Ministry of Science and Technology unveiled BioSaarthi Mentorship Initiative for Biotech Startups | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Ministry of Science and Technology unveiled BioSaarthi Mentorship Initiative for Biotech Startups

Posted 27 Mar 2025

2 min read

Along with the Initiative, India Bioeconomy Report 2025" (IBER 2025) was also released

  • IBER 2025 has been prepared by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

About the BioSaarthi Initiative

  • It is a six-month cohort program, will provide structured mentor-mentee engagements, offering personalized guidance to emerging biotech entrepreneurs. 
  • It will strengthen industry-academia collaboration.
    • Under it, overseas experts will be engaged, particularly from Indian diaspora as international mentors.

India’s Bioeconomy 

  • Status: $165.7 billion in 2024 (witnessed growth from $10 billion in 2014, marking a 16-fold increase) 
  • Contribution to GDP (Nominal): 4.3% 
  • Sectors wise Contribution: Bioindustrial (largest contributor with 47.2%) followed by BioPharma, Bio Services and BioAgri.
  • Regional contribution: South Zone contributed 45.40% to the national BioEconomy followed by West Zone North and East Zones.
  • State Wise Contribution: States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, etc. are key contributors. 
  • Startup: Biotech startup ecosystem has grown from just 50 startups a decade ago to over 10,075.

Key Initiative that facilitated growth of India’s Bioeconomy Sector 

  • Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3Policy), 2024
  • Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio- RIDE), 2024
  • National Biopharma Mission (NBM), 2017
  • Other: National Mission on Bioeconomy, 2016, etc.
Image showing key pillar of driving India's bioeconomy

Significant Milestone in Bio-economy Sector in Recent Years 

  • Launched Nafithromycin, an indigenous antibiotic aimed at combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
  • Immuneel Therapeutics launched Qartemi, CAR T-cell therapy for adult B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Introduced Geniee: A Personalized Genomics Platform for Tailored Health Insights
  • Tags :
  • Bioeconomy
  • BioSaarthi Initiative
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