Relevance: GS-3 (Biotechnology, Economy); Source: The Hindu Business Line
India aims to scale its bioeconomy to over USD 1.2 trillion by 2047, driven by biotechnology innovation, green manufacturing and sustainable resource use.
What is a Bioeconomy?
A bioeconomy refers to economic activity derived from biological resources, biotechnology and natural processes. It spans biopharma, agriculture, bioenergy, biomaterials, genomics, bio-services, and waste-to-value technologies.
Globally, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goals, climate-friendly growth, and circular-economy principles.
India’s Bioeconomy Sector
- India’s bioeconomy has grown from USD 44 billion (2019) to over USD 100 billion (2023).
- Major contributors: biopharmaceuticals, digital health, bio-agriculture, bio-manufacturing and bio-industrial enzymes.
- Policy push: National Biotechnology Strategy, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Start-Up support, National Mission on Bio-economy, Genome Valley clusters, and increasing public–private partnerships.
- India is emerging as a global hub for affordable vaccines, low-cost biosimilars, and agricultural biotech.
Challenges and Way Ahead
Key Challenge | Solutions |
| 1. Regulatory complexity | Overlap across biosafety, GM crop and clinical-trial regulators slows innovation. Solution: Establish a unified bio-regulation authority for faster approvals. |
| 2. Low R&D investment | India spends ~0.7% of Gross Domestic Product vs 2–4% in global leaders. Solution: Increase public funding and offer targeted tax incentives for private R&D. |
| 3. Skilled workforce gap | Shortage of synthetic biology experts, bioprocess engineers, and bio-manufacturing technicians. Solution: Create specialised training programmes under National Skill Mission. |
| 4. Weak industry–farm–lab linkages | Fragmented value chains reduce scalability and technology adoption. Solution: Promote bio-clusters and public–private partnerships for end-to-end integration. |
| 5. Bio-safety, ethical and market risks | Genome editing, synthetic biology require stricter oversight; long gestation deters investors. Solution: Strengthen biosafety standards and expand concessional financing through dedicated bioeconomy funds. |
Q. Consider the following statements regarding India’s emerging bio-economy:
- Bio-economy includes only biotechnology-based pharmaceuticals and excludes sectors .
- India’s regulatory oversight for biotechnology often increases approval timelines.
Which of the statements above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) None
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