Goyal asks for time-bound action to help biopharma startups grow

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday asked for time-bound action on the recommendations of a roundtable on how India's biopharma startups can grow the country's bioeconomy.

He chaired the roundtable at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with NITI Aayog and the NITI Frontier Tech Hub. It brought together policymakers, industry leaders and startups.

What Goyal asked for

Goyal said India should use its scientific capability and entrepreneurial talent to become a global leader in the bioeconomy. He stressed faster approvals, better access to finance, shared infrastructure and stronger industry–academia–government collaboration.

What was discussed

The discussions covered streamlined regulations, a proposed regulatory sandbox, single-window clearance, global regulatory alignment and simpler patent applications. Participants also discussed Biopharma SHAKTI, announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, and the need for shared laboratories, testing facilities and clinical trial facilities to reduce costs for startups.

Other topics were strengthening indigenous life-sciences manufacturing, faster customs clearance for laboratory equipment and reagents, and simpler access to government schemes. NITI Aayog's Debjani Ghosh and Prof. Gobardhan Das also spoke. The release lists no decisions or deadlines.

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Source: official release by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (03 NOV 2026 11:06AM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal Chairs Roundtable on Strengthening India’s Biopharma Startup Ecosystem and Accelerating Bioeconomy Growth.