During the Covid-19 pandemic, India contributed to the global response by increasing its vaccine development and health diplomacy efforts, underscoring, among others, its potential as a biotechnology powerhouse. The Government of India continued its effort to make progress in biotechnology research and development in the years after, launching the BioE3 policy in 2024. The BioE3 framework aims to develop a $300-billion bioeconomy in India by 2030, through innovation in health, agriculture, clean energy, and sustainable manufacturing. This brief analyses India’s biomanufacturing trajectory through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on the implementation of the BioE3 policy through biotech parks, public–private partnerships, and talent-development initiatives. It recommends reforms to address the challenges of weak intellectual property regimes, fragmented regulation, infrastructure asymmetries, and funding and talent shortfalls; the aim is to position India as a global hub for biotech innovation.
India’s Covid-19 response was a seminal moment in its global health diplomacy and vaccine-production efforts. With its dissemination of newly innovated vaccines, the country emerged as a leading supplier of vaccines during the crisis, administering over 2.2 billion doses between 2020 and 2022. These accomplishments were the result of long-term investments in biotechnology research and innovation and an active public-private partnership model. Companies such as the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech, and Biological E, played a central role in this effort.
The Government of India also introduced key regulatory and financial mechanisms to push vaccine development and distribution. Programmes such as ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’ helped finance clinical trials, enabling the listing of vaccines for emergency use through transparent, science-based processes. The government’s CoWIN platform enabled real-time monitoring, slot booking, and digital certification of vaccinations, reaching some 950 million users. Production-linked incentive schemes also boosted manufacturing capacity to support scale-up activities along the vaccine supply chain.
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This paper is authored by Shravishtha Ajaykumar, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, ORF, New Delhi.
