India is stepping firmly into a bio-economy era, with the sector valued at US $165.7 billion in 2024 and projected to reach roughly US $300 billion by 2030. The growth is anchored in four major segments: bio-industrial applications (around 47 %), biopharmaceuticals (35 %), bio-agriculture (8 %) and bio-research services (9 %).

The government’s newly framed BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) is a key driver: it supports pilot biomanufacturing, bio-foundries, regional hub creation and youth-focused innovation challenges. Meanwhile, India is leveraging its status as a global vaccine hub—supplying a large portion of global doses—and advancing into sustainable bio-based fuels and materials (for example, hitting the 20 % ethanol-petrol blending target ahead of schedule).

Yet, the transformation still faces challenges: scale-up of infrastructure, cost-competitiveness with mature global ecosystems, regulatory clarity and talent pipeline remain concerns. The ambition, however, is clear: to make biology and biotechnology foundational to India’s next phase of economic growth, job creation and environmental resilience.