The strategy developed by the Department of Biotechnology aims to turn India’s biotech sector into a $100 billion industry by 2025
The National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-20 was unveiled by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and YS Chowdary, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in the presence of Dr VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, and other key stakeholders.
The National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-20 aims to establish India as a world-class bio-manufacturing hub. It intends to launch a major mission, backed with significant investments, for the creation of new biotech products, create a strong infrastructure for R&D and commercialisation, and empower India’s human resources scientifically and technologically.
The key elements of the National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-20 are to build skilled workforce and leadership, revitalise the knowledge environment at par with the growing bio-economy, enhance research opportunities in basic, disciplinary and inter-disciplinary sciences, encourage use-inspired discovery research, will have a focus on biotechnology tools for inclusive development, nurture innovation, translational capacity and entrepreneurship, ensure a transparent, efficient and globally best regulatory system and communications strategy, foster global and national alliances, strengthen institutional capacity with redesigned governance models and create a matrix of measurement of processes as well as outcomes.
These key elements would be implemented in collaboration and partnership with other ministries, departments, state governments and international agencies. The objective is to make India ready to meet the challenge of turning biotechnology into a $100 billion industry by 2025.
Four major missions in healthcare, food and nutrition, clean energy and education will be launched under the strategy. It will also create a technology development and translation network across India with global partnership, including five new clusters, 40 biotech incubators, 150 TTOs, and 20 bio-connect centres and ensure strategic and focused investment in building human capital by setting up a Life Sciences and Biotechnology Education Council.