FM announces ₹10,000 crore scheme to promote biopharma manufacturing

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Mission Biopharma Shakti in the Budget, a five-year ₹10,000 crore programme to build domestic capabilities in biologics, biosimilars and clinical research

In a major push towards making India a biopharma manufacturing hub, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday announced Mission Biopharma Shakti with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over five years.

 

The five-year programme seeks to build domestic capabilities in biologics and biosimilars, as India’s disease burden shifts increasingly towards non-communicable illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

 

Addressing Parliament during the Budget session, Sitharaman said that biologic medicines would be critical to improving longevity and quality of life, while also remaining affordable.

 

To this end, the government will build an end-to-end ecosystem for the biopharmaceutical sector under Mission Biopharma Shakti.

 

This includes the creation of a biopharma-focused research and talent network, with the establishment of three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).

 

Similarly, seven existing NIPERs will be upgraded to support advanced research, skill development and industry collaboration.

 

The programme will also establish a nationwide network of 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites.

 

This, Sitharaman said, will be aimed at accelerating drug development, improving regulatory standards and enhancing India’s credibility as a preferred destination for global clinical research.

 

The move comes at a time when the Centre has been taking steps to reduce the regulatory burden for medicine exporters and clinical research.