India’s Union Cabinet has granted approval to continue two umbrella schemes of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), merged as one scheme- ‘Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) with a new component, namely Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry.

The scheme has three broad components, namely, Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D); Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED); Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry.

The proposed outlay for the implementation of the unified scheme ‘Bio-RIDE’ is INR 9197 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Bio-RIDE scheme is designed to foster innovation, promote bio-entrepreneurship, and strengthen India’s position as a global leader in biomanufacturing and biotechnology. It aims to accelerate research, enhance product development, and bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications.

The scheme is part of the Government of India’s mission to harness the potential of bio-innovation to tackle national and global challenges such as healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and clean energy.

The Bio-RIDE scheme aims to foster bio-entrepreneurship by providing essential support for startups, including seed funding, incubation assistance, and mentorship. It seeks to drive innovation by offering grants and incentives for research and development in key areas such as synthetic biology, biopharmaceuticals, bioenergy, and bioplastics.

By facilitating collaboration between academic institutions, research organizations, and industry, Bio-RIDE aims to accelerate the commercialization of bio-based products and technologies.

The scheme emphasizes the promotion of environmentally sustainable practices in biomanufacturing, aligning with India's green goals. It will also support scientific research and technological advancement through extramural funding, targeting diverse fields such as agriculture, healthcare, bioenergy, and environmental sustainability.

Additionally, Bio-RIDE focuses on nurturing human resources in biotechnology by providing development opportunities for students, young researchers, and scientists, contributing to capacity building and skill enhancement to better equip them for the evolving technological landscape.

Further, to enable a circular bioeconomy in the country, a component on Biomanufacturing and Biofoundry is being initiated in alignment with ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)’ launched by the PM to propel mitigation of global climate change by incorporating green and friendly environmental solutions in every aspect of life.

This new component of Bio-RIDE aspires to nurture the immense potential of ‘Biomanufacturing’ to facilitate the development of indigenous innovative solutions to improve healthcare outcomes, enhance agriculture productivity, foster growth of the bioeconomy, scale up and commercialization of bio-based products, expanding India’s cohort of highly skilled workforce and intensify entrepreneurial momentum.

The DBT’s ongoing efforts align with its vision of harnessing the potential of Biotechnology as a precision tool for national development and well-being of society to fulfill its mission to make India globally competitive in Biotechnology research, innovation, translation, entrepreneurship, and industrial growth and be a USD 300 billion Bioeconomy by 2030. The Bio-RIDE Scheme will contribute significantly towards realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.