The Union Budget 2026–27 marks a major step towards transforming India into a global biopharma hub with the launch of the Biopharma SHAKTI initiative, backed by an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s end-to-end ecosystem for biologics and biosimilars, reduce import dependence, and help the country capture 5% of the global biopharmaceutical market.
Placing biopharma at the core of healthcare and manufacturing strategy, the Budget responds to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and the growing global demand for advanced biologic therapies. It integrates manufacturing scale, skilled human resources, clinical research capacity, and regulatory strengthening into a unified framework to move India up the pharmaceutical value chain.
Key measures include expansion of biopharma education through new and upgraded NIPERs, development of over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites nationwide, and enhanced regulatory capacity at CDSCO to align approvals with global standards. Together, these steps aim to position India as a preferred global destination for high-quality, ethical clinical trials and innovation-led biopharma manufacturing.
Building on the National Biopharma Mission and other government initiatives, the Budget reinforces long-term policy support for research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial growth. The Biopharma SHAKTI scheme is expected to improve domestic access to affordable biologic medicines while strengthening India’s competitiveness in global biopharma supply chains.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
