Engineering the future: India's opportunity in synthetic biology

The Union Cabinet's approval of the BioE3 policy is a landmark step in the right direction. But the window of opportunity is narrow

The global economy is on the cusp of a biological industrial revolution. Synthetic biology (SynBio)—the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems—is no longer a niche academic pursuit but a disruptive force poised to rewire how we heal, feed, and fuel the world. For India, which has already established itself as the Pharmacy of the World through generic drugs and vaccines, SynBio offers a pathway to climb the value chain and secure its position as a global biotech powerhouse. 

India’s bioeconomy has already shown explosive growth, surging from $10 billion in 2014 to over $165 billion in 2024. However, to reach the ambitious target of a $1.2 trillion bioeconomy by 2047, India must transition from a volume-led manufacturing hub to an innovation-led synthetic biology leader. To achieve this, India must replicate the success strategies of global leaders like the US, Germany and South Korea. 

The opportunity: Beyond the lab 

The applications of SynBio in India are vast. In healthcare, it enables the production of precision biotherapeutics and complex medicinal ingredients like opioids or alkaloids through engineered yeast, bypassing traditional plant extraction. In agriculture, SynBio can create smart proteins and nitrogen-fixing microbes that reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Environmentally, converting potent greenhouse gases like methane into high-value proteins and biodegradable plastics is possible by 

Indian companies. 

A roadmap for leadership 

To transform this potential into a sustained economic engine, India should adopt the following four-pillar strategy used by successful global peers: 

1. Build shared plug-and-play infrastructure 

Global leaders have succeeded by lowering the entry barrier for startups. India must aggressively operationalise its planned network of bio-foundries and bio-AI (artificial intelligence) hubs. These facilities act as ‘infrastructure-as-a-service’, allowing startups to use high-throughput, automated platforms for rapid prototyping without the massive capital expenditure of building their own fermentation plants. Following the US model of Bio-assembly lines will be critical to solving the scale-up bottleneck. 

2. Institutionalize a science-first regulatory sandbox 

One of the biggest hurdles in India is regulatory complexity, where overlaps between biosafety, clinical trials, and agricultural regulators can stall innovation. India should establish regulatory sandboxes specifically for synthetic biology. This would involve creating a unified bio-regulation authority and allowing for parallel processing of approvals, effectively shifting the regulatory mindset from policing to facilitating. 

3. Bridge the ‘Valley of Death’ in funding 

While early-stage grants like BIRAC’s (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council’s) BIG (biotechnology ignition grant) scheme are excellent, many deep-science startups die in the transition from lab to commercial viability. India should introduce a specialized biotech innovation listing board on stock exchanges, similar to global models that allow pre-revenue research and development (R&D) companies to list based on the value of their intellectual property (IP) rather than just immediate profits. 

4. Mandate bio-AI and computational skilling 

The future of biology is digital. To lead, India’s workforce must move beyond traditional bench-work. Our academic curriculum must be overhauled to integrate AI and data science directly into biotechnology programmes. We need a hybrid workforce proficient in computational biology and in-silico drug discovery to compete with global platforms that use AI to design enzymes from scratch. 

Conclusion 

The Union Cabinet’s approval of the BioE3 policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) is a landmark step in the right direction. However, the window of opportunity is narrow. By fostering deep-science entrepreneurship, streamlining regulation, and investing in shared high-tech infrastructure, India can ensure that it doesn't just participate in the biological revolution—it leads it. 

The transition from a distant R&D engine to a strategic global platform with owned molecules and fast-to-market applications is within reach. If India acts with the speed and coordination shown by global biotech leaders, the 21st century will indeed be the century of biology—with India at its heart.

 

The authors are from the Council of Presidents, Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprise (ABLE), Bengaluru