India, Dec. 9 -- Biomanufacturing has moved from a background capability to a global strategic priority. The COVID-19 pandemic made that unambiguously clear. The race for vaccines and raw materials exposed how fragile even the strongest supply chains were. It also showed that local biomanufacturing strength can alter global outcomes. Few countries have internalised this lesson as quickly or as decisively as India.

India's leap into the global bioeconomy

India today supplies nearly 60 percent of the world's vaccines by volume. The country also exports biopharmaceuticals, enzymes, and fermentation products ranking India among top global producers. India's bioeconomy has expanded from roughly $10 billion in 2014 to an estimated $165-170 bi...