India Unveils Engineering Biology Roadmap to Build $700 Billion Bioeconomy

The Union government has unveiled a comprehensive strategic roadmap titled 'Building India as a Leading Bioeconomy Powerhouse by 2035.' This policy initiative aims to leverage the convergence of biology, data science, and engineering to position India as a global leader in the biotechnology sector. With a target of reaching a $700 billion valuation, the roadmap focuses on fostering innovation across critical sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable manufacturing. Central to this vision is the development of a future-ready workforce capable of navigating the complexities of synthetic biology and bio-manufacturing. To address the current skill gap, the government has announced the launch of India’s first undergraduate programme in Engineering Biology. This academic intervention is designed to equip students with the interdisciplinary expertise required to translate laboratory research into scalable industrial applications. By integrating biological sciences with engineering principles, the initiative seeks to promote 'Bio-manufacturing 2.0,' which is essential for achieving sustainable development goals and reducing reliance on traditional, resource-intensive industrial processes.