Thiruvananthapuram, February 28 (IANS). Emphasizing a decisive shift towards a bio-driven economic paradigm, Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the Centre’s BioE3 policy reflects a long-term strategic vision that places biotechnology at the center of India’s growth path.
Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of a state-of-the-art Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) facility at the Akkulam campus of the BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology (RGCB), the Minister of State stressed on the growing scope of nuclear medicine research following the recent liberalization measures of the Central Government.
He called on the National R&D Institution to pursue interdisciplinary collaboration, especially with private industry, noting that the opening up of the nuclear medical mission creates new opportunities for integrated research and translational applications.
Minister of State Singh also dedicated the National Facility for Recombinant Cells and Sensors and inaugurated the annual Science Day program on the campus.
He said India is among the few countries that have launched an exclusive biotechnology framework, BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy, which links scientific innovation with economic sustainability, green transition and circular economy models.
Referring to the recently announced Biopharma Shakti Mission, Minister of State Singh said that policy makers recognize that the global economy is increasingly becoming bio-driven.
He said that in the last ten years, areas of science, especially biotechnology, have received priority never seen before.
Highlighting the institutional achievements, the Minister of State said that BRIC-RGCB researchers have built strong capabilities in molecular biology, genomics, disease biology and cancer research, attracting scholars from across the country in sequencing, bioinformatics and interdisciplinary sciences.
Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Director General, BRIC, described the biotechnology system as a game changer for the country’s progress and said that the BioE3 Policy 2024 includes six thematic sectors including bio-manufacturing.
He further said that the government-backed human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiative has used data obtained at the institute.
Director (Additional Charge), BRIC-RGCB, T.R. According to Santosh Kumar, the Recombinant Cells and Sensors Facility now has 600 to 700 stable cell lines that target multiple cancer pathways, making the center an important global resource.
Kumar said the upcoming cGMP facility will enable cost-effective cell and gene therapy models, thereby increasing access to next-generation treatments.
–IANS
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