"Global Bio-India 2023 would be the largest congregation of biotech startups"

23 November 2023 | Views | By Dr Manbeena Chawla

The central theme of Global Bio-India 2023 is ‘Biotech Innovation and Bio-manufacturing’. This event will serve as evidence based demonstration of biotech sector potential and opportunities in India for nucleation of global biotech community promoting Destination India. To find out more details about the upcoming event, BioSpectrum spoke to Dr Manish Diwan, Head - Strategic Partnership & Entrepreneurship Development Mission Incharge - Make In India for Biotech sector, BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India

How is the government enhancing its focus on biomanufacturing? How will it contribute to the growth of bioeconomy in the long run? How is the Global Bio India 2023 event being used to highlight the biomanufacturing sector?

Biomanufacturing has been identified as a priority area especially promoting for 2G ethanol, Bio-gas, Enzymes, Smart proteins, Cell and Gene therapy, vaccines, diagnostics and other biologics for human, plant and veterinary applications.

Biotech product manufacturing requires high end infrastructure, running cost, and skilled human resource. This also requires an ecosystem support consisting of talent pool driving innovations, funding support, regulatory and compliances to meet the safety and efficacy/ efficiency. At present, a major proportion of products, equipments, reagents and tools for R&D and Manufacturing are import centric.

Biomanufacturing upscaling in India is aimed to reduce this imbalance and import dependence by indigenisation of such finished goods and intermediaries. The innovation ecosystem acting as the fly wheel completes the cycle of creating innovation led solutions pipeline for addressing the unmet needs.

This cycle also promotes ‘MULANKUR’ of deep tech innovations that are IP led, attract investments, create high value jobs, and potentially address unmet needs through high impact and disruptive innovations. Startup India and Make In India National Missions are also in the same direction. Prime Minister’s clarion call for India to emerge as a $100 Billion Biomanufacturing Hub recognises the potential of biotech – the sunrise sector. India’s Bioeconomy is increasing at a double digit CAGR for last few years contributing to about 3% of India’s GDP. By 2030, it is expected to reach $300 Billion. Biomanufacturing capacity enhancement can potentially contribute to 5% of India’s GDP.

At the Global Bio-India 2023 event, States with 'Biotech state policies' would be setting up their help desks for promoting greenfield and brownfield projects.

Bioeconomy report 2023 is to be released during the Global Bio India 2023 event? Any key highlights to be mentioned prior to the event? Would there by state-wise reports?

India’s BioEconomy has shown a substantial increase from $44.7 Billion in 2017 to $88.1 Billion in calendar year 2021 at a double digit CAGR. It is expected that we have crossed $100 Billion milestone. The BioEconomy report for calendar year 2022 would be released in Global Bio-India 2023. The report would emphasise the impact of Biotech products/ technologies in the entire value chain and how it is integrating within different sub-sectors and day to day life. For example, enzyme powered detergents for washing cloths, bio-mass waste conversion to 2G ethanol as Bio-fuel, etc. besides bio-therapeutics like Covid Vaccines, CAR-T cell cancer therapies, etc.

India’s BioEconomy mapping initiated by DBT/ BIRAC’s Make In India PMU each year has now become a referral document for national and international community. Policy makers, Industry community look forward to the annual BioEconomy report. Based on this, the projected target for 2030 is $300 Billion.

DBT/BIRAC’s initiative of annual mapping of BioEconomy has also played a significant role in sensitisation at the State level. States with mature biotech cluster, like Karnataka has set up $50 Billion as Bioeconomy target for 2030. It is advised that States especially with 'State Biotech Policy' may start actively monitoring and set a target. This way collectively India’s BioEconomy growth and coverage would get a huge boost. The BioEconomy report 2023 is expected to provide the State level potential as well.

What is the current status of biotech policies in different states in India? What more needs to be done to increase each state's contribution into biotech innovation and bioeconomy growth?

More than 22 States have Biotech policy now. This has seen significant improvement in last 8 years.

The culture of biotech innovation and entrepreneurship, conducive policies and common access infrastructure like Bio-Incubation centres would promote Innovation ecosystem in the Research Institutions, Research Hospitals, Universities. This is critical to create a pipeline of new generation entrepreneurs and expand the industry footprint.

Industry promotion and planning, setting up of advanced level common access infrastructure for pilot level and early stage Manufacturing (Technology Clusters) is where State Govt can come forward to provide land, investment incentives in PPP mode with some co-funding assistance from DBT/ BIRAC. This would provide a huge boost to develop local Bio-manufacturing ecosystem.

State level deployment of innovations like medical devices, diagnostics for human, animal and plant applications would provide the ‘forward pull’ to the Startups/ SMEs and built a robust foundation of bio-manufacturing and bio-innovation ecosystem.

How does the government plan to support AI, big data, deep tech based startups to enhance biotech innovations in India? Any new policies, strategies to be highlighted during the Global Bio India 2023 event?

AI, BIG data is integral for the interdisciplinary biotech innovations. In the Global Bio-India 2023 one can expect to hear about global trends and insights. A professional report by E&Y to be released in Global Bio-India 2023 on Digital Transformation of R&D would provide more details.

What major is in store for the biotech startups at Global Bio India 2023 event?

This would be the largest congregation of biotech startups, larger than the one held last year at the BIRAC’s 10^th year celebrations as Biotech Startup Expo 2022 in Pragati Maidan which was also inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

Highlights of the Global Bio-India 2023 event:

300+ exhibits by successful Biotech Startups/SMEs
100+ Biotech Incubation centres
30+ Large Industries, Services and CROs
10 States representation for promoting their Biotech policies
25 Universities and Research Institutions
30+ Country representation
40+ Startup pitches to Investors
100 Investors, Angels, VCs, HNIs
Masterclass for Startups- Art of Pitching
Public sessions on Science connect with society
Public hours for Exhibition
CEO Round tables – MNCs representing Biopharma, Medtech, Diagnostics, Industrial Biotech, Bio-Agri
Stakeholder discussion on National and Global Regulatory Trends
Supersessions on Biomanufacturing and Biotech Innovation ecosystem
Industry Academia interactions
Representation from Major Industry Associations, Investor Associations, Global Entrepreneurship Organizations
Biopartnering and B2B meetings
Help desks - Startup India, Regulatory facilitation, Funding and Investment, Technology Management, etc.