Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India will become a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, bio-manufacturing, and life sciences by 2030, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology.
Jitendra said this while speaking at the sixth CII Pharma and Life Sciences Summit: 2024, held in the national Capital on October 9.
He commended the country for emerging as a hub for affordable and high-quality medicines. “India must now also focus on vaccine equity, and technology transfer to boost global vaccination efforts,” Jitendra said.
“The Make in India initiative is playing a pivotal role in reducing our dependence on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). By strengthening our domestic manufacturing, we are not only bolstering self-reliance but also ensuring critical healthcare supplies are readily available,” Jitendra said.
“We now rank third in pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value,” he added. Lauding the pharma industry, Jitendra said the transition from a generic-focused model to the development of biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars, has been one of the “most remarkable shifts”.
Jitendra added that the next industrial revolution will come from the biotech sector.
“Thanks to initiatives like the PLI scheme, India is well on its way to becoming a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, bio-manufacturing, and life sciences by 2030,” he said, adding “There is still much to be achieved”.
The development of the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19 and the efforts to develop the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for adolescent girls, which will prevent cervical cancer exemplified India’s leadership in global health.
