Lok Sabha Question No. 5373 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Bio-economy
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5373 ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## Bio-economy

5373:

Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki:

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

- (a) whether  the  Bio-ride  scheme  has  successfully  provided  momentum  to  India's  goal  of achieving 300 billion US Dollar bio-economy by the year 2030 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  manner  in  which  newly  added  Bio-manufacturing  and  Bio-foundry  units  have  been helpful in the production of high-value indigenous bio-products;
- (c) the major achievements of the BioPharma Shakti initiative in reducing the dependency of our country on import of important biosimilars; and
- (d) the  manner  in  which  Bio-technology  Ignition  Grant  (BIG)  has  been  helpful  in  supporting more than 1,000 early-stage startups by March 2026?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes. Bio-RIDE scheme is aimed at transforming the country's biotechnology landscape and to contribute towards achieving a $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030.  Implementation of various programs  on biotechnology research, development  and  innovation, human  resource and infrastructure  development,  approval  of  BioE3  Policy  and  other  Government  of  India  reforms have contributed to maintain a consistent growth of biotechnology sector during last decade.  India's bioeconomy has reached $195.3 billion in 2025, up from $165 billion in 2024,

reflecting an 18% annual growth rate as detailed in the India Bioeconomy Report 2026 released on 19.03.2026.

(b) The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and it's PSU Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) recently announced the launch of India's first Biofoundry Network, a landmark initiative aimed at transforming the country's biotechnology landscape and achieving a $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030. Rolled out under the BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Environment, Economy &Employment), the network will serve as a national platform to accelerate advanced biomanufacturing.

The  initiative  brings  together  BIRAC  supported  15  cutting-edge  bio-enabler  facilities  across India,  offering  shared  infrastructure  to  start-ups,  SMEs,  industries,  and  academic  institutions. These centers will support pilot and pre-commercial scale technologies across diverse sectors, including microbial biomanufacturing, sustainable agriculture, smart proteins, functional foods, precision  biotherapeutics,  marine  biotechnology,  carbon  capture,  and  next-generation  cell  and gene therapies.

The facilities range from biofoundries working on microbial strains, smart proteins, probiotics, and  bio-based  chemicals  to  biomanufacturing  hubs  developing  next-generation  cell  therapies, mRNA-based medicines,  marine  bio-innovations,  and  sustainable  biofuels.  Collectively,  these will  act  as  bio-enablers  of  innovation  and  commercialization,  unlocking  new opportunities  for industry  and academia alike. These Bioenablers  will drive advanced biomanufacturing, reduce reliance on imports, generate employment, and position India as a global bioeconomy leader.

With  its  wide-ranging  impact  across  health,  agriculture,  food,  energy,  and  environment,  the Biofoundry Network is expected to play a pivotal role in India's transition to clean and green technologies, reduce import dependence, helpful in the production of high-value indigenous bioproducts and establish the country as a frontrunner in the global bioeconomy.

(c) With  a  view  to  strengthen  the  domestic  biopharmaceutical  sector  and  enhance  global competitiveness  in  biologics  and  biosimilars,  the  Government  has  announced  the  Biopharma SHAKTI scheme with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years with an objective to build a globally  competitive  domestic  ecosystem  for  biologics  and  biosimilars  to  support  affordable healthcare  in  India  and  enable  India  to  emerge  as  a  global  biopharma  manufacturing  and innovation hub.

(d) The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) programme, implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Section 8 Public Sector Enterprise under the Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT),  Government  of  India,  has  played  a  pivotal  role  in strengthening early-stage biotechnology innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) is BIRAC's flagship programme designed to support early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in the biotechnology sector. Launched in 2012, the scheme aims to nurture the innovation ecosystem by de-risking initial investments through grant-in-aid support  of  up  to  ₹50  lakh  for  a  period  of  18  months,  enabling  the  establishment  of  proof-ofconcept (PoC) for innovative ideas. Over time, the programme has emerged as one of the largest early-stage  biotech  funding  initiatives  in  India.  It  serves  as  a  launchpad  for  first-generation biotechnology entrepreneurs and has created a strong startup pipeline, contributing to the growth of a self-reliant and globally competitive biotechnology innovation ecosystem.

It is implemented through a network of 8 BIG Partners (BioNEST incubators) that provide endto-end handholding, thorough mentorship (technical, IP, business), and networking support from the pre-submission stage to completion of the project (and even after).

As of March 2026, the programme has:

-  Supported more than 1,000 early-stage startups and innovators
-  Enabled translation of innovative ideas into 200+ developed products/technologies
-  Facilitated creation of 800+ intellectual property filings
-  Mobilized ₹3,500+ crore in follow-on funding
-  Supported 250+ women entrepreneurs
-  Generated 3,500+ skilled employment opportunities
-  Encouraged participation from Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions through an expanded incubator network

The programme has significantly contributed to de-risking early-stage innovation, strengthening the startup pipeline, and fostering a culture of science-led entrepreneurship in the biotechnology sector, thereby enabling the growth of a robust and self-reliant bio-economy.

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