Minister: India will lead biotech revolution
New Delhi, August 31
Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said while the IT revolution was led by the West, India would lead the biotechnology revolution.
Launching the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3) Policy-2024, Singh said: “India has a huge wealth of bioresources — vast biodiversity, unique bioresources in the Himalayas as well as unsaturated resources that are waiting to be harnessed. We have a 7,500-km coastline. We also launched the ‘Deep Sea Mission’ last year to harness the biodiversity beneath the seas.”
“Biotech is the future and it is set to revolutionise the economy. Bio-manufacturing offers solutions to climate change, resource depletion, waste generation and pollution. It can help meet the growing demand for food and fuel, while also creating new jobs,” Singh said.
The minister said bio-manufacturing — using biomass and carbon dioxide – could make the country more self-reliant in fuel production. India’s bio-economy has skyrocketed from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024. The industry is projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, Singh said.
Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, said the BioE3 policy was aimed towards a future that is sustainable, innovative and responsive to global change.
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