A New Push for Domestic Biologics Production
As part of the Union Budget 2026-27, the government announced Biopharma SHAKTI (Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation), a new scheme with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore, aimed at developing India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub.
The scheme is designed to build a domestic ecosystem for the production of biologics and biosimilars — complex, cell-derived medicines such as therapeutic antibodies and vaccines that are more difficult and costly to manufacture than conventional chemical drugs.
India currently imports a significant share of its biologics, and Biopharma SHAKTI is intended to reduce this dependence while positioning Indian manufacturers to compete in the fast-growing global biosimilars market, where patent expirations on major biologic drugs are opening opportunities for lower-cost alternatives.
Aligning with India's Broader Health and Manufacturing Goals
The scheme sits within the Budget's wider emphasis on scaling up manufacturing across seven strategic frontier sectors, and complements existing initiatives such as the National Biopharma Mission and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for pharmaceuticals, which have already sought to boost India's standing in bulk drug and vaccine manufacturing.
By targeting the more technologically advanced biologics segment specifically, Biopharma SHAKTI marks a shift from India's traditional strength in generic small-molecule drugs toward higher-value, innovation-driven pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Union ministers described the scheme as central to the Budget's "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" theme, since affordable domestic biologics production has direct implications for the cost and availability of advanced treatments for conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases across India's healthcare system.
Exam-relevant facts: the scheme name Biopharma SHAKTI, its ₹10,000 crore outlay, and its focus on biologics and biosimilars manufacturing.
