Govt Approves ‘Bio-RIDE’ Scheme for Cutting-Edge R&D in BioTech, BioManufacturing and BioFoundry

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme to support cutting-edge research and development in biotechnology.

This scheme merges two existing umbrella schemes of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and introduces a new component focused on – biomanufacturing and biofoundry.

The scheme has three broad components:

1. Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D)
2. Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED) 
3. Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry

The scheme has a proposed outlay of ₹9,197 crore (approximately US $1.1 billion) for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26. It aims to position India as a global leader in biomanufacturing and biotechnology, addressing national and global challenges in healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and clean energy.

This scheme is announced within a month after the Union Cabinet has approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy, in late last month, to foster High Performance Bio-manufacturing.

Key highlights of the Bio-RIDE scheme include:

Promoting Bio-Entrepreneurship: Providing seed funding, incubation support, and mentorship to bio-entrepreneurs.

Advancing Innovation: Offering grants and incentives for research in areas like synthetic biology, biopharmaceuticals, bioenergy, and bioplastics.

Facilitating Industry-Academia Collaboration: Creating synergies between academic institutions, research organizations, and industry to accelerate commercialization of bio-based products¹.

Encouraging Sustainable Biomanufacturing: Focusing on environmentally sustainable practices in biomanufacturing.

Supporting Researchers: Providing extramural funding to research institutions, universities, and individual researchers in diverse fields of biotechnology.

Nurturing Human Resources: Offering holistic development and support to students, young researchers, and scientists in biotechnology.

The biofoundry component of the Bio-RIDE scheme is designed to advance biomanufacturing capabilities in India.

Under Biofoundry, Government will establish state-of-the-art biofoundries that integrate advanced technologies like synthetic biology, automation, and data analytics to streamline the design, build, test, and learn (DBTL) cycle in biotechnology.

Establishing state-of-the-art biofoundries that integrate advanced technologies like synthetic biology, automation, and data analytics to streamline the design, build, test, and learn (DBTL) cycle in biotechnology.

A biofoundry is a facility that combines biology, engineering, and chemical biology systems with automation and other technologies to accelerate scientific discovery. Biofoundries can help scientists perform synthetic biology experiments on a large scale, which can lead to new solutions for environmental, health, and manufacturing challenges.

The DBT’s ongoing efforts align with its vision of harnessing the potential of Biotechnology as a precision tool for national development and well-being of society to fulfill its mission to make India globally competitive in Biotechnology research, innovation, translation, entrepreneurship, and industrial growth and be a US$300 billion Bioeconomy by 2030. The Bio-RIDE Scheme will contribute significantly towards realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.