Biotechnology will be the buzzword before 2047, said Hon’ble Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, adding that ‘BT’ is going to be a fashionable buzzword and the youth are going to be the torchbearers.
Currently, India has established 21 biofoundries, which include over 100 incubators and more than 4,000 startups, boosting the country’s bioeconomy from 86 billion in 2020 to 165.7 billion in 2024. These digits are contributed by multiple sectors, including: Bioindustry – 47.2%, Biopharma – 35.2%, BioIT/ Research – 9.4%, BioAgri – 8.1%.
“We do not wait for others to take the initiative; we are among the first to launch an institutionalised policy, the BioE3 policy,” said Hon’ble Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. With this, he commemorated ‘One year of BioE3’ and officially launched the ‘high-performance Biomanufacturing Platforms’ and the official ‘Biofoundry’ booklet.
What is BioE3?
BioE3, which means biotechnology for Economy, environment and employment, is an initiative taken by the Indian government in August 2024. It aims to use Biotechnology to boost the nation’s bio-economy and benefit the Environment while creating Employment.
KEY ASPECTS:
Economy – enhancing the country’s research and development and commercialising the product to boost the bio-economy.
Environment – focusing on eco-friendly solutions to minimise carbon footprints, using renewable resources as food, energy and material while minimising waste and impact on the environment with the help of sustainable practices.
Employment – increasing the country’s competent workers in the biotechnology area and focusing on bio-businesses. The BioE3 policy corresponds to:
- India’s Green Growth vision (announced in the Union budget 2023-24)
- ‘Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)
- Net-zero carbon economy of the country
Since the launch of the BioE3 framework a year ago, the government has opened:
India’s first biomanufacturing institute in Mohali, Bio-AI hubs and biofoundries, and over a dozen joint research calls in frontier areas like cell and gene therapy, carbon capture and functional foods, and climate-smart agriculture.
Interactive meet of the Department of Biotechnology #DBT and #BIRAC with Industry stakeholders at India International Centre.
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) September 1, 2025
"India now accounts for 21 out of 121 Biofoundaries globally, targeting global leadership in Biomanufacturing.
BioEnablers are the foundation of India’s… pic.twitter.com/B5TsHWs3Dg
What’s new:
In celebration of one successful year since bioE3’s launch, the Department of Biotechnology and BIRAC released the nation’s first National Biofoundry network. It consists of six institutions that aim to strengthen bio-manufacturing by multiplying proofs of concept and moving innovations from research labs to industry.
India now accounts for 21 out of 121 biofoundries globally, targeting global leadership in biomanufacturing.
The minister also announced a nationwide competition urging innovators, startups, students and researchers to conceptualise sustainable biotech solutions in healthcare, industry, agriculture and environment.
What the future holds
This policy is not just about research and development, but also includes jobs, start-ups, and sustainable development, stated the minister.
With the advancement of this policy, the government is hoping to impact the life of indian healthcare, agriculture, energy and environment.
The principal scientific advisor to the government mentioned that the government targets to create an ecosystem of experts, which is an essential part of any technology.
The minister called biotechnology necessary for reaching the $300 billion bio economy target by 2030.
Even though the U.S., U.K. and China have already invested heavily in their biotech industry, Prof. Sood hopes India’s trajectory is equally promising.
Completing one year of the bioE3 policy, we have witnessed a promising future in the field of biotechnology in creating Atmanirbhar Bharat, ensuring biotechnology provides economic and environmental benefits while providing proper employment.
