{"id":69996,"date":"2026-03-24T21:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T15:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=69996"},"modified":"2026-03-24T21:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:00:58","slug":"biotech-nutrition-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-03-2026\/biotech-nutrition-industry","title":{"rendered":"Biotech Industry Driving both Human and Animal Nutrition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Biotechnology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Biotechnology has emerged as a transformative force<\/strong> in agriculture, aquaculture, and animal sciences.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Bioeconomy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The bioeconomy is the use of<strong> renewable biological resources<\/strong> to produce food, energy and industrial goods, which supports sustainability and economic growth.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Innovations like<strong> gene editing and bioprinting<\/strong> are driving progress, while integration across sectors strengthens long-term impact.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By aligning biotechnology with digital tools and circular economy principles, the bioeconomy offers <strong>sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and promotes overall societal well-being.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e4e7df\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e4e7df;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"448\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-138.png\" alt=\"bioeconomy\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-70000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-138.png 409w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-138-274x300.png 274w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Bioeconomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is among the <strong>Top 12 destinations<\/strong> for biotechnology worldwide and <strong>3rd largest destination<\/strong> for biotechnology in Asia Pacific.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s bioeconomy has grown sixteen-fold from<strong> $10 billion in 2014 to an impressive $165.7 billion in 2024.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contributing 4.25%<\/strong> to the national GDP, the sector has demonstrated a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of <strong>17.9%<\/strong> over the past four years.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s Biotechnology sector is <strong>categorised into Biopharmaceuticals, Bio agriculture, Bio IT and Bio Services.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Future Goals: <\/strong>Target of achieving a<strong> $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India also seeks to lead globally in bio-pharma, including vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fragmentation of Infrastructure: <\/strong>India hosts over 70 incubators, but few have end-to-end facilities such as pilot-scale purification systems, fill-and-finish suites, regulatory affairs support.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This forces entrepreneurs to operate across cities, duplicating costs and processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory Complexities: <\/strong>Outdated frameworks for clinical trials, patent laws and product approval.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lag behind modern demands <\/strong>(AI, biologics, genomics), delaying market entry and deterring investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use Biotechnology in Agriculture&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Department of Biotechnology\u2019s <strong>Agriculture Biotechnology programme <\/strong>supports innovative biotechnological research for achieving sustainable agriculture by leveraging the latest advances in technologies.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The main achievements include:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c3e7ba\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-136.png\" alt=\"use biotechnology in agriculture\u00a0\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-69998\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c3e7ba; width:473px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-136.png 580w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-136-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Climate-Smart Crops:<\/strong> A New Superior Climate Smart Drought Tolerant High-Yielding Chickpea Variety \u201cSAATVIK (NC 9)\u201d with enhanced yield under drought stress was notified recently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Genome-Edited Crops:<\/strong> Genome editing was employed to generate loss of function mutations in several rice genes that negatively regulate crop productivity.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amaranth Genetic Resources: <\/strong>The department of biotechnology has developed an Amaranth Genomic Resource Database, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques for screening nutritional qualities of amaranth grain, and a 64K SNP chip.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Amaranth accessions screened using the above resources have been shown to counteract high fat diet induced obesity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fungal Biocontrol:<\/strong> A stable fungal enzyme nano-formulation from Myrothecium verrucaria has been developed for eco-friendly biocontrol of powdery mildew in tomato and grape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kisan-Kavach:<\/strong> It is an anti-pesticide suit designed to combat the pervasive threat of pesticide-induced toxicity in agricultural settings.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Animal Biotechnology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is the <strong>largest animal husbandry sector<\/strong> in the world with the largest livestock population to support the livelihoods of <strong>more than two-thirds of the rural population. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e0e1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"592\" height=\"302\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-140.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-70002\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e0e1; width:448px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-140.png 592w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-140-300x153.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e4e5e3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"582\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-135.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-69997\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e4e5e3; width:421px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-135.png 582w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-135-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eae7eb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"654\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-137.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-69999\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eae7eb; width:509px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-137.png 654w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-137-300x120.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology program has been implemented with the goal of <strong>enhancing both aquaculture production and productivity.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shrimp Diet:<\/strong> Due to its high cost and sustainability issues, replacement of fish meal is an important area of research in aquaculture nutrition.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CIFA-Brood-Vac:<\/strong> A novel vaccine has been developed to prevent mortality in fish spawn, securing aquaculture stock health.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A user-friendly software, Interactive Fish Feed Designer (IFFD) version 2, has been developed for the formulation of cost-effective fish feed with non-conventional ingredients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The integration of biotechnology into agriculture, aquaculture, and animal sciences is fostering sustainable food production, disease resistance, and enhanced productivity.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These innovations, backed by research and commercialization efforts, are paving the way for a resilient and efficient agricultural ecosystem.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/biotech-industry-driving-both-human-and-animal-nutrition-experts\/article70775766.ece#:~:text=G.%20Jayaraman%2C%20Professor%20and%20Dean,both%20human%20and%20animal%20nutrition.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Biotechnology has emerged as a transformative force in agriculture, aquaculture, and animal sciences.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> What is Bioeconomy? <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The bioeconomy is the use of renewable biological resources to produce food, energy and industrial goods, which supports sustainability and economic growth.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Innovations like gene editing and bioprinting are driving progress, while integration across sectors strengthens long-term impact. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> By aligning biotechnology with digital tools and circular economy principles, the bioeconomy offers sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and promotes overall societal well-being. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-03-2026\/biotech-nutrition-industry \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69996"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70007,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69996\/revisions\/70007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}