India now accounts for 21 out of the 121 bio-companies globally: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

India now accounts for 21 out of the 121 Bio-Companies globally, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Monday during the launch of High-Performance Biomanufacturing Platforms under the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy.

With this, India today accounts for nearly one-fifth of the global capacity in the sector.

“BioEnablers are the foundation of India’s next wave of biotechnology-led growth. By providing world-class platforms, tools and infrastructure, BioEnablers empower our scientists, startups and industry to move faster from ideas to innovations, and from laboratories to markets,” Singh said.

The newly launched platforms will bring together 21 advanced bio-enabler facilities across the country. These facilities with sophisticated instruments and AI facilities will offer shared infrastructure for startups, small and medium enterprises and academic institutions to test and commercialise technologies. The scope of work spans microbial biomanufacturing, smart proteins, sustainable agriculture, functional foods, carbon capture, marine biotechnology and next-generation cell and gene therapies.

Dr Rajesh S Gokhale, secretary, Department of Biotechnology and chairman of Bio-Tech Industry Research Council (BIRAC), said the network would accelerate the translation of India’s scientific breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.

“High Performance Biomanufacturing Platforms will nurture and drive bio-economy. By providing shared infrastructure and encouraging collaboration, we are enabling discoveries to move rapidly from the lab to the marketplace, shaping India’s growth story in biotechnology,” he noted.

Under this, India’s first animal stem cell repository is going to be set up by National institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad, with HiMedia Laboratories, Mumbai. Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, Pune, is establishing biomanufacturing hub for mRNA-based precision medicine.

Dr Jitendra Kumar, managing director, BIRAC explained, “BioFoundries, unlike conventional incubation centres, represent the next generation of facilities. They are built on the design-build-test-learn model, fully automated, digitised, and modular, and include GMP-ready scale-up capabilities. These hubs are meant to empower startups, academic researchers and industry partners to accelerate their journey from concept to commercialisation.”