- The proposed fund aims to bridge the "valley of death" between laboratory research and commercial-scale manufacturing by supporting startups, scale-up, commercialization, advanced biomanufacturing, and biotechnology infrastructure.
- The roadmap targets expanding India's bioeconomy from about $195.3 billion in 2025 to $691 billion by 2035, with a long-term goal of $2.6 trillion by 2047.
- It also proposes six National BioMissions focusing on healthcare, agriculture, marine biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, disease surveillance, and next-generation biopharmaceuticals to strengthen India's biotechnology ecosystem.
- The initiative seeks to promote AI-driven biotechnology, synthetic biology, precision medicine, climate-resilient agriculture, and advanced biomanufacturing, while creating over 30 million high-value jobs and positioning India among the world's leading biotechnology powers.
Question:
Q1. NITI Aayog has proposed a ₹50,000 crore BioEconomy Growth Fund primarily to:
a) Finance agricultural loan waivers
b) Support biotechnology research, commercialization, and biomanufacturing
c) Provide subsidies for pharmaceutical exports
d) Promote digital payment infrastructure
Answer: b) The proposed ₹50,000 crore BioEconomy Growth Fund aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and commercial production by supporting biotechnology startups, advanced biomanufacturing, commercialization, and innovation.
