twenty first century, with biology converging with engineering and digital applied sciences to drive sustainable progress.
The newly launched hubs, that are additionally known as National Bio-Enablers or Mulankur (roots of latest progress), will help innovation throughout well being, agriculture, vitality, surroundings, industrial biotechnology, and AI-driven bio-manufacturing, Gokhale defined.
“These hubs include cutting-edge projects such as a state-of-the-art cell therapy facility, the nation’s first animal stem cell repository, a hub for mRNA-based precision medicine, and advanced CO2 sequestration systems,” he mentioned.
Looking forward, he expressed confidence that India might surpass its $300 billion bioeconomy goal by 2030, pushed by youth-led innovation.
“Biomanufacturing is one of the most transformative technologies of the century. With this network, we are creating the roots that will nurture and anchor our bioeconomy for the future,” Mr. Gokhale mentioned.
Published – September 01, 2025 04:36 pm IST