Abstract

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in the area of infectious diseases, has endeavored over the years to spearhead biotechnology research across India by building coherence between diverse disciplines and nurturing an ecosystem for innovation to thrive in the country. In recent years, the industry-academia interface has been strengthened to catalyze translational development.

The Infectious Disease Biology Program supports R&D projects with an aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending the epidemics of AIDS, TB, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combating hepatitis, waterborne diseases, and other communicable diseases by 2030. Infectious diseases were among the top 10 causes of the total number of deaths in 2019, which were dominated by diarrheal diseases, neonatal disorders, lower respiratory infections, and tuberculosis. The program has also supported the creation of clinical cohorts & biobanks/biorepositories for COVID-19, TB, HIV, and also Centres of Excellence (CoE). The Department of Biotechnology has also taken several initiatives to address AMR in alignment with the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR).

To catapult the health care innovation ecosystem, the Department supported the implementation of strategic mission programs like the National Biopharma Mission (NBM), Mission COVID Suraksha (MCS), and the India CEPI Mission titled ‘India Centric Epidemic Preparedness through Rapid Vaccine Development: Supporting Indian Vaccine Development Aligned with the Global Initiative of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)’, in alignment with the national missions of Make in India and Start up India. These Pan-India missions have made catalytic investments for the development of nationally critical biopharma and medtech products and have catalyzed, directed capacity development investments in areas where ecosystem gaps needed to be bridged in an intensive manner. This has been facilitated by the foster of collaboration among academia, industry, and government agencies.

Over the past 5 years, support has been extended for the development of vaccines (19), biosimilars (23), devices and diagnostics (30), facilities (23), clinical trial networks (16), technology transfer offices (7), and scientific research projects (16). These advancements are not just technological feats but represent tangible solutions to pressing healthcare challenges. From enhancing vaccine accessibility to expanding the repertoire of biotherapeutics, the Mission Programs have played a pivotal role in improving public health outcomes across the nation, including the significant contribution to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.