Dr. Jitendra Singh
In a major initiative with far-reaching future implications, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Employment and Environment) policy of the Department of Biotechnology (DPD) to promote clean, high-efficiency biomass production. , a green, prosperous, and self-sufficient Bharat. This will ensure a pioneering role for India on the global stage as one of the early torchbearers of the world’s future economic growth.
The unsustainable pattern of material consumption, excessive resource use and waste generation has led to global disasters such as forest fires, melting glaciers and loss of biodiversity. Given the national priority to steer India on the path of rapid 'green growth’, the integrated BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy is a positive and decisive step towards sustainable development in the context of challenging climate change. Non-renewable resources and unsustainable waste generation. The main objective of this policy is to stimulate the transition of chemical-based industries to more sustainable bio-based industrial models. It will promote a circular bioeconomy and provide impetus to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by encouraging the use of waste materials, landfills, greenhouse gases, etc. by microbial cell industries to produce bio-based products.
In addition, the BioE3 policy will develop new solutions to enhance the growth of India’s bioeconomy and scale up and commercialize bio-based products; Minimize, reuse and recycle waste materials; expanding India’s pool of highly skilled workforce; increase in job creation; and intensifying entrepreneurial momentum. Key features of the policy: 1) Encouragement and support to entrepreneurs focusing on indigenous research and development in thematic areas such as high value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers & enzymes; smart proteins and functional foods; precision biotherapy; Climate Resilient Agriculture; carbon capture and its utilization; and ocean and space exploration; 2) Accelerate technology development and commercialization by establishing biomanufacturing facilities, biofoundry clusters and bio-artificial intelligence (bio-AI) centers; 3); prioritizing regenerative models of economic growth and job creation with ethical and biosecurity considerations; 4) Harmonization of regulatory reforms with global standards.
India has demonstrated strong economic growth over the past decade and has tremendous potential to be one of the global leaders of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Our bioeconomy has grown 13-fold from $10 billion in 2014 to $130 billion in 2024. And it is expected to reach a market value of $300 billion by 2030. Implementation of BioE3 policy in various sectors will further develop the country’s bioeconomy. While promoting 'green growth’. The foundation for this will be laid by fostering the country’s high-performance bio-manufacturing initiatives and leveraging emerging technologies and innovations. Biomanufacturing is primed to become a key pillar of the 'Make in India’ initiative and will provide a transformative approach to meet the needs of the 21st century. As a multi-disciplinary effort, we can unlock the potential of animal cells, including microbial, plant and human cells, to cost-effectively create bio-based products with a low carbon footprint.
Biomanufacturing hubs are envisaged to act as centralized facilities that promote the production, development and commercialization of bio-based products through advanced manufacturing technologies and joint ventures. It will create a community where resources, expertise and technology are shared to drive scalability, sustainability and innovation of biomanufacturing processes. These biomanufacturing centers will bridge the gap between 'lab-to-pilot’ and 'pre-commercial scale’ production of bio-based products. Start-ups can play an important role in this process by bringing and developing new ideas and feeding them to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and established manufacturers.
Biofoundry refers to the creation of advanced clusters for making bioengineering processes scalable – from initial design and testing stages to pilot and pre-commercial production. mRNA-based vaccines and large-scale production of different types of proteins are some admirable examples where biofoundries are valuable. These teams will specialize in designing, building and testing biological systems and organisms using standardized and automated processes.
The Bio-AI Centers will serve as a focal point for promoting and promoting the integration of AI in research and development. These Bio-AI centers will provide biotechnology expertise, state-of-the-art infrastructure and logistical support for integration, storage and analysis of large-scale biological data using AI and machine learning. Making these resources accessible to experts in various fields (biology, epidemiology, computer science, engineering, data science, etc.) enables the development of innovative bio-based end products – be it new types of gene therapy or new food processing. change
Through these integrated initiatives, the BioE3 policy will bring about a surge in employment, especially in tier-II and tier-III cities, where bio-manufacturing hubs are proposed to be set up due to proximity to biomass sources. By investing in India’s economy, environment and employment, this comprehensive policy will contribute to the country’s vision of 'Viksit Bharat’.
(Author Minister of State (I/C) Science and Technology)