Union Budget 2026: With Rs 10,000 crore boost, India aims to become biopharma hub

Under the Biopharma Shakti Mission, three new NIPERs will be set up, and a network of 1,000 clinical trial sites for next-gen biologics will be created.

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 2, 2026 05:38 AM IST

Nirmala Sitharaman’s key announcements in Union Budget 2026

To promote India as a manufacturing hub for complex biological drugs, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the Biopharma Shakti mission, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over next five years.

“This will build the ecosystem for domestic production of biologics and biosimilars… India’s disease burden is observed to be shifting towards non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, and auto-immune disorders. Biologic medicines are key to longevity and quality of life at affordable cost,” she said. Under the mission, three new National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) will be set up and 7 others will be upgraded.

The FM said the mission will also create a network of 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites — essential before taking these medicines to the market. According to an expert, who did not wish to be named, this will not only help in bringing manufacturing to the country but also a share of the global clinical trial market.

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In a bid to create a biopharma hub, Sitharaman said the government will work to strengthen the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to meet global standards. The government also plans to create a dedicated scientific review cadre and specialists to ensure drug regulator can follow the global approval timeframes. Satish Reddy, Chairman of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, said the fact that the pharmaceutical sector was the first to be highlighted in the Finance Minister’s presentation signals its strategic importance. “The emphasis on biologics and biosimilars is particularly timely, as India is at the cusp of taking a global lead in this space,” he added.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More