India is positioning itself at the forefront of the next industrial revolution with a new biomanufacturing policy designed to address challenges related to food, energy, and climate, officials said on Sunday. The Union Cabinet approved the BioE3 policy on Saturday, which aims to foster high-performance biomanufacturing and boost innovation and entrepreneurship across various fields. High-performance biomanufacturing involves producing a range of products, from medicine to materials, addressing farming and food challenges, and promoting the manufacture of bio-based products through advanced biotechnological processes. The foundation for the BioE3 policy was laid when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Interim Budget, announced a new scheme of bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry to provide environment-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable polymers, bio-plastics, biopharmaceuticals, and bio agri inputs. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, stated during a media briefing that India aims to lead the next industrial revolution. Unlike the semiconductor industry, which arrived in India 15-20 years later, he emphasised the importance of seizing this opportunity now. Gokhale explained that biomanufacturing would help existing industries meet the growing demands for food and fuel while also creating new job opportunities. He noted that the world has experienced several industrial revolutions driven by steam power, electricity, oil, and information and communication technology, with countries that embraced new technologies advancing more quickly. Gokhale highlighted that the next revolution would be driven by the industrialisation of biological sources and processes, making the BioE3 policy align with India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Gokhale also pointed out that biomanufacturing offers solutions to climate change, resource depletion, waste generation, and pollution through innovations like biotextiles and bioplastics. He mentioned that enzymes and microbial strains are essential for this process, noting that Novazyme is a leading global producer of enzymes. In India, research is being conducted at facilities such as the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Delhi and the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Mohali. As an example, Gokhale cited that although India is the largest producer of milk, each person receives only 459 grams per day. With a growing population, increasing the number of cattle is unsustainable due to land and water constraints, rising feed costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and antibiotic resistance. He suggested that bio-manufacturing could help meet dairy needs through non-dairy milk alternatives and ensure resource sustainability. Scientists at the briefing also mentioned that an Indian steel company is working on integrating algal farms with its facilities to capture carbon dioxide directly from exhaust gases.