Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr. Rajiv Bahl, has welcomed the Union Budget, stating that India has strong potential to become a global leader in the rapidly expanding bio-medicine sector. He praised the government’s increased focus on health research and the launch of the Bio-Pharma Shakti initiative, aimed at strengthening the country’s biopharmaceutical ecosystem.
Dr. Bahl highlighted that the Department of Health Research’s allocation has risen significantly from around ₹3,900 crore last year to over ₹4,820 crore in the current budget an increase of nearly 24 percent. He said the enhanced funding would play a crucial role in advancing medical research, innovation and the development of new medicines through institutions such as ICMR.
He described the bio-pharma sector as one of the fastest-growing areas in healthcare, noting that the new initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat. According to him, biological medicines represent a major opportunity for India to position itself among the world’s leading nations in this field.
The budget also aims to support the pharmaceutical industry by encouraging research and development to produce not only biosimilars but also novel biological medicines that are currently expensive and largely imported. Dr. Bahl said domestic production of such medicines would improve access for Indian patients and enable exports to other countries, strengthening both global health and the Indian economy.
He further welcomed measures to strengthen the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), stating that a stronger regulatory framework would help ensure faster approvals for medicines and benefit industry innovation. Another major announcement includes the creation of over 1,000 medical trial sites under ICMR, which he said would accelerate clinical research and drive a transformation in the bio-medicine sector through coordinated efforts between ICMR, CDSCO and the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Dr Bahl also drew attention to steps aimed at patients with serious and rare illnesses. Cancer medicines have been exempted from customs duties and seven additional diseases have been included under the National Rare Diseases Programme. He said these measures reflect the government’s commitment to easing the burden on patients and improving access to critical treatments.
The Bio-Pharma Shakti initiative seeks to build a comprehensive ecosystem for biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Other budget proposals include scaling up manufacturing in strategic and emerging sectors and developing city-centric economic regions to support industrial growth.
