National Biopharma Mission

The National Biopharma Mission was established in the year 2017 with an aim to accelerate the biopharmaceutical development in India. The program also named Innovate in India (i3) was host to an investment of USD 250 million with half of the amount coming as a loan from World Bank. The National Biopharma Mission aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the biotechnology sector.

About the mission

• The Mission is to be implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
• The BIRAC is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Biotechnology aims to bring together expertise from the national and international companies which will provide strategic guidance.
• The mission aims to move promising biotech solutions through the accelerated product development value chain.
• The Mission aims to provide a holistic and integrated approach that will strengthen and provide support for the entire product development value chain which will accelerate the timelines from R&D to product development.
• The program is unique in its approach as it aims to provide comprehensive support to innovate, co-create and co-facilitate scientific discoveries in biotechnology.

Why is it in the news?

• The National Biopharma Mission has approved a medical technology and rapid prototyping facility which will be established at Yenepoya (Deemed-to-be University), Deralakatte.
• This facility is expected to be used for producing prototypes of geometrical complexity and to build complex 3D models in medicine.
• It will be used for the design of surgical fasteners, scalpels, retractors, display systems and for organ printing.