Rs 10,000 cr biopharma Shakti to make India global hub
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New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed Rs 10,000 crore investment over the next five years to develop India as a biopharma manufacturing hub, set up 1,000 clinical trial sites and strengthen the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. Biopharmaceuticals, or biologics, are complex medicines manufactured from living organisms, cells, or tissues rather than through chemical synthesis. In the Union Budget 2026-27 speech, Sitharaman also announced plans to establish 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites in the country. India’s disease burden is observed to be shifting towards non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Biologic medicines are key to longevity and quality of life at affordable costs, Sitharaman stated. “To develop India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub, I propose the Biopharma SHAKTI with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over the next five years. This will build the ecosystem for domestic production of biologics and biosimilars,” she added.
