DBT and ISRO to Work Together on Space Biotech, Space BioManufacturing, & BioAstronautics

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on space biotechnology, space bio-manufacturing, and bioastronautics. This collaboration aims to integrate biotechnology with space technology, fostering innovation in human health research, novel pharmaceuticals, biotherapeutics, regenerative medicine, and bio-based technologies for efficient waste management.

The partnership will focus on microgravity experiments, including the impact of microgravity on edible algae, the growth of cyanobacteria with urea in space, and research on supplements to prevent muscle loss in microgravity. These experiments are part of the upcoming Axiom-4 mission and the Gaganyaan mission, India's first crewed space mission.

This collaboration is expected to spur innovation and development in the fields of human health research, bio-manufacturing, and bioastronautics, benefiting both national space programs and societal applications.

India is set to establish its own space station, named Bharatiya Antariksh Station, by 2035. This ambitious project was announced by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, following a this MoU between ISRO and the DBT, to integrate biotechnology with space technology, fostering a new era of scientific innovation.

The BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) Policy is another key initiative outlined in the MoU. This policy aims to foster high-performance biomanufacturing in the country, with a goal of reaching a $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030.

@DBTIndia and @isro signed the #MoU to work
together on Space Biotechnology, Space Biomanufacturing, & Bioastronautics. Together we are dedicated to achieve remarkable advancements in finding sustainable solutions. #InnovationCollaboration @DrJitendraSingh @rajesh_gokhale pic.twitter.com/HySYxQF1RB

— Department of Biotechnology (@DBTIndia) October 30, 2024

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’.

BIRAC and USISPF Partner for Cooperation Between Biotech and Health Tech Co.s, Organizations, and Institutions Across US & India

The BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council), a public sector enterprise established by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) India and Department of Science & Technology (DST) has announced the signing of a letter of intent to collaborate with USISPF (US-India Strategic Partnership Forum) to foster innovation & partnerships between biotech and health tech companies, organizations, and institutions across the US and India.

This collaboration aims to enhance innovation and development in the biotech and health tech sectors by leveraging the strengths and resources of both countries.

The signing ceremony took place in the august presence of Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, DBT, Shri Ajay Sood (IISc), Office of Principal Scientific Advisor, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, and Smt. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Ltd.

This partnership will aim to facilitate the exchange of best practices and develop coordinated support measures to enhance the growth of the innovation ecosystem.

The focus will be on fostering knowledge transfer and innovation cooperation between biotech and health tech companies, organizations, and institutions across both

Earlier this month, USISPF announced and hold the 3rd edition of its defence summit — the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)— in the US to strengthen advanced technology partnerships in defence innovation between the two countries.

Formed in 2017, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the strategic and economic partnership between the United States and India. It focuses on promoting bilateral trade and investment, fostering innovation, and enhancing collaboration across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, and energy.

CMC-Vellore and IIT-Madras Jointly Develop Portable, Affordable Robotic Device for Stroke Survivors

Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore and IIT Madras have developed a portable robotic device named PLUTO (Plug-and-Train Robot for Hand Neurorehabilitation) to aid stroke survivors in their recovery through hand movement therapy. This innovative device is designed to be affordable and user-friendly, making it accessible for use in various settings, including hospitals, small clinics, community centers, and even at home.

Pluto employs a single motor with multiple attachments to train different hand functions, inspired by the design of a mixer grinder⁴. It has already been used by over 1,000 patients across nine clinics in India, showing promising results. The technology has been licensed to Thryv Rehab Solutions for commercialization.

This development is a significant step forward in neurorehabilitation, potentially enhancing the quality of life for many stroke survivors.

This project was led by Prof. Sivakumar Balasubramanian from the Department of Bioengineering at CMC Vellore and Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras.

Pluto was developed in collaboration with the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurological Sciences at CMC Vellore. Initial funding came from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, with additional support from CSR grants provided by Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited ( TBAL) and Tata Elxsi Limited, which further enhanced PLUTO’s technological readiness.

The innovation has secured an Indian patent, with patents pending in the US and Canada.

Pluto, the physiotherapy robot, stands out in several ways compared to other rehabilitation devices:

1. Affordability: Pluto is designed to be cost-effective, making it accessible to a broader range of patients, including those in rural or low-income areas. Many advanced rehabilitation devices can be prohibitively expensive.

