Image Credit: USCDC
Context
The biotech industry in India has surged in recent few years, where the figures are counted at a modest record of about 500 startups in 2018, now the figure is soaring up to over 10,000 in 2025.
Bioeconomy
- The use of renewable biological resources to generate food, energy and industrial products, which facilitates sustainability and economic growth, is known as the bioeconomy.
- Gene editing and bioprinting are examples of innovations that are leading to progress, and use of integration between sectors enhances long-term effectiveness.
- The bioeconomy provides a sustainable solution to environmental issues by integrating biotechnology with digital technologies and the principles of the circular economy and enhances the well-being of society in general.
India’s Bioeconomy
- The country of India is one of the Top 12 biotechnology destinations globally and 3rd largest biotechnology destination in Asia Pacific.
- In India, the bioeconomy has increased by sixteen fold since 2014 and this year it stands at 165.7 billion dollars.
- The sector contributes 4.25 percent to the national GDP and has shown a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9 percent within the last four years.
- The biotechnology industry in India is divided into Biopharmaceuticals, Bio agriculture, Bio IT and Bio Services.
- Future Aspirations: Foresight of a 300 billion bioeconomy by 2030.
- India has also targeted the world in bio-pharma through vaccines, diagnostics, as well as therapeutics.
Concerns
- Infrastructure Fragmentation: India is home to more than 70 incubators, which do not have facilities that are end to end like pilot purification systems, fill-and-finish suites, regulatory affairs support.
- It compels the entrepreneurs to conduct business in more than one city, which replicates expenses and procedures.
- Regulatory Complexities: Obsolete schemes of clinical trials, patent regulations and product licensing.
- Get left behind (AI, biologics, genomics), making it take longer to enter the market and to invest.
Government Programmes and Initiatives
- BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment): It was passed by the Union Cabinet in 2024, with a bold vision of building a 300-billion bioeconomy by 2030.
- National Biopharma Mission: It is a government-endorsed program which is headed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and implemented by BIRAC.
- Goal: To enhance India in biopharmaceuticals, vaccinations, biosimilars, medical devices, and diagnostics through the development of industry-academic collaboration.
- Bio-agriculture: The Agriculture Biotechnology programme at the Department of Biotechnology is developing fast with innovations in genomics, transgenics, and gene editing innovations in agricultural biotechnology.
- Climate-Smart Crops: There has been the approval of a drought-tolerant, high-yielding variety of chickpea called SAATVIK (NC 9).
- Genome-Edited Rice: The loss-of-function mutations on genes that hinder yield have caused some of the best rice lines such as DEP1-edited MTU-1010 with higher yields.
- Genotyping Arrays Genotyping Arrays: The first 90K SNP Arrays in India rice and chickpea: IndRA and IndCA arrays can be used to do DNA fingerprinting and variety identification.
- Biocontrol: Myrothecium verrucaria provides a nano-formulation that provides powdery mildew control of tomato and grape in an environmentally friendly manner.
- Kisan-Kavach: This is an anti-pesticide protective clothing that increases the protection of the farmers against being exposed to toxic substances.
- Biotech-KISAN (Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network): Biotech-KISAN is an initiative of the scientist-farmer program that aims at empowering farmers with agricultural innovations and scientific interventions.
- Bioenergy: There has been a high increase in ethanol blending-1.53 percent of 2014 to 15 percent in 2024 and the blending is expected to reach 20 percent by 2025.
- Increasing Biotech Innovation via BIRAC Activities: The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) was created by the Department of Biotechnology in 2012, which is a key force in the incubation of biotech startups in India.
Way Ahead
- The bioeconomy of India is on a turning point, its comprehensive strategy to innovation, sustainability and inclusive development provides a global example.
- Bio-manufacturing, bio-agriculture and bioenergy converging is not only reinforcing the national resilience, but it is also an indication of the strategic intent of India to be at the forefront in the new global bioeconomy.
Source: The Hindu
Prelims PYQ
(Q) Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created? (2012)
- To enable them to withstand drought
- To increase the nutritive value of the produce
- To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations
- To increase their shelf life
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
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