Friends, I came across a term in the media BioE3 a few days back. The particular term was of that the Union Cabinet, chaired by the PM has approved BioE3 Policy-ie Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment, which will be aimed at fostering high-performance bio-manufacturing.
To address the national priorities, the BioE3 Policy would broadly focus on the following strategic/thematic sectors: high value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers & enzymes; smart proteins & functional foods; precision bio-therapeutics; climate resilient agriculture, carbon capture & its utilization; marine and space research.
Key features of BioE3
- The BioE3’s key aspects involve supporting innovation-driven R&D and entrepreneurship across various thematic sectors.
- This will expedite the development and commercialization of technology through the establishment of Bio-manufacturing & Bio-AI hubs and Bio-foundry.
- In general the policy will bolster the Government’s initiatives such as ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy & ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ and will guide India towards accelerated ‘green growth’ by encouraging ‘Circular Bio-Economy’.
- The BioE3 policy will nurture an advanced future that is more sustainable, innovative, and responsive to global challenges and sets out the Bio-Vision for Viksit Bharat.
What is High-Performance Bio-manufacturing
High-performance bio-manufacturing involves the production of products ranging from medicine to materials, tackling farming and food challenges, and promoting the manufacturing of bio-based products through the integration of advanced bio-technological process.
The upcoming revolution is expected to create numerous job opportunities in the field of bio-technology and bio-science.
The six thematic verticals of the policy are:
- Bio-based chemicals and enzymes
- Functional foods and smart proteins
- Precision bio-therapeutics
- Climate resilient agriculture
- Carbon capture and its utilization
- Futuristic marine, and space research
Along with BioE3 policy, the cabinet also merged three schemes of Science Ministry into a single scheme, called Vigyan Dhara, which expects to send rs 10,579 Cr until 25-26 on Science and Technology (S&T) Institutional and Human Capacity Building, R&D, and Innovation, Technology Development.
Internships will be arranged for students in the 11th and 12th grades and fellowships for research at the graduate and post-graduate level.
The scheme endeavours to promote research in areas such as basic research with access to the international mega facilities, translational research in sustainable energy, water, etc. and collaborative research through international bilateral and multilateral cooperation. It will also contribute to building critical human resource pool to strengthen the science and technology landscape and expand R&D base of the country towards improving the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researcher count.
Focused interventions will be taken up to enhance the participation of women in the field of Science and Technology (ST) with the ultimate goal of bringing gender parity in Science, Technology and innovation (STI). The scheme would reinforce the efforts of the government towards promoting innovations at all levels, starting from school level to higher education, and for the industries and start-ups through targeted interventions. Significant support will be extended to increase collaboration between academia, Government, and also with industries.
Over all a nice initiative by the Central Government.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
26th August 2024