Snapshot

India- Soaring Towards a $300 Bn BioEconomy

India is among the Top 12 destinations for biotechnology worldwide and 3rd largest destination for biotechnology in Asia Pacific. India’s BioEconomy has crossed an estimated $130 Bn in the year 2024 and has witnessed a many fold increase in valuation in the past eleven years, with COVID-19 giving the industry a much-needed push. Today, India is poised as one of the leading destinations for bioinnovation and biomanufacturing, and hence is identified as a sunrise sector and a key part of India’s vision of reaching a $5 Tn Economy by 2024. India’s Biotechnology sector is categorised into Biopharmaceuticals, Bio agriculture, Bio IT and Bio Services. 

Biopharmaceuticals: India is one of the biggest suppliers of low cost drugs and vaccines in the world. India also leads in biosimilars, with the most number of biosimilars approved in the domestic market.

Bio Agriculture: With nearly 55% of Indian terrain under agriculture and allied activities, India is one of largest producer of Bt-Cotton and has the 5th Largest Area of Organic Agriculture Land globally. BioAgri, consisting of Bt Cotton, pesticides, marine biotech, and animal biotech has the potential to nearly double its BioEconomy contribution from $10.5 Bn to $20 Bn in 2025.

Bioindustrial: The application of biotechnology to industrial processes is transforming manufacturing and waste disposal across the country.

Bio IT & Services: India offers a strong capability in contract manufacturing, research and clinical trials, and is home to the most US FDA approved plants globally outside of the US.

  • Forecasted to reach $150 Bn by 2025, and $300 Bn by 2030 with a CAGR of ~17%
  • 6000+ Biotech Startups to grow up to 10,000+ by 2025
  • 760+ Biotech Companies
  • 800+ Biotech Products and Technologies supported

100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route for greenfield pharma.

100% FDI is allowed under the government route for brownfield pharma. Up to 74% FDI is under automatic route and beyond 74% is under the government approval route.

FDI up to 100% is allowed under the automatic route for the manufacturing of medical devices.

For further details, please refer FDI Policy

  • +

    Bio-incubators

  • $ Bn

    Expected revenue generation from vaccines by 2025

  • +

    Core Biotech Companies

  • +

    Employment Generated

Largest Supplier of DPT, Measles and BCG Vaccines

Developed World’s First DNA Vaccine Against COVID-19

World's 2nd highest number of USFDA Approved Manufacturing Plants Outside the USA

Industry Scenario

Valued at $137 Bn in 2023, the Indian Bioeconomy Industry is targeted to reach $150 Bn by 2025 and $300 Bn by 2030.  

The growth of the Indian biotechnology sector is fuelled by rising demand at both a domestic and international levels. The rise in domestic demand is fuelled by intiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make In India, while overseas demand for Indian vaccines and biopharmaceuticals is due to the globally competitive efficacy of Indian products. India exports vaccines to over 150 countries and is a leading destination for contract manufacturing and clinical trials. In order to contain healthcare costs, companies are leveraging generics and biosimilars, and India has poised itself as a hub to deliver affordable access to innovative and inclusive healthcare solutions. India has about 3% share in the global biotechnology industry. 

India has the 5th largest area of organic agricultural land. To promote sustainable agricultural practices and innovation in Agri technologies, Department of Biotechnology has funded 51 Biotech-KISAN (Biotech Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) hubs connecting Indian farmers with best scientists and institutions, empowering farmers, especially women farmers with information on soil health, irrigation, and new Agri-technologies. 44 hubs have been set up in 15 Agro-climatic zones of the country and are conducting activities in 169 districts.    

Under the Union Budget 2023, the government announced - "500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme to be established for promoting circular economy". These will include 200 compressed biogas (CBG) plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants at total investment of INR 10,000 Cr. Over the period from 2018 to 2022, a total of 22 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals have occurred in the life sciences sector in India, with a combined value amounting to $4.6 Bn. 

The percentage share of the biotechnology segments is: 

  • BioPharmaceuticals- 62% ( $57.5 Bn) 

  • BioAgriculture- 13% ( $11.5 Bn) 

  • BioIndustry- 15% ( $14.1 Bn) 

  • BioIT & BioServices- 10% ( $9.3 Bn) 

GROWTH DRIVERS

  • Demographic Advantage

    1Mn+ Skilled Biotech Workforce. Pan India Star College Mentorship Program by DBT.

  • Infrastructure

    74 Bio-incubation Centers created through DBT-BIRAC and 4 Industry Clusters in Kalyani, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi NCR.

  • Government acting as an enabler to improve EoDB

    Critical Policy initiatives such as 'Make in India’, ‘Startup India’, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ (boosting domestic manufacturing capacity) and formulation of the National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2021-25.

  • Focus on Research & Development

    Favorable Government Policies like Draft R&D Policy 2021, PLI Schemes and Clinical trial rules have propelled India to be the ‘pharmacy of the world’. India has invested $1 Bn in biotechnology R&D in 2022.

  • Epidemiological Factors

    Increasing Population and Lifestyle Changes; Government expenditure on healthcare up to 2.1% of GDP in FY, with a target of 2.5% of the country's GDP by 2025.

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    FAQs

    Frequently
    Asked Questions

    What is the mandate of Department of Biotechnology?

    The mandate is as follows:
    1) Promote large scale use of Biotechnology.
    2) Support R&D and manufacturing in Biology.
    3) Responsibility for Autonomous Institutions.
    4) Promote University and Industry Interaction.
    5) Identify and Set up Centres of Excellence for R&D.
    6) Integrated Programme for Human Resource Development.
    7) Serve as Nodal Point for specific International Collaborations.
    8) Establishment of Infrastructure Facilities to support R&D and production.
    9) Evolve Bio Safety Guidelines, manufacture and application of cell based vaccines.
    10) Serve as nodal point for the collection and dissemination of information relating to biotechnology.

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    Are there any plans to help R&D in the biotechnology area?

    The Department of Biotechnology and The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council have various schemes to support R&D through centres of excellence, industry partnerships and grants. The schemes are as follows:

    • Centres Of Excellence and Innovation in Biotechnology.
    • Research Resources, Service Facilities and Platforms.
    • Societal Development.
    • Biotech Parks and Incubators
    • Rapid Grant for Young Investigators
    • Glue Grant
    • Special Programmes-North-East region
    • Women Scientist Scheme

    For more information, click here

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    What is the National Biopharma Mission?

    The NBM is an industry-academia collaborative mission for accelerating discovery research to early development for biopharmaceuticals innovate in India (I3). The aim of the mission is to enable and nurture an ecosystem for preparing India's technological and product development capabilities in biopharmaceutical to a level that will be globally competitive over the next decade, and transform the health standards of India's population through affordable product development. The department aims to achieve this through development of centres of excellence, strengthening of bio-clusters, creating shared infrastructure for product development, knowledge sharing etc.

    To submit one's proposal under the NBM, access the following with relevant details.

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    What are the benefits of Biotechnology?

    This technology helps plants for pest resistance, helps plants to tolerate the stressful conditions like low temperature, drought, salt in soil, etc., helps to generate vaccines for the animals to fight against diseases, it is also used to produce pharmaceuticals etc.

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    What is the Biosafety Research Programme?

    Under Biosafety research programme, main emphasis is given to facilitate the implementation of biosafety procedures, rules and guidelines under Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and Rules 1989 to ensure safety from the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and products thereof in research and application to the users as well as to the environment.

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