New Delhi: The proposed India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group took centre stage during high-level discussions between India and the United States, as Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday called for a structured partnership in advanced biomanufacturing.
The proposal aims to translate bilateral discussions into concrete collaborations spanning research, manufacturing and startup ecosystems.
The announcement came during Dr. Singh’s meeting with a visiting US delegation led by Matt Meyer, who called on the Minister at Seva Teerth.
Both sides focused on expanding bilateral collaboration in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clean energy and innovation-led industrial growth.
The proposed India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group is expected to serve as a formal mechanism to guide these efforts.
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Structured India–Delaware Collaboration in Focus
Dr. Jitendra Singh underlined that science, technology and biotechnology form a key pillar of the broader India–US comprehensive strategic partnership. He said India sees “good potential for deeper engagement” with US states that have strong innovation ecosystems, reinforcing the importance of the India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group as a state-level collaboration model.
Highlighting India’s emergence as a global hub for biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation, the Minister pointed to capabilities spanning research and development to large-scale, cost-efficient manufacturing. The India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group would help combine India’s strengths with Delaware’s advanced industrial ecosystem.
Role of CSIR and India’s Innovation Architecture
Referring to India’s integrated innovation framework linking government, academia, industry and startups, Dr. Singh noted that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with 37 laboratories and over 7,500 scientists, anchors much of the country’s industrial R&D effort.
He highlighted CSIR’s contributions to national missions such as Green Hydrogen, Quantum Technologies, biosciences and biopharma, as well as its role in process development for key drugs. The proposed India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group could leverage such institutional strengths to drive collaborative research and manufacturing initiatives.
Collaboration with NIIMBL and Advanced Biomanufacturing
Referring to Delaware’s bio-science ecosystem, including the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Bio-pharmaceuticals, Dr. Jitendra Singh said there was “strong potential” for collaboration in advanced biomanufacturing, AI-enabled processes, rapid scale-up technologies and next-generation biologics and vaccines.
He suggested that India’s strength in cost-efficient manufacturing, combined with Delaware’s proximity to major US pharmaceutical companies, could support co-development of affordable biologics, biosimilars and vaccines for global health needs. The India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group is envisioned as the platform to operationalise such collaborations.
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Key Areas Identified for the India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group
The Minister outlined specific avenues for cooperation under the proposed India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group, including:
- Joint advanced biomanufacturing platforms
- Translational research bridges linking Indian institutions and Delaware research centres
- Startup and incubation linkages
- Workforce co-training in GMP manufacturing, regulatory science and quality systems
- Collaboration on regulatory science and standards alignment
- Building resilient supply chains for critical biopharmaceutical inputs
These initiatives are expected to strengthen the biotechnology and pharmaceutical value chain between India and Delaware.
Startup Ecosystem and R&D Support
During the interaction, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that India’s Ministry of Science and Technology directly supports around 150 incubators across academic institutions and universities. He also pointed out that the government has established a ₹1 lakh crore research, development and innovation fund to catalyse private-sector and deep-tech investment.
These platforms, he said, could be leveraged to deepen engagement with Delaware’s research, manufacturing and startup ecosystem through the India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group framework.
Delaware’s Industrial and Innovation Strengths
Governor Matt Meyer described Delaware as a state with a long-standing science and industrial heritage. He highlighted its bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing base, expanding port infrastructure and business-friendly environment.
Members of the US delegation, including representatives from government, universities and industry, discussed opportunities in clean hydrogen, workforce development, startup incubation and corporate incorporation frameworks. The India Delaware Biomanufacturing Working Group is expected to channel these discussions into structured and time-bound action plans.
Towards Actionable Programmes
Concluding the meeting, both sides agreed that a structured working group mechanism would help carry forward discussions into actionable programmes, including joint research calls, startup exchanges and institutional partnerships.
