At the end of last month, the Indian government launched a “National Biopharma Mission,” the nation’s first initiative to increase drug production through collaborations between industry and academia. Named Innovate in India (i3), the initiative will be funded by an investment of $250 million as well as a loan from the World Bank of $125 million.

India’s current share of the world’s biopharmaceutical industry is 2.8%, and the government hopes that i3 will bump it up to 5%, or an additional $16 billion in business. Although India is active in generic drugs and low-cost pharmaceutical products, due to a lack of cohesion between centers of excellence, traditionally lesser concentration on translational research and inconsistent federal funding, India is about a decade behind in drug production compared to competing countries such as China and Korea.

The initiative will accelerate the domestic biopharmaceutical industry through the commercialization of research products, supporting clinical validation, establishing strong networks between industry and academic research institutes, and creating a startup-friendly ecosystem. i3 will be implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council.

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Science & Technology