India to Set Up 16 Biomanufacturing Hubs Under BioE3 Program

31 August-Kolkata, India: According to a news source, the Indian government is planning and considering a significant transition under its BioE3 program, encompassing essential medicinal components, enzymes for biofuels, and reagents for biofertilizers. In order to reduce the reliance on imports and increase domestic production, it plans to establish about 16 biomanufacturing hubs throughout India.

According to the report, the officials said that they have already identified “1,000 products for indigenous manufacturing, and they will make the list public soon.”

What does the report say?

The report claims that the action expands on the drive for domestic production that gained momentum following the Covid-19 outbreak, when someone introduced performance-linked incentives to pharmaceutical companies. India has been able to increase its manufacturing of several medications; however, fermentation-based pharmaceuticals continue to be challenging to produce.

However, the hubs will have a sizable 500–1,000 litre fermenters to fill this gap, allowing the manufacture of biofuels in addition to medications. A department official highlighted on the issue and stated that “Creating these hubs helps pool the resources; meaning start-ups and small companies do not have to make big capital investments initially.”

These hubs will also assist advance discoveries from proof-of-concept to products that are ready for the market, including carbon capture technology, monoclonal antibody therapeutics, and smart proteins for nutrition.

Six biofoundries that serve as test sites for these kinds of initiatives have previously received support from the Department of Biotechnology. These are at the Tata Memorial Centre for novel pharmaceuticals, THSTI in Faridabad for monoclonal antibody therapies, IPFT in Gurugram for biopesticides, NCCS in Pune for enzymes and metabolites, and NABI in Mohali for sustainable food and nutrition.