Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma? (UPSC 2018)

India is seeing intense biotechnology activity because the sector sits at the intersection of health, agriculture, industry and climate needs. Strong policy support, a large scientific talent base and a growing startup ecosystem have made biotech a national priority for innovation, jobs and self-reliance.

• Policy push: The BioE3 Policy provides a clear roadmap for economy, environment and employment through regenerative biomanufacturing and precision biotherapeutics.
• Institutional backing: The merging of 14 research institutions into BRIC has improved coordination, shared infrastructure and faster translation of research.
• Startup growth: India now has 11,855 biotechnology startups, with support from BIRAC through grants, incubators and equity funding.
• Shared infrastructure: Biofoundries, biomanufacturing hubs and Bio-AI hubs reduce the cost and risk of scaling up ideas from lab to market.

How this has helped biopharma:

• Expanded the biopharma segment, valued at about USD 64.5 billion in 2025.
• Enabled indigenous advanced therapies, including NexCAR19, India’s first home-grown CAR-T cell therapy.
• Accelerated work on monoclonal antibodies, mRNA platforms, gene therapies and biosimilars.
• Strengthened India’s role in global value chains through affordable manufacturing and over 150 healthcare and life sciences GCCs.
• Improved clinical research capacity, diagnostics and trial infrastructure, supporting faster product development.

Thus, biotechnology is booming due to enabling policy, institutions and entrepreneurship. In biopharma, it has shifted India from low-cost production to innovation-led, high-value medicines and therapies.