2. Portability: Unlike many bulky rehabilitation machines, Pluto is portable and can be used in various settings, including at home. This flexibility is crucial for continuous therapy, which i often needed for effective stroke recovery.

3. User-Friendly Design: Inspired by the simplicity of a mixer grinder, Pluto uses a single motor with multiple attachments to train different hand functions. This design makes it easy to use without extensive training.

4. Proven Effectiveness: Pluto has already been tested on over 1,000 patients across nine clinics in India, showing promising results. This real-world usage provides a strong foundation for its effectiveness.

5. Customization: The device can be tailored to individual patient needs, which is essential for personalized rehabilitation plans.

In comparison, other rehabilitation devices might offer more advanced features or higher precision but often at a higher cost and with less portability. Pluto's balance of affordability, portability, and effectiveness makes it a valuable tool for stroke rehabilitation.

Cabinet Approves BioE3 Policy to Foster High Performance Bio-Manufacturing

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy.

The BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) is a landmark initiative that will foster High Performance Bio-manufacturing. This will also encourage scientific, industrial and societal advancements in the times to come. Other benefits include environmental preservation and employment creation.

High performance biomanufacturing is the ability to produce products from medicine to materials, address farming and food challenges, and promote manufacturing of bio-based products through integration of advanced biotechnological processes.

Here are the key points of BioE Policy:

1. Innovation-Driven Support: The policy focuses on innovation-driven support for research and development (R&D) and entrepreneurship across thematic sectors.

2. Accelerating Technology Development: It aims to accelerate technology development and commercialization by establishing Biomanufacturing & Bio-AI hubs and Biofoundry

3. Regenerative Bioeconomy: The policy prioritizes regenerative bioeconomy models for green growth, expanding India's skilled workforce, and creating jobs.

4. Strategic Sectors: BioE3 will address national priorities in sectors such as high-value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers, enzymes, smart proteins, functional foods, precision biotherapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, carbon capture, marine research, and space research.

This policy sets India on the path of accelerated 'Green Growth' by promoting a 'Circular Bioeconomy.' It envisions a sustainable, innovative future for Viksit Bharat.

Overall, this Policy will further strengthen Government’s initiatives such as ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy & ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ and will steer India on the path of accelerated ‘Green Growth’ by promoting ‘Circular Bioeconomy’. The BioE3 Policy will foster and advance future that is more sustainable, innovative, and responsive to global challenges and lays down the Bio-vision for Viksit Bharat.

Govt will Promote Industry-driven Start-Ups to Create Wealth and Jobs - Minister

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said, Government will promote Industry-driven Start-Ups to create wealth and jobs.

Addressing the 37th Foundation day of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) as Chief Guest at National Institute of Immunology, NII, Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh called for equal stake with equal partnership and responsibility by Industry to sustain the Start-Ups boom.

The Minister said, Start-Ups will become sustainable, if Industry from the very beginning will identify the theme/subject/product and invest matching equity with the Government.

The Minister assured that funds will not be a constraint under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government to promote the “Innovation Eco-System” in the country.

Giving the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of an Atma Nirbhar Bharat, where India’s vaccine strategy brought together pharma, industry and academia in a partnership with an eye on meeting the current as well as possible future challenges, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the idea behind initiatives like this is to have a sustainable partnership in the long run and provide a sustainable source of livelihood to India’s youth. He added that the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Modi, is encouraging industrial outreach by extending all possible support.

The Minister also pointed out that last yearb(in May) he had launched Single National Portal "BioRRAP" for Biotech researchers and Start-Ups and also to cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for "Ease of Science as well as Ease of Business”.

He asserted that India is poised to become a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub and will figure among the top 5 countries of the world by 2025.

Dr Jitendra Singh pitched for development of India’s own Molecule and said for Indian Problems, Indian Remedies must be devised. He said, Biotechnology is the technology of tomorrow as IT has already reaching its saturation point. The Minister emphasized that Biotech will be the key to Amrit Kaal Economy and also for making India a frontline nation in the world.

Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that India's bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years under Prime Minister Modi from $10 billion in 2014 to over $80 billion in 2022. Similarly, Biotech Startups have grown 100 times in the last 8 years from 52 odd startups in 2014 to 5300 plus in 2022.

