200-fold rise in biotech start-ups, says minister-OxBig News Network

In the last decade, India has witnessed a 200-fold rise in the number of biotech start-ups, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology.

There were 50 biotech start-ups in 2014, which have increased to around 10,000 this year. Besides, the industry has gone from 10 bio-products in 2012 to over 800 products at present.

According to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India’s bio-economy stands at $165.7 billion. The biotech sector is now aiming to cross the $300 billion target by 2030, said Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, DBT.

“Biotechnology is no longer a fringe discipline. It is now a strategic driver for India’s economic and health priorities. We have developed seven vaccines, filed over 1,750 patents, achieved the sequencing of more than 3 lakh Covid genomes,” he said.

The Union Minister hailed India as the emerging global biotech destination, propelled by the BioE3 Policy, which implies biotechnology for economy, environment, and employment.

“India today offers the most enabling environment for biotechnology. The time is right, the ecosystem is ripe and we have visionary leadership steering us toward becoming a global bio-economy leader,” he added.

He further claimed that in the last 11 years, India’s growth had turned it from being a follower in the field of technology to a “technology beater”. “We never lacked talent, but aid from the government. We refrained ourselves from following global practices. But now India is shaping the global scientific discourse,” he stated.

Singh highlighted that the development of India’s first indigenously developed DNA-based Covid vaccine marked a historic milestone in the country’s pandemic response. He noted that the successful clinical trials for haemophilia therapy further showcased India’s growing capabilities in advanced biomedical research.

“Another notable achievement was the development of Kisan BiokkAvch, an innovative anti-insecticide suit designed to protect farmers from exposure to harmful chemicals, reflecting the government’s commitment to ensuring both safety and dignity for India’s agricultural workforce,” he said.

Singh said that India’s ocean resource was unexplored under the previous governments. “The ‘Samudrayaan Mission’ is on track and Matsya 6000, India’s deep-sea exploration vehicle, is currently undergoing final safety checks. Sea trials are expected to begin in 2026,” he announced.

The minister highlighted that biotech kits developed in India would be used by astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla for conducting experiments during the upcoming Axiom-4 Mission, marking another leap for Indian science into space biology.