India€™s biotech sector grew nearly fivefold in past decade: DBT Secretary

young new delhi, Jun 23 (PTI) India's biotech sphere has expanded rapidly in the past times decade, with its bioeconomy growing from USD 35.5 billion in 2014 to USD 165.7 billion in 2024, according to Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

He said the sector is now aiming for a USD 300 billion target by 2030, as scientific advances begin to translate into industrial and public health gains.

"Biotechnology is no longer a fringe discipline, it's now a strategic driver for India's economic and health priorities," Gokhale said at a press conference highlighting 11 years of DBT's achievements.

Among the standout initiatives is GenomeIndia, a nationwide effort to sequence the genomes of 10,000 individuals from 99 population groups, he said.

The data, released earlier this year, is expected to inform personalised medicine and help researchers develop diagnostics tailored to Indian populations.

Gokhale also highlighted India's first in-human gene therapy trial using a lentiviral vector for Severe Hemophilia A.

India's vaccine response, Gokhale said, demonstrated the capacity of the DBT-backed innovation ecosystem.

Under "Mission COVID Suraksha", five COVID-19 vaccines developed with DBT support received emergency approvals, including GEMCOVAC-19, the world's first thermostable mRNA vaccine.

Other products include the intranasal COVID-19 vaccine and CERVAVAC, India's first indigenous quadrivalent HPV vaccine, now part of the National Immunization Programme, according to document shared at the briefing.

Indian scientists contributed to decoding the complex genome of bread wheat, a global staple crop, and published a reference genome with 94 per cent coverage.

Other research showed how Mycobacterium tuberculosis can infect liver cells and undermine TB treatment efficacy, while a study on taurine levels suggested amino acid may influence aging.

Gokhale said India's biotech startup landscape has changed dramatically, with over 10,000 startups now in the sector, up from a few hundred a decade ago. Over 800 biotech products have emerged in this period.

Through BIRAC, DBT has helped set up 95 bio-incubators across 21 states.

Infrastructure investments include India's first dedicated biomanufacturing institute in Mohali and vaccine testing labs notified as Central Drug Laboratories. Speed breeding facilities have also been established to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops.

The BioE3 policy, approved by the Cabinet in 2024, is aimed at fostering high-performance biomanufacturing aligned with Net Zero targets.

India has also expanded partnerships'”with ISRO on space biotechnology, and globally with CEPI, the Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust.

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