Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh launched a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups.

The Portal "BioRRAP" will cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for Ease of Science as well as Ease of Business.

Speaking after the launch of Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP), Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is poised to become a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub and will figure among the top 5 countries of the world by 2025.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Portal will also allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through a unique BioRRAP ID. He described this unique portal of DBT as a step towards Ease of Doing Science and Scientific research and Ease of Start-ups in India. The Minister said, Bio-technology has fast emerged as an academic and livelihood avenue for youngsters in India. He also pointed out that there are over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies working at present in the country.

Singh added that this portal will strengthen interdepartmental synergies and bring accountability, transparency and efficacy in the functioning of agencies regulating various aspects of biological research and issuing permits. Congratulating the Department of Biotechnology for launching of BioRRAP porta, the Minister suggested that the Department should endeavour to evolve further mechanisms to make the procedures simpler and effective.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that other than biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, the latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey and bio-utilization of biological resources are also gaining momentum in India due to effect of climate change on them. He added that research in the various biological fields is continuously expanding its vista in India. Many of these research falls under the purview of one or more regulatory agencies which first approve the research proposal after which the researcher undertakes that specific research.

The Minister further added that at present there is no mechanism to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal and therefore, to provide more credibility and recognition to such biological research, the Government of India has developed a web system under which each research, requiring regulatory oversight, will be identified by a unique ID called “BioRRAP ID”. He said, the portal will serve as a gateway and will help researchers to see the stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances and to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher and/or organization.

Dr Jitendra Singh directed the DBT officials for wider publicity of this unique National Portal and asked them to make short duration films capturing all the nuances of the registration and regulatory approval through the portal.