National Biopharma Mission, 2017: Transforming India’s Biopharmaceutical Industry

Policy Update
Anto Mariya M M

Background

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) on June 30th, 2017. The Mission, entitled “Innovate in India (i3) – Empowering biotech entrepreneurs & accelerating inclusive innovation”, was an ambitious one, focusing on improving the health standards of India’s population by strengthening its biopharmaceutical sector.

The need for a national mission was felt when India fell behind its competitors, such as China and Korea, despite being an active player in the industry. The reasons for this were disconnected centres of excellence, staggered funding, and a lack of focus on translational research. The department rolled out the National Biopharma Mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development and make the industry globally competitive over the next decade. 

Primarily, the National Biopharma Mission has four objectives: 

  1. Product Development: Develop vaccines, biosimilars and medical devices that are relevant to the public health needs
  2. Shared Infrastructure: Enable ecosystem for affordable product development
  3. Skill Development: Develop human capital by providing specific training
  4. Technology Transfer: Enhance industry-academia inter-linkages

NBM aligns with India’s ambitions for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, as well as the Make in India mission.

Functioning

The National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of the Department of Biotechnology was conceived in 2017 with a total cost of ₹1,500 crore for a five-year period. The Mission is being funded by the Government of India, with 50% of the cost covered via a World Bank loan. The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public sector undertaking of the Department of Biotechnology, implements the NBM.

NBM is an industry-academia collaborative mission that enhances India’s capabilities in vaccines, biosimilars, biotherapeutics, medical devices, and diagnostics, aiming to reduce the disease burden of the country. The Mission focuses on improving the health and lives of the Indian population through affordable product development. For this reason, it aspires to bring centres of excellence scattered across the nation together and strengthen the current bio-clusters network. It also promotes entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical sector across the nation.  

Performance

With great vision, the National Biopharma Mission has delivered a commendable performance. The National Biopharma Mission has helped tackle pressing health issues through research and innovation. According to the 2024-25 annual report of the Department of Biotechnology, NBM has supported 155 projects. Out of the 155 projects, 65 have been completed. The projects involve 219 grantees across the country. Out of which, 138 are in the private sector, and 81 are in the public sector. The 150 projects supported by the National Biopharma Mission are spread across different areas, including vaccines (20), Biotherapeutics (26), Devices and Diagnostics (29), Shared Research Facilities (26), Clinical Trial Networks (16), Training (8), Technology Transfer offices (7) Scientific Research (19), Antimicrobial Resistance (4).

In biopharmaceutical product development, small and medium enterprises are being extended support. In line with the encouragement for indigenous product manufacturing, financial and mentor support is given to industry and academia. This includes the development of components for upstream and downstream biologics manufacturing, such as engineered cell lines, media, resins, and bioreactors.

In the push for innovation, the Mission supports the development of novel biologics, vaccines, and medical devices, including MRI scanners, ventilators, diagnostic probes, and medical-grade cameras. The Mission has improved product and capacity development in the Indian biopharmaceutical industry. As part of the Mission, 21 shared infrastructure facilities have been established for research services and biomanufacturing. These facilities were also leveraged for the COVID-19 vaccine trials during the pandemic.

Impact

  • Product Development
    The National Biopharma Mission has focused on indigenous product development to reduce India’s reliance on imports in the bio-pharma sector. India’s first MRI scanner, the first DNA vaccine for Covid ZyCoV-D and India’s first Injectable Non-Insulin Antihyperglycemic Biosimilar for type 2 diabetes (liraglutide) have been important contributions from NBM. The Mission has introduced over 18 successful products to the market, including vaccines, biotherapeutics, medical devices, and diagnostic kits.
  • Biosimilars
    The Mission has supported the development of numerous biosimilars, making healthcare more affordable. Biosimilars are medicines that work similarly to existing biological drugs but at a lower cost. India’s first liraglutide biosimilar for managing diabetes became a cost-effective alternative, as it was offered at just one-third of the price of its international version in India. Another example of biosimilar development led by the Mission is CORBEVAX – India’s first protein subunit vaccine for children aged five and above.
  • Industry-Academia Collaboration
    As the Mission fosters collaboration between academia and industry, product development and innovation are facilitated. One such example is the Phase II completion of the Hepatitis E vaccine.
  • Infrastructure Strengthening
    Seven Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) were set up across India to facilitate the translation of research into real-world products. They support intellectual property management frameworks, training programs and skill development. This led to increased intellectual property (IP) awareness, with over 850 new IP filings across the country and 100 technology transfers facilitated through these TTOs.
  • Bio-economy
    The biopharma sector contributes to the growth of a country’s bio-economy. As a result, India’s bio-economy has grown 13-fold in the last 10 years, from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024. It is also projected to reach US$300 billion by 2030. The National Biopharma Mission has thus been a significant contributor to the country’s economic growth.

Emerging Issues

While the National Biopharma Mission has achieved remarkable success, certain challenges exist that hinder the Mission’s potential to transform India’s biopharmaceutical industry into a global competitor.

India has emerged as a pioneer in the global biosimilar market with efforts such as NBM. However, patent evergreening remains a barrier for Indian biosimilar manufacturers. Patent evergreening is when drugs are tweaked to extend their patent term and maximise profits. While a patent grants exclusive market access for 20 years, biosimilars can enter the market after that time. However, they attempt to extend patent rights by making minor modifications. Such an effort blocks the entry of biosimilars. This poses a challenge for biosimilar manufacturers, as well as affecting the affordability and accessibility of medicines to the public.

Other challenges faced by biosimilar manufacturers in India are the high cost of clinical trials and regulatory hurdles. The Indian biopharmaceutical sector also faces a lack of advanced instrumentation and skilled professionals. To become globally competitive, Indian manufacturers must meet international standards in terms of drug quality, reduce production mishaps, and expedite the process of bringing drugs to market.

Way Forward

The National Biopharma Mission has revolutionised the biopharmaceutical industry of the country. The Mission has led its ambitions in new product development and creating a conducive ecosystem for innovation. Major achievements of NBM were the development of biosimilars, such as liraglutide, and indigenous COVID-19 vaccines, like CORBEVAX. It has strengthened the healthcare ecosystem in India. The Indian biopharmaceutical industry is one of the fastest-growing globally, with a valuation of approximately $60 billion. Contributing to this is an increase in innovation — India is now ranked 39th in the 2024 Global Innovation Index, up from 81st in 2015.

The Mission also helps in sustainability, economic self-reliance and green growth. Looking forward, the Mission also aims to develop vaccines for flu, malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and create advanced biosynthetic platforms. NBM has been a game-changer, transforming India’s biopharmaceutical industry and making healthcare more affordable for millions of Indians. Thus, the National Biopharma Mission, launched by the Department of Biotechnology, has improved the lives of Indians across the country.

References

About the Contributor: Anto Mariya M M is currently pursuing her postgraduate degree in Political Science at Madras Christian College. She is a research intern at IMPRI.

Acknowlegement: The author sincerely thanks Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their valuable support.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.

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