Global Bio-India-2021

In News: Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) are organizing Global Bio-India 2021.

• It is a mega international congregation of biotechnology stakeholders, including international bodies, regulatory bodies, Central and State Ministries, SMEs, large industries, bioclusters, research institutes, investors, and the startup ecosystem.

Key Highlights

• Theme: “Transforming lives”
• Tag line: “Biosciences to Bio-economy”.
• The event has representatives from 50 plus countries with Switzerland as the key partner and Karnataka as the state partner.
• Three-day Global Bio-India 2021 was inaugurated Monday by Harsh Vardhan, the minister of Science & Technology, and Health & Family Welfare.
  • It is the largest Bio event and would showcase opportunities in Indian Biotechnology sector to the world.
  • Multiple products by the private sector like Tech- Ola were launched.
    • Tech-Ola is a single window e- marketplace app, which would bring together all public and private sector laboratories, fabrication and prototyping centres.
• Indian capability in Vaccine Production was applauded by WHO delegates.
  • India has shown the capacity to be a global-scale manufacturer and also an innovator when it comes to coronavirus vaccines.
  • As many as 30 vaccines are at different stages of development in India.
  • Vaccines already in use are
    • Covaxin, developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech.
    • Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and being manufactured at Serum Institute of India.
• Project Development Cell for Biotechnology was announced
• Two Reports were released:
  • ‘Indian Bioeconomy Report (IBER)’ by Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), not-for-profit pan-India forum.
  • ‘Biotech Investment Potential for Indian States Report’ by IFC
• Growth in the biotech sector with 850+ startups in the last year alone is encouraging.

Source: PIB