Lok Sabha Question No. 3089 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Marine and Space Biotechnology
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3089 ANSWERED ON  11.03.2026

"Marine and Space Biotechnology"

3089. Shri K C Venugopal:

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

- a) whether the Government has identified futuristic marine and space biotechnology as priority sectors under country's biotechnology and bio manufacturing strategy and if so, the details thereof;
- b) the  details  of  the  country's  current  capabilities  in  marine  bio  manufacturing  and  space biotechnology, including research infrastructure, funding and human resource development;
- c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to reduce country's dependence on imported seaweed-derived and marine bio-based products used in food, pharmaceuticals and medical applications;
- d) whether a dedicated national roadmap with timelines and outcomes is being formulated for marine and  space  biotechnology  in  coordination  with  Indian  Space  Research  Organisation (ISRO) and other scientific institutions and if so, the details thereof; and
- e) the  measures  proposed  to  encourage  private-sector  participation  and  scale-up  of  research, innovation and manufacturing in these emerging biotechnology domains?

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

- a) Yes,  the  Government  has  identified  futuristic  marine  and  space  biotechnology  as  priority sectors  under  the  BioE3  ( Bio technology  for E conomy, E nvironment  and E mployment) Policy  of  the  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT).  The  key  priority  areas  in  space

biotechnology include microgravity  research, space bio manufacturing, bioastronautics and space biology.  On the other hand, DBT envisions developing a biomanufacturing ecosystem based  on  futuristic  marine  research  to  tap  the  oceanic  resources  and  oceanic  space  for meeting the growing needs of food, energy, chemicals, and materials.

- b) Several national institutes and universities have been involved in screening and identifying bioproducts  of  utility  in  health  and  other  commercial  applications  from  marine  resources. The  DBT's  Public  Sector  Unit,  Biotechnology  Industry  Research  Assistance  Council (BIRAC)  has  supported  India's  first  marine  biofoundry  under  the  BioE3  Policy  at  KIITTechnology  Business  Incubator,  Bhubaneswar  for  production  of  cattle  feed  additives, pharma-grade collagen, seaweed-based biostimulants.  Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), through the Deep Ocean Mission is spearheading the inventorisation of deep-sea fauna and flora, capacity building and bioprospecting using deep-sea genetic material from microbes. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under MoES is engaged in activities related to technology development and demonstration in the areas of micro-algal culture, open-sea fish  culture  in  cages,  and  seaweed  cultivation.  ICAR-  Central  Marine  Fisheries  Research Institute  (CMFRI)  has  also  been  contributing  significantly  to  the  advancement  of  marine biotechnology.  Pradhan  Mantri  Matsya  Sampada  Yojana  (PMMSY)  of  the  Department  of Fisheries (DoF) has given momentum to the seaweed industry.

In the area of space bio manufacturing, the current focus is to characterize the behavior of various  microorganisms  for  their  potential  space  bio  manufacturing  applications.  Towards this,  three  experiments  from  DBT  institutions  were  shortlisted  in  the  recent  ISRO-NASA mission  to  International  Space  Station.  In  parallel,  collaborative  efforts  are  underway  to undertake demonstration of space bio manufacturing processes in future. DBT has provision for funding for futuristic marine and space biotechnology sectors via the Cabinet approved 'Biotechnology  Research  Innovation  and  Entrepreneurship  Development  (Bio-  RIDE)' scheme.

- c) The Futuristic Marine Research vertical of the BioE3 policy is focused on R&D in Seaweed Cultivation: breeding for traits such as high yield; disease resistance and climate tolerance; strain improvement through genome assisted approaches for indigenous species of seaweed; developing  scalable  farming  techniques  for  large  scale  production  of  seaweeds/algae  in offshore waters and onshore and sensors for in-situ measurement of seaweed crop health and real  time  monitoring  of  farm  integrity;  development  of  value  added  products  such  as biofuels;  animal  feed  supplements  for animal  health  and  methane  reduction;  agri  inputs  &

fertilizers; pharmaceuticals such as drugs/immunomodulators; nutraceutical products; biodegradable plastics etc. from micro & macro algae. These strategic initiatives will give a fillip  to  indigenous  production  and  help  reduce  import  dependency.  The  cultivation  of seaweeds  and  processing  them  into  value-added  products  is  also  being  pursued  by  the Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  through  its  constituent  laboratory, namely,  CSIR-Central  Salt  and  Marine  Chemicals  Research  Institute  (CSIR-CSMCRI), Bhavnagar. DoF  designated ICAR-CMFRI  as  a  Centre  of Excellence for  Seaweed Cultivation to strengthen indigenous production, quality seed supply, farming protocols, and value-chain development.

- d) The  DBT  has  signed  a  MoU  with  Indian  Space  Research  Organisation  (ISRO)  for cooperation  in  Space  Biotechnology.  The  short-term  goals  consist  of  implementation  of proposals under the ISRO-NASA collaboration. On the other hand, mid-term and long term goals include DBT-ISRO joint space biomanufacturing as well as establishment of ground based  infrastructure  for  space  biotechnology  experiments.  Further,  a  Biomanufacturing implementation plan, for effective implementation of the BioE3 policy (including futuristic marine and space research) has been prepared.
- e) Public-private co-creation model is an inherent part of the BioE3 policy where implementation  of  the  biomanufacturing  initiative  will  combine  the  available  expertise  in academia, startups, and industry. BIRAC has supported India's first marine biofoundry under the  BioE3  Policy  at  KIIT-TBI,  Bhubaneswar.  CSIR-CSMCRI,  Bhavnagar,  has  transferred several seaweed-based technologies to the industries for commercialization.  Further, CSIRNational  Institute  of  Oceanography  (CSIR-NIO),  Goa  is  collaborating  with  industries  for scale-up  and  product  development  through  the  sustainable  utilization  of  marine  living resources. MoES has also taken steps to encourage private-sector participation in marine biobased  products,  and  transfer  of  technology  for  specific  products  has  been  carried  out  for interested  industries.  ICAR-CMFRI  supports  industry  engagement  through  licensing  of technologies, collaborative research projects, and incubation support for start-ups.

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