By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : October 11, 2025 9:59 am
Several technologies for hemoglobinopathies are being transferred to commercial partners
Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, 10th Annual "Cell and Gene Therapy" Symposium organised by the Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR), supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded the landmark achievement of CSCR, which recently completed India’s first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A. The inherited bleeding disorder, caused by the deficiency of clotting Factor VIII, has long required costly life long treatment. CSCR’s approach, using lentiviral vectors instead of the commonly used AAV, expanded patient eligibility and showed sustained Factor VIII expression with no bleeding episodes.
“This is not just a scientific milestone—it is a transformative step toward affordable, accessible gene therapy for India and other low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh.
The Minister noted that CSCR, a translational unit in Stem, Bengaluru, under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), is preparing for the next phase of clinical development.
“Several technologies for hemoglobinopathies are being transferred to commercial partners, and CSCR is building a GMP-compliant haplobank of iPSCs as part of the Global Alliance for iPSC Therapies,” added Singh.
Placing these developments in the national context, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, in biomanufacturing India today stands at Rank 3 in Asia-Pacific and Rank 12 globally, while pharma exports are expected to cross US $300 billion by the turn of this year.
'India’s bioeconomy has grown from $10 billion in 2014 to nearly $170 billion today, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, and is projected to reach $300 billion by 2030. Pharma exports are valued at $27.8 billion, set to cross $30 billion this year, while the medical technology sector, currently at $12 billion, is growing at 15–20% annually and expected to touch $50 billion by 2030. He also pointed out that the number of biotech startups has risen from just 50 in 2014 to over 11,000 today.
Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored that India’s innovation ecosystem is being strengthened by policies and programmes such as the BioE3 policy, BIRAC’s public–private model, the National Research Foundation with 70% non-government funding, and a Rs. 1 lakh crore R&D fund to support private sector participation. He said gross expenditure on R&D has doubled from ₹60,000 crore to Rs. 1,27,000 crore, while the DBT budget has risen from Rs. 1,500 crore to nearly Rs. 7,000 crore, with over 55% of patents now filed by Indian residents.
Highlighting DBT’s contributions, the Minister cited vaccine breakthroughs such as the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID, the HPV vaccine, and the development of the antibiotic Nephetrovacine, as examples of India’s growing role as a frontrunner in biotechnology.