changeadminAhead of the New Year, India’s Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, today inaugurated the new Secretariat complex of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), describing it as a key milestone for India’s future bioeconomy.
The BRIC Secretariat office complex is located on the 4th Floor, NSIC Business Park, New Delhi. The Secretariat will function as a lean coordinating mechanism to facilitate collaboration among BRIC’s 14 autonomous institutions, while preserving their institutional autonomy and strengthening linkages with the Department of Biotechnology, other R&D institutions, and industry.
Following the inauguration, the Minister chaired a comprehensive review meeting of BRIC initiatives. Secretary, DBT and Director-General, BRIC, Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale, presented an overview of BRIC’s achievements since its inception and the progress of ongoing programmes.
He highlighted BRIC’s pivotal role in advancing the Department’s Biomanufacturing agenda under the BioE3 Policy, including plans to establish BioE3 Parks as integrated ecosystems where R&D hubs of BRIC institutions, start-ups, MSMEs and large industries can co-locate to enable a smoother transition from research to pilot-scale manufacturing and commercialisation.
Commending BRIC’s progress, Dr Jitendra Singh said that BRIC institutes are set to play a defining role in driving national development through biomanufacturing and biosciences, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
He underlined the need for a collaborative, whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach to overcome structural challenges, dismantle institutional silos, and accelerate India’s global standing in biotechnology research and innovation.
The Minister also interacted with senior officers and representatives from various departments and State Governments during a round-table discussion, where he emphasised that the government’s reform philosophy over the past decade has focused on simplifying systems by removing redundant rules rather than adding new ones.
He noted that large-scale rationalisation of service rules, abolition of outdated practices, and technology-driven transparency have helped transform governance culture.
Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged the Biotechnology department’s proactive measures, supported by its industry arm, BIRAC, to dismantle institutional silos and foster collaboration among stakeholders, promoting innovative research, optimising resources, and developing future-oriented human resources.
Directors of BRIC institutions reiterated the transformative potential of biology-led and biology-inspired technologies, emphasising the need for indigenous biological data, robust biosecurity frameworks, and sustained investment in human resource development to nurture the next generation of biotechnology leaders.
They reaffirmed their commitment to advancing BRIC’s collective vision and positioning India as a global hub for biotechnology and biomanufacturing, with active support from the Department’s industry interface, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
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