Source: ETH
Subject: Science & Tech/Economy
Context: The Union Budget 2026–27 announced a ₹10,000 crore allocation for the Biopharma Shakti initiative to strengthen India’s biopharmaceutical ecosystem.
About The Union Budget 2026–27: Biopharma Shakti Initiative:
1. Biopharma SHAKTI (The Flagship Initiative):
- SHAKTI stands for Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation.
- Outlay: The government has proposed an allocation of ₹10,000 crore over the next 5 years.
- Focus Areas: The initiative targets non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders by focusing on the domestic production of biologics and biosimilars.
- Infrastructure:
- Establishment of 3 new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) and upgrading 7 existing ones.
- Creation of a network of over 1,000 accredited India Clinical Trials sites.
- Strengthening the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) with a dedicated scientific review cadre to meet global approval timeframes.
2. Bio-Manufacturing and Related Support:
- Chemical and Pharma Hubs: The budget proposes 3 dedicated Chemical Parks using a cluster-based plug-and-play model to reduce import dependency in the broader life sciences and chemical sectors.
- Agricultural Biotechnology: The launch of Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI tool, integrates the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI to improve bio-resource management on farms.
- Biogas Blended CNG: To support the circular bioeconomy, the entire value of biogas is excluded while calculating the Central Excise duty on biogas blended CNG.
3. Support for Traditional Knowledge (AYUSH):
- Evidence-Based Research: Upgrading the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar to bolster evidence-based research and awareness for traditional medicine.
- Ayurvedic Exports: Initiatives to scale the export of quality Ayurvedic products to meet growing global demand, which benefits both farmers and processing youth.
