Lok Sabha Question No. 1644 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: BioE3 Policy for Biomanufacturing
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1644

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10/12/2025

## 'BioE3 Policy for Biomanufacturing'

1644: Shri Dushyant Singh

Will the Minister of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  Biotechnology  for  Economy,  Environment  and  Employment (BioE3)  Policy  and  the  manner  in  which  it  aims  to  promote  high-performance biomanufacturing in the country; (b)  the manner  in which the policy is expected to support innovation and entrepreneurship  in  biomanufacturing  sectors  such  as  bio-based  chemicals, biopolymers and smart proteins; (c)  whether the Government proposes to align national initiatives and programmes with the BioE3 Policy particularly for promoting biotechnology- based enterprises in  rural  regions  including  Jhalawar-Baran  in  Rajasthan  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; (d)  the progress made since 2014 in terms of technological innovation, employment generation  and  environmental  sustainability  in  the  biotechnology  sector  with specific reference to Rajasthan; and (e)  the measures being taken by the Government under the BioE3 Policy to develop skilled  human  resources  in  biotechnology  and  the  expected  job  creation
- potential across India?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY &   EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a)  The  BioE3  Policy  aims  to  set  forth  a  framework  that  ensures  the  adoption  of cutting-edge advanced  technologies, and  aligning innovative research for promoting Biomanufacturing. The BioE3 Policy outlines guidelines and principles for enabling mechanisms for 'Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing' in the  country  across  diverse  sectors.  The  Policy  focuses  on  revolutionizing biomanufacturing  process  for  enhanced  efficiency,  sustainability,  and  quality while also accelerating the development and production of bio-based high-value products  in  six  thematic  sectors  viz.  Bio-based  chemicals  and  enzymes; Functional foods and smart proteins; Precision biotherapeutics; Climate resilient agriculture; Carbon capture and utilization; Futuristic marine and space research. The research and translational activities under these verticals will be catalyzed  by  BioEnablers  including  Biofoundries,  Biomanufacturing  Hubs  and Bio-Artificial Intelligence Hubs.
- (b)  The  BioE3  Policy  will  support  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  in  the  various Biomanufacturing  subsectors  including  bio-based  chemicals,  biopolymers  and smart proteins through implementation of projects in Public Private Partnership. The  various  thematic  sectors/subsectors  will  be  implemented  as  per  the approved Implementation Plan under three categories :(i) Discovery & Application Oriented Network Research, (ii) Bridging the Gap for Scaleup, and (iii) Setting up of 'Mulankur' BioEnablers including Biofoundries, Biomanufacturing Hubs and Bio-Artificial Intelligence Hubs.
- (c)  The  programmes  to  be  implemented  under  the  BioE3  Policy  are  aligned  with India's vision of Green Growth (announced in the Interim Union Budget 2023-24) and  also  with  the  clarion  call  of  the  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  on  ' Lifestyle  for Environment  (LiFE) '  that  envisions  collective  approach  towards  sustainability. The  Policy  also  aligns  with  the  Hon'ble  Prime  Ministers  vision  of  'Net-Zero' carbon economy of the country. In order to establish Centre-State Partnerships under BioE3 Policy, a Centre-State Partnership Conclave on the BioE3 Policy was  organized,  during  which  the  State  Governments  including  Rajasthan participated  and  were  urged  to  set  up  BioE3  Cells  in  order  to  align  national objectives  with  state  priorities  and  resources.  Stakeholder  Meetings  are  being held with several states to formulate a State BioE3 Action Plan and set up BioE3 Cells.
- (d)  The  Department  of Biotechnology and  BIRAC  have  supported  research, development  and  demonstration  projects to generate the new  bio-based avenues  for  employment  generation  and  environmental  sustainability  through technological  innovations.  Under  the  BioE3  Policy,  DBT-BIRAC  are  setting  up ' मूलांक ु र BioEnablers  -  Biofoundries  and  Biomanufacturing  Hubs',  in  PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPPs) across the country. These BioEnablers will supports startups  and  industry  to  scale  up  their  bio-based  products  and  thus  support development of bio-based enterprise across the country, including rural regions. Further,  DBT  has  supported  4  projects  on  environmental  sustainability  in Rajasthan, in the area of (i) integrated remediation technology for degradation of microplastics (ii) low water demanding algal cultivation systems, (iii) Micro-Nano Plastics (MNPs) Fingerprinting in Cruciferous Truck Crops, and (iv) Bioprocess development  for  cost  effective  lignocellulosic  bioethanol  production.  BIRAC through its various PPP schemes promote technological innovation, employment generation and environmental sustainability in the biotechnology sector across the  country  including  Rajasthan.  In  the  state  of  Rajasthan,  the  Biotechnology Ignition  Grant  (BIG) grant  scheme has supported 15 early-stage start-ups and individual entrepreneurs, the Equity Funding Schemes such as SEED and LEAP schemes  have  funded  2  projects  to  startups  and  the  BIRAC  Amrit  Grand Challenge (AGC) जन CARE has supported 3 innovations from Rajasthan for providing  digital  health  solutions  in  rural  areas.  Under  the  Small  Business Innovation Research  Initiative (SBIRI), Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme  (BIPP)  and  the  Promoting  Academic  Research  Conversion  to Enterprise (PACE- AIR and CRS) PACE programmes, 7 projects under various thematic  areas  of  biotechnology  have  been  supported  to  companies/startups/ academia  located  in  Rajasthan.  Further,  three  Incubation  and  pre-incubation
- centres have been set up by BIRAC in Rajasthan. All these initiatives have the potential to generate employable skilled manpower.
- (e)  The Department of Biotechnologythrough its various schemes and programmeshas been placing emphasises on the building skilled manpower in cutting  edge  biotechnologies.  This  skilling  will  be  taken  to  a  more  advanced level, under the aegis of the BioE3 Policy, that places skilling at its core, aiming to  create  a  highly  trained  workforce  equipped  for  emerging  areas  such  as biomanufacturing,  genomics,  synthetic  biology,  AI-enabled  biotechnology,  and circular bioeconomy solutions.

