India as a Global Biotechnology Hub | 06 Jun 2025
India showcased its rising prominence in the global biotechnology sector at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) meeting in New Delhi.
- India inaugurated first of its kind public-funded DST-ICGEB Bio-foundry, a platform for scaling up bio-based innovations, supporting startups, and researchers.
- ICGEB, established in 1983, is a premier intergovernmental organization with 69 member countries, with centres in New Delhi, Trieste, and Cape Town.
- Under the BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment), India aims to build a resilient bio-manufacturing ecosystem.
- India's bioeconomy grew from USD 10 billion (2014) to USD 165.7 billion (2024), targeting USD 300 billion by 2030.
- India ranks 12th globally, 3rd in Asia-Pacific in biotechnology, and is the largest global vaccine producer, with over 10,000 biotech startups in 2024 (up from 50 in 2014).
- Notable Achievements Include:
- ZyCoV-D- World's first DNA-based Covid vaccine developed under Mission Covid Suraksha.
- Nafithromycin, country's first indigenous Macrolide antibiotic.
- Quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (qHPV) vaccine, CERVAVAC, has been developed to help prevent cervical cancer.
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Pneumosil, has been developed to protect against pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, especially in children.
| Read More: BioE3 Policy and Biotechnology in India |