In August 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, & Employment) Policy to foster high-performance biomanufacturing across India. This landmark policy aims to drive sustainable growth, enhance innovation, and create employment opportunities through biotechnology. Subsequently, the Cabinet approved the continuation of two umbrella schemes under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), merged into a single scheme called Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE), with a new component: Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry. A key initiative under this framework is the establishment of Bio-AI hubs to integrate artificial intelligence with biotechnology for transformative advancements in Health, Agriculture, and Environment.
BioE3 Policy: A Vision for Green Growth
The BioE3 Policy focuses on high-performance biomanufacturing to produce bio-based products, addressing national priorities like climate change mitigation, food security, and human health. It promotes a circular bioeconomy, aligning with India’s Net Zero carbon goals and Lifestyle for Environment initiatives. The policy supports innovation-driven R&D, entrepreneurship, and the establishment of biomanufacturing hubs, biofoundries, and Bio-AI hubs to accelerate technology development and commercialization. With India’s bioeconomy valued at $130 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, BioE3 positions India as a global biotechnology leader.
Bio-RIDE Scheme and Biomanufacturing
The Bio-RIDE scheme, with a financial outlay of ₹9,197 crore from 2021–22 to 2025–26, consolidates DBT’s efforts in biotechnology R&D, industrial development, and entrepreneurship. The new Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry component emphasizes scalable bio-based solutions. This includes establishing shared facilities for pilot-scale production, fostering collaboration among startups, SMEs, and industry. The scheme also supports workforce skilling to meet the demands of India’s growing biotech sector, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities.
Bio-AI Hubs: Merging AI with Biology
A flagship initiative under BioE3 is the establishment of Bio-AI hubs, designed to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning with biological data to address complex challenges. These hubs, proposed across academia and industry, will focus on data-driven research in:
- Biomolecular Design: Developing novel molecules for therapeutics and industrial applications.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing crop resilience and productivity through AI-driven analytics.
- Synthetic Biology: Engineering biological systems for innovative solutions.
- Ayurveda: Modernizing traditional medicine with AI-based validation.
- Genome Diagnostics: Improving disease diagnosis through genomic data analysis.
By combining AI with fields like genomics, proteomics, and medical imaging, Bio-AI hubs aim to revolutionize healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
Joint Call for Proposals by DBT and BIRAC
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) have issued a Joint Call for Proposals to establish मूलांकुर (Moolankur) Bio-AI hubs under the BioE3 Policy. These hubs will foster multi-disciplinary research teams with expertise in synthetic biology, AI/ML, and computation to tackle key biological challenges. The Letter of Intent (LoI) invites problem statements and research solutions in the aforementioned domains, emphasizing data-driven and cutting-edge approaches. This initiative has garnered significant interest, with posts on X highlighting its potential to transform India’s biotech landscape.
Impact on Health, Agriculture, and Environment
The Bio-AI hubs will drive innovation in critical sectors:
- Health: AI-driven precision biotherapeutics, such as mRNA therapeutics and gene therapies, will enhance disease diagnosis and treatment.
- Agriculture: Data analytics will improve farming practices, supporting climate-resilient crops like the drought-tolerant ADVIKA chickpea variety.
- Environment: AI will optimize carbon capture and bio-based chemical production, contributing to India’s Net Zero by 2070 goal.
These hubs will also create employment opportunities, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities, by leveraging local biomass and fostering regional economic growth.
Challenges and the Way Forward
While the BioE3 Policy and Bio-AI hubs hold immense potential, challenges remain, including:
- Scalability: Transitioning from lab to commercial production requires robust infrastructure.
- Regulatory Clarity: Inter-ministerial coordination is needed for approvals, especially for genetically edited products.
- Skilling: A shortage of professionals in synthetic biology and bioinformatics necessitates specialized training.
The Bio-RIDE scheme and initiatives like the Biotech Skills and Training Advisory Council (BSTAC) aim to address these gaps by fostering collaboration among academia, industry, and government.
Conclusion
The BioE3 Policy and its Bio-AI hubs mark a transformative step toward positioning India as a global biotechnology powerhouse. By integrating AI with biology, these hubs will drive innovation in health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability, supporting India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat. The DBT-BIRAC Joint Call for Proposals is a clarion call for researchers and innovators to shape the future of biomanufacturing.
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