The BioE3 skilling initiative, DESIGN for BioE3 Challengethemed "Empowering Youth to Solve Critical Issues of their TIMES',promotes an innovative mindset in the  youth,  by  encouraging  creative  problem-solving,  entrepreneurship,  and innovation-led  R&D.  This  is  a  year-long  challenge,  that  will  open  on  the  1 st of every  month.  In  the  1 st month  of  the  challenge  i.e.  November  2025,  1079 proposals were received.

DBT  is  also  leveraging  digital  platform  for  mass  training  through  its  'Webinar Series on Biofoundry and Biomanufacturing initiatives'. This series dwells upon challenges  and  opportunities  in  various  thematic  area  of  Biomanufacturing through  talks  by  eminent  experts  in  the  field  of  biomanufacturing.  Over  5000 participants  including  students,  researchers  and  entrepreneurs  have  benefited from these Webinars.

One  of  the  key  components  under  the  Policy  is  setting  up  of  a  network  of Biofoundries  that  houses  shared  infrastructure  for  scaling-up  of  bio-based products.  DBT  has  currently  setup  a  'National  Network  of  6Biofoundries'. Further,  as  DBT  expands  India's  biofoundry  ecosystem,  training  modules  in design-build-test-learn cycles for biomanufacturing will be made accessible to a  large  number  of  researchers  and  entrepreneurs,  aiming  to  scale-up  their technologies. The Biomanufacturing Research Centre at iBRIC-NCCS, Pune is also being established with a major focus on skilling workforce for Biomanufacturing.

Apart from this a 'High-Performance Biomanufacturing Platform' of 15 Biomanufacturing Hubs with shared facilities for pilot and precommercial scale Biomanuacturing, has also been establishedin the country. These BiomanufacturingHubs will lead to the generation of both direct jobs within the Hubs, as well as indirect jobs, in the co-located industries that will benefit from the technological and upscaling support on target bio-based products. Setting up of more such Biomanufacturing Hubs is in pipeline.

Further, as per the approved BioE3 Policy, a large number of projects would be supported for research, development and scale up in the 6 different verticals of the  Biomanufacturing  Programme  which  will  require  a  diverse  set  of  interdisciplinary, cross-functional skilled manpower. This is likely to boost employment in this field.

- *********