He said, 3 Biotech Startups were incorporated every day in 2021 and a total of 1,128 biotech startups were set up in 2021 alone, signaling the rapid growth of the sector in India.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Biotechnology Sector in India has evolved over the last three decades and has made significant contribution in various sectors including health, medicine, agriculture, industry and bio-informatics, due to enormous support received both from government & private sector.

He underlined that the Biotechnology Sector has seen a rapid growth in the last 9 years and India is now being rated among top 12 biotechnology destinations in the world. He said, more than three times funds allocated to this sector compared to pre-2014 era to make India globally competitive in biotechnology research, innovation, and entrepreneurship and also paving the way for the promising future.

In his address, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr Rajesh Gokhale said, "India must catch up fast with the Foundational Technologies of 21st Century to remain relevant in the game.He said, Government of India, through the Science, Technology and Innovation, among other things, aspires to position India among the world’s top five scientific powers and it is very much committed in supporting scientific research and innovations."

He added that DBT is the nodal agency for promotion of Biotechnology in the country and nurturing Biotechnology by creating a strong ecosystem for facilitating basic, early and late translational research and entrepreneurship and also formulation of policies and guidelines in all sectors of biotechnology. Department is relentlessly working towards promotion of research, innovation and technology leading to product development; building capacities, both human resource and infrastructure; fostering national and international partnerships.

Delivering the Foundation Day Lecture, Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru said that Department of Biotechnology is the only department in the Government of India which has got end-to-end approach from Idea to development of final product. He also informed that gathering that it was Biotech or rather the IR8 variety of Rice, which was responsible for the Green Revolution thus making significant contributions to Agri Sector, as the yield was 3 to 4 times per hectare than the normal seed.

Prof K VijayRaghvan in his address said that there was a time when there was a danger that DBT could have been mistaken for Fermentation Technology but thanks to efforts by Dr Ramachandran that it evolved as a separate specialized stream and department. He said, linkage of Biotechnology with Digital Technology will open the floodgates for this sector.

Dr Alka Sharma, Senior Advisor, DBT and MD, BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) in her welcome address said, DBT has established 15 theme-based autonomous institutions across the country. She also informed that one international institution namely the New Delhi center of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology and two Public Sector Undertakings BIBCOL and BIRAC have also been established for manufacturing of biologicals and fostering and nurturing the startup innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Sanjay Mishra, Senior Scientist presented vote of thanks and took the collective pledge to make DBT, one of the premier Research and Innovation Departments of the country and the world in times to come.

DBT has contributed in strengthening all the diverse aspects of Biotechnology. Some of the major achievements in key areas include —  

1. Ease of Governance-Policy Reforms include Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) Department is subsuming its 14 Autonomous Institutions to create one Apex Autonomous Body
2. Vaccines for Swasth Bharat;
   Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0, a special grant of Rs. 900 Crore was allocated to the Department for the implementation of Mission COVID Suraksha towards development of vaccines against COVID-19.

Sectoral achievements include —

• Genomic Sequencing - Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) ng for Tracking Pathogens 
• Therapeutic Interventions
• Regulatory Reforms include Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP)– “One Nation One Portal”, Biotech-KISAN,(~100/year) for law enforcing agencies, medico-legal applications and quality testing. CDFD offers diagnostic services for various genetic disorders including rare genetic disorders which help iDBT-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) offers DNA Fingerprinting services.

For "Ease of Science", India Gets Single National Portal for BioTech Researchers and Startups

Last Saturday, a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups was launched that are seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development projects.

The Portal "BioRRAP" (Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal) is essentially a centralized mechanism created to cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for "Ease of Science" as well as "Ease of Business".

Notably, there are over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies working at present in the country.

BioRRAP is the first public mechanism that tracks requisite regulatory approvals for research proposals online.The portal will keep researchers notified on the stage of their application in terms of regulatory clearances. It further allows users to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher/ organization.

BioRRAP provides a single route to direct the applicant to regulatory agencies providing requisite approval relevant to the biological research. 

Based on a succinct set of questions responded in affirmative by the applicant, the list of regulatory agencies from whom approvals may be required for biological research, is determined and attached to the unique BioRRAP ID generated on the submission.

The online Portal will also allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through BioRRAP IDs. This portal is brought in existence by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.

On launch of BioRAPP, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said, "There is no mechanism to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal and therefore, to provide more credibility and recognition to such biological researches, Government of India has developed a web system under which each research, requiring regulatory oversight, will be identified by a unique ID called 'BioRRAP ID."

