New Delhi: Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday called for more investment in research and development and promoting a culture of intellectual property. She highlighted how the country, which is already the world’s largest exporter of generics and a major player in vaccine production, can capture more value by nurturing innovation.
Mazumdar-Shaw called for a focus on value creation through innovation. “India ranks 14th in terms of value in the global pharma landscape. We need to invest in R&D and foster a culture of intellectual property to capture more value,” she said.
Addressing a session during the Global Bio-India 2024 event, she positioned the country as a future global leader in bioscience and innovation.
Mazumdar-Shaw emphasized India’s unique advantages in becoming a global bio-innovation hub, citing the nation’s rich scientific talent, strong technological capabilities and entrepreneurial drive.
“Biology is not only the most exciting and transformative field of our time, but it has also become a new frontier where we are pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and ability,” said Mazumdar-Shaw.
She highlighted how bioscience, once confined to the laboratory, is now penetrating almost every aspect of human existence, from medicine and agriculture to environmental protection and technology.
“We are witnessing a revolution in healthcare driven by genetics, RNA, and CRISPR technologies that offer unprecedented precision. In the near future, genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy will be completely cured,” she said.
CRISPR is a gene editing technique that can be used to modify DNA in living organisms. She also highlighted the Vigyan Dhara initiative, her Rs. 10,000 crore aimed at promoting basic research and critical technologies.
On the agricultural front, Mazumdar-Shaw emphasized the importance of biotechnology in ensuring global food security.
Mazumdar-Shaw also reflected on India’s existing strengths in the global pharmaceutical sector, noting that the country is the world’s third-largest producer of drugs by volume and the largest exporter of generics.
“One in three pills consumed in the US and one in four in the UK are produced in India,” she said, emphasizing the scale of India’s pharmaceutical production.
