Govt to Unveil Bio-Manufacturing Policy to Boost Bio-Foundries Nationwide

Ahead of the biomanufacturing policy announcement, BIRAC sought Expressions of Interest (EOI) from large biotech firms to provide access to resources and infrastructure for establishing bio-foundries.

The Union government of India is poised to launch a comprehensive bio-manufacturing policy, aiming to catalyse the establishment of bio-foundries across the country.

The primary objective is to foster a robust domestic bio-manufacturing ecosystem, aligning with India's ambition to become a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2024. India is already recognised as a leading destination for bio innovation and bio-manufacturing, pivotal components for achieving this ambitious economic target.

The forthcoming bio-manufacturing policy is anticipated to be officially announced at the Global Bio-India 2023 event scheduled from December 4 to 6, 2023, in New Delhi.

In preparation for this policy unveiling, the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) had earlier solicited Expressions of Interest (EOI) to facilitate access to infrastructure and resources for large biotech companies intending to establish bio-foundries.

The submission deadline for the EOI was October 10, 2023, as confirmed by Dr Jitendra Kumar, managing director of BIRAC.

Dr Kumar indicated that the deadline for EOI submissions might be extended due to increasing inquiries, particularly during the Bengaluru Tech Summit held from November 29 to December 1, 2023. He anticipates additional interest to be expressed during the Global Bio-India event.

During the Summit, Dr Kumar said, "We want to create bio foundries in the different geographies of the country. These are advanced versions of bio incubation units which have limitations to carry out only proof-of-concept studies. Bio-foundries can help scale up and have install capacity of over 1,000 litres of fermenters, addition to regulatory support access and the much-needed IP (intellectual property) assistance. We are of the view that big biotech companies can set up bio foundries and allocate an area for start-ups to operate in the space."

Drawing inspiration from successful models in the US and UK, Dr Kumar highlighted that India's biotech ecosystem is conducive to such advancements.

He urged prominent biotech companies to consider establishing bio-foundries as greenfield or brownfield projects across different geographical regions in India.

The government is committed to providing necessary funding and subsidies, presenting this initiative as a co-investment opportunity for the biotech industry.

In tandem with this development, Dr Mahesh Bhalgat, CEO of Syngene International, said, "Biologics: hormones, cytokines, vaccines and MABs are the future of medicine and healthcare. These benefit cancer care, autoimmune disease management and personalised medicine. The need of the hour is bio-molecules and requires synthetic biology, which paves the way for bio-manufacturing and cell-free protein synthesis approaches."

Experts note that significant global and domestic investments have been directed towards biotechnology and synthetic biology to enhance complex drug, vaccine, and biologic production capabilities.

Recognising the potential of bio-manufacturing for sustainable growth, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has initiated the Fostering High-Performance Bio-manufacturing program.

Under this initiative, BIRAC's EOI seeks participation from biotech companies, academics, and scientific institutions to establish bio-foundries, accelerating the development of bio-manufacturing hubs.

The unveiling of the bio-manufacturing policy and the subsequent establishment of bio-foundries align with India's commitment to advancing its biotech capabilities, fostering innovation, and contributing to global bio-manufacturing advancements.