He said, the portal will serve as a gateway and will help researcher to see stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances and to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher and/or organization.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that other than biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey and bio-utilization of biological resources are also gaining momentum in India due to effect of climate change on them.

He added that research in the various biological fields is continuously expanding its vista in India supported by the grants from various public and private sector. Many of these research falls under the purview of one or more regulatory agencies which first approve the research proposal after which researcher undertakes that specific research.

The minister directed the DBT officials for wider publicity of this unique National Portal and asked them to make short duration films capturing all the nuances of the registration and regulatory approval through the portal.

India Allocates Science Budget of Over Rs 1300 Cr for COVID-19 Research and Product Development

Government of India has allocated science budget for COVID-19 related research. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), have allocated an amount of appx. Rs 1300 Crore for COVID-19 Research and Product Development.

Under the COVID-19 Research Consortium as a part of the comprehensive efforts to facilitate development of indigenous research solutions to tackle COVID-19, 107 projects were supported in thematic areas of COVID-19 vaccines (17), diagnostics (45), therapeutics (22) and biomedical interventions (23).

To advance biomedical research DBT has supported five COVID-19 biorepositories.

 

Further, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG), a Consortium of 28 regional sequencing labs, was launched, to ascertain the status of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. “Mission COVID Suraksha – The Indian COVID-19 vaccine development Mission” is being implemented at a total cost of Rs. 900 Cr. The Mission is supporting the development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates (05), facilities for animal challenge studies (03), facilities for immunogenicity assays (03), clinical trial sites (19). Additionally, facility enhancement of Bharat Biotech and 3 Public Sector Undertakings to support augmented production of Covaxin, is also being supported under the Mission.

Department of Science and Technology (DST) earmarked an amount of approximately Rs 200 Cr. for COVID-19 related research for implementation through its different programmes, Autonomous Institutions and statutory bodies like Science and Engineering Research Board and Technology Development Board.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has allocated Rs.10444.39 lakhs from its Government budgetary support and internal resources for implementing projects related to COVID-19 related research. DBT supported COVID-19 related research activities under the umbrella schemes of "Biotechnology Research and Development" and “Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development”.

This information was given in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today by Dr Jitendra Singh who is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.

India Creates World’s 1st Database of Genomic Variants of Oral Cancer 'dbGENVOC'

DBT, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani an Autonomous Institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India has created a database of genomic variations in oral cancer; the first of its kind in the world. NIBMG has made this database publicly-accessible.

dbGENVOC is a browsable online database of GENomic Variants of Oral Cancer and is a free resource. First release of dbGENVOC contains -

1. ~24 million somatic and germline variants derived from whole exome sequences of 100 Indian oral cancer patients and whole genome sequences of 5 oral cancer patients from India, 
2. Somatic variation data from 220 patient samples drawn from the USA and analyzed by TCGA-HNSCC project
3. Manually curated variation data of 118 patients from recently published peer-reviewed publications. Variants were identified by the community approved best practice protocol and annotated using multiple analytic pipeline.

dbGENVOC is not just a catalogue of genomic variants, it has a built-in powerful search engine. It also allows a reasonable extent of statistical and bioinformatic analysis to be carried out online, including identifying variants in associated altered pathways in oral cancer.

The repository, which will be updated annually with variation data from new oral cancer patients from different regions of India and southeast Asia, has the potential to support advances in oral cancer research and will be a major step in moving forward from simply cataloguing variants to gain insight into their significance.

Oral cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India, largely fuelled by tobacco-chewing. Tobacco-chewing causes changes in the genetic material of cells in the oral cavity. These changes (mutations) precipitate oral cancer. Research to identify those genetic mutations that drive oral cancer are ongoing. Such driver mutations may be variable across populations

The URL for the database, dbGENVOC, is: http://research.nibmg.ac.in/dbcares/dbgenvoc/

Details can be found in:

Pradhan, S., Das, S., Singh, A.K. et al. dbGENVOC: database of GENomic Variants of Oral Cancer, with special reference to India. Database (2021) Vol. 2021: article ID baab034; doi:10.1093/database/baab034

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, boosts and augments the development of the biotechnology ecosystem in India through its expansion and application in agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment, and industry.

The National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) has been established as an autonomous institution by the Government of India, under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology. This is the first institution in India explicitly devoted to research, training, translation & service and capacity-building in Biomedical Genomics. It is located in Kalyani, West Bengal, India, near Kolkata.

