A detailed analysis of over 2000 biotechnology projects in India reveals the diversity of an emerging industry that spans not only human healthcare (medical devices, therapeutics, vaccines, regenerative medicine, …), but also (bio)agriculture (plant breeding and cloning, animal biotechnology, crop disease and pest control, …) and industrial biotechnology (fine chemicals, environmental, clean energy, …).

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of 2165 projects funded by India's Department of Biotechnology since 2005 through private-public partnerships, and as of 2012 through the ‘Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)’ until BIRAC's tenth anniversary at the end of March 2022 reveals details of the science and technology underpinning past and current biotechnology research and development projects in the country. They are led by human healthcare projects (74.9 % overall), of which medical technology (58.7 %) and therapeutics (24.5 %) are the main drivers, ahead of vaccines (4.3 %), regenerative medicine (3.9 %), public health (3.5 %) and others (5.1 %). Agricultural projects (15.2 % overall) have mainly been driven by plant breeding and cloning (24.6 %), animal biotechnology (20.4 %), agri-informatics (13.4 %), aquaculture (6.1 %), and (bio)fertilizers (4.3 %). The key components of industrial biotechnology (9.9 % overall) have been fine chemicals (44.7 %), environmental projects (23.3 %), clean energy (18.1 %) and industrial enzymes (12.1 %). Analysis of the projects funded pre- versus post-2017, compared to the distribution of equity funding as of early 2022 identifies trends in terms of growth areas and locations of industrial biotechnology projects and activities in India.