image credit- PIB
At a high-level meeting of the Department of Biotechnology, Union Minister of Science and Technology (S&T) Dr Jitendra Singh announced the creation of Regional BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) Centres across India, in collaboration with States, to accelerate startups and biomanufacturing, and thus harness the biotech potential in different parts of the country.
The Minister emphasised the need for comprehensive mapping of states based on their biotech potential and directed the department to collaborate with them in establishing Bio E3 (Economy, Environment and Employment) Cells highlighting that Assam is the first state to establish a dedicated BIO E3 cell. These specialised cells will provide necessary support for fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and scaling up biotech ventures.
Dr Jitendra Singh stressed that the Tripartite arrangement- a synergy between Research Infrastructure, Startups, and Industrial R&D- is the way forward for India’s biotech sector. He directed the department to prioritise setting up Core R&D Facilities equipped with state-of-the-art biomanufacturing capabilities to facilitate pilot validation, upscaling, and commercialisation of promising biotech innovations.
Dr Jitendra Singh instructed the Department of Biotechnology to establish early industry linkages and work towards a 4P Model (Public-Private-People Partnership) for accelerating biotech growth.
