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Indian life sciences sector sees an imminent need to build a solid pathway to create a research ecosystem that will enable faster product commercialisation. This is even as India has set up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) which accommodate 23 of the industry’s top 50 companies.
Dr Priya Hingorani, managing director, Miltenyi Biotec India, said that even as India’s life sciences sector is growing, it is yet to mature and meet the demands of the next decade. However, as India looks towards the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, it is clear that service-led growth alone will not be sufficient. If India wants to emerge as a future-ready life sciences powerhouse, particularly in advanced areas like cell and gene therapies (CGT), it must accelerate the transition from scientific promise to scalable, patient-ready solutions.
To achieve this, the next phase should focus on strengthening our research infrastructure for clinical translation. While our discovery capabilities are relatively strong, the infrastructure required for moving these discoveries into clinical application remains in the developmental stages, she added.
Institutions supported by the Department of Biotechnology, including the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and BRIC–Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (BRIC-THSTI) have fostered innovation beyond basic research. Yet, for research to reach patients, India requires availability of clinical-grade laboratories, GMP-aligned research infrastructure and integrated translational platforms. Public-private collaboration will be critical, bringing global operational expertise into publicly funded initiatives and ensuring that our research facilities are designed with patient outcomes, quality and scalability, Dr Hingorani told Pharmabiz.
Complementing translational research infrastructure is the need to build robust biomanufacturing capabilities. Biomanufacturing is becoming a strategic imperative for India’s life sciences sector, yet despite growing interest in CGT, only a small number of centres currently operate within robust GMP frameworks, she noted.
To manufacture these complex therapies safely and consistently, teams need more than just facilities. They need clear quality systems, well-documented processes, and the ability to reproduce exact results every time. Initiatives like the BioE3 policy offers a timely opportunity to address this gap by encouraging industrial-scale translation, supporting domestic manufacturing and reducing entry barriers for innovators. In addition to providing local access to treatments, bolstering biomanufacturing will establish India as a reliable manufacturing partner for global markets. However, even the most advanced facility is only as effective as the people operating it are, she said.
Skilled talent is central to building a strong life sciences ecosystem. India has no shortage of scientific excellence, but hands-on exposure to GMP-compliant CGT manufacturing remains limited. Sustained investment in workforce development that integrates scientific knowledge with hands-on, regulatory-aligned training is necessary to build an ecosystem that is prepared for the future. Early public–private collaborations bring decades of experience in translating complex cell and gene therapies into GMP-compliant clinical and manufacturing workflows. Such initiatives must scale, as people are as critical as infrastructure in ensuring long term success and build confidence to manufacture for the world from India, said the Miltenyi Biotec India chief.
Clear, consistent policies aligned with national priorities reinforce India’s commitment to translational research, manufacturing excellence and patient-centric innovation. By simultaneously strengthening research infrastructure, scaling biomanufacturing capabilities, and nurturing skilled talent, India can transform its life sciences ecosystem, said Dr Hingorani.
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