Bhubaneshwar-based ILS Setting Up Bio-Incubator for Bio-Tech Entrepreneurs and Startups

Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) in Bhubaneshwar, which is operated under Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, is in the process of establishing a bio-incubator for nurturing, mentoring and promoting entrepreneurs in biotechnology, announced by ILS Director Dr Ajay Parida, in a webinar series on 'Insight into Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology'.

Speaking at the inauguration of the webinar, Union Biotechnology Secretary Dr. Renu Swarup said that she hoped that with the excellent science base, the ILS will play a major role in developing an enabling ecosystem for bio incubation in the region.

Dr Renu Swarup exuded confidence that biotechnology applications would play an important role in mitigating challenges in most of the sectors.

The innovation ecosystem, promoted by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council in the recent times has enabled promotion of young entrepreneurs for development of several products and processes in agriculture, healthcare, environment management, devices and many other areas.

The institute, along with DBT, has recently (in August'20) invited application from startups, entrepreneurs as well as researchers and academicians for incubation supprt that incude lab space, mentoring and funding ideas for all stages PoC, Clinical trials and Commercialization.

Established in the year 1989, ILS was an autonomous institute under Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. The-then Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee dedicated the institute to the nation in July 2003. Three ILS faculties have been awarded prestigious TATA innovation fellowship of DBT. Over the years ILS has produced 80 Ph.D.s, over 450 publications and 27 patents applied.

To Support Bio-pharma Innovations, Govt Supported National Facility Opens at Venture Center, Pune

The Center for Biopharma Analysis (CBA) supported by the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) at Pune-based technology business incubator, Venture Center was inaugurated virtually by Secretary, DBT, Dr Renu Swarup.

CBA will provide high-quality analytical services for biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers. This center is envisioned to become a resource center for structural and functional characterization of biologicals and biopharmaceuticals that will create long lasting value for bioentrepreneurs and industry.

Inaugurating the facility via video conference, Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT, said that she expects that the CBA will play a pivotal role in supporting biopharma innovations from academic and government research labs, startups and many Indian companies with not only high-quality analytical characterization but also advise on studies needed for regulatory approvals. This can help speed up the development process.

Also speaking on the occasion, Prof AK Nangia, Director, CSIR-NCL highlighted how NCL is keen to contribute to the large molecule therapeutics revolution waiting to happen in India as it did for small molecule therapeutics in 1970-80s. Mr Prasanta Biswal, CEO of International Biotech Park Limited, Pune said that IBPL is happy to have contributed CSR support for the CBA infrastructure development and looks forward to working closely with Venture Center and BIRAC in positioning the Pune Knowledge Cluster for excellence in biopharma and medtech development and manufacturing.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.

About Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) , it is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs

About National Biopharma Mission:

The Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India for accelerating discovery research to early development for Biopharmaceuticals approved by the Cabinet for a total cost US$ 250 million and 50% co-funded by the World Bank is being implemented at Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). This program is dedicated to deliver affordable products to the nation with an aim to improve the health standards of India’s population. Vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics and biotherapeutics are few of its most important domains, besides, strengthening the clinical trial capacity and building technology transfer capabilities in the country.

About Venture Center: Entrepreneurship Development Center (Venture Center) – a CSIR initiative – is a Section 25 company hosted by the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. Venture Center strives to nucleate and nurture technology and knowledge-based enterprises by leveraging the scientific and engineering competencies of the institutions in the Pune region in India. The Venture Center is a technology business incubator supported by the Department of Science & Technology’s National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (DST-NSTEDB). Venture Center focuses on technology enterprises offering products and services exploiting scientific expertise in the areas of materials, chemicals and biological sciences & engineering. For more information, visit: http://www.venturecenter.co.in/

About CBA: Center for BioPharma Analysis (CBA) is an initiative of Venture Center supported by the National BioPharma Mission, BIRAC (Government of India). The Venture Center is a technology business incubator hosted by CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. It is a state-of-art GLP compliant facility with high-end instrumentation and industry-linked personals provides globally acceptable analysis of biopharmaceuticals. It provides open access cutting-edge technologies for Biopharmaceutical Analysis and would emerge as resource center for Characterization of Biopharmaceuticals. The facility aims to cater all academics, small to medium size biosimilar developers through-out the India and the world. For more information, visit: https://www.venturecenter.co.in/biopharma/