What’s the Context?
The QUAD (India, Japan, Australia, and the United States) March 2021 set up a mega Technology Working Group to monitor emerging trends, facilitate cooperation and find avenues to new opportunities linked to the development in the sector of emerging and evolving technologies, including Biotechnology. Despite the formation of the group, the QUAD cooperation has not been sufficient to explore the massive potential of Biotechnology. To alter this, a mega QUAD-led Biomanufacturing Hub will be inaugurated in India, which, in all likelihood, will give a major thrust to the cooperation of the Bloc.
Understanding Biomanufacturing
Before understanding the immense potential of India in Biomanufacturing, it is important to understand what the term Biomanufacturing stands for.
- ● Biomanufacturing, in simplest terms, means the manufacturing component of the ever-evolving biotechnology industry.
- ● For starters, products are manufactured using living organisms, including microorganisms, animal cells, or plant cells. These living cells can be naturally occurring, or even most of the time, they have been genetically engineered to produce a specific type of substance.
- ● Some examples of manufactured biomolecules are proteins or nucleic acids used in drugs and medicines, enzymes used in the food and beverages industry, or even biodegradable bioplastics that are produced in bacteria during growth.
India as a biomanufacturing hub leading the Quad
India has a massive potential to be a game-changer in the sector, and the same can be gauged from the fact that the National Biotechnology Development Strategy views India as a major Global Biomanufacturing Hub in the next two years. While the chalked strategy sets a target of about $100 billion for the hub, it is indeed crucial to recognize the ambitions.
Of World’s fifth-largest economy require external support. In the United States of America, without a doubt, has significant funding capacity, while Australia, Japan, also the U.S. possess
both the advanced and innovative biotechnology ecosystems, as well as intellectual property.
Why India?
India is best suited for the Biomanufacturing hub due to a plethora of reasons:-
- ● India has an Existing infrastructure in the sector and professional pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise. Lastly, skilled manpower is something that India is known for.
● When it comes to quality research & development and research publications, India stands among the top performers in the field of Biomanufacturing.
● We also have significant potential in low-cost Biomanufacturing (33% lower than the U.S.), particularly in producing enzymes, reagents, research materials, and equipment.
● When it comes Regarding facilitating technology transfer, India has an edge compared to other QUAD Nations.
● Supports efforts to reduce dependency on China, which does not see an eye-to eye with any of the Quad members.
Conclusion
The proposed hub in India can help the growing economy capitalize on the industry’s economic potential. Additionally, it can also address long-existing and potential vulnerabilities in the global system.
