Content

1. Transforming India into a Global Biopharma Hub
2. Survey on Migration 2026–27

Transforming India into a Global Biopharma Hub

Why in News? — Budget 2026–27 Biopharma Push

• Union Budget 2026–27 launched Biopharma SHAKTI with ₹10,000 crore over five years to boost biologics–biosimilars ecosystem, marking shift from generics toward innovation-led, high-value pharmaceutical manufacturing and exports.
• Policy targets 5% global biopharma market share by integrating manufacturing scale, skilled workforce, clinical infrastructure, and regulatory reforms, projecting biopharma as engine for health security, technology leadership, and export competitiveness.

Relevance

GS III — Economy

• Industrial Policy: ₹10,000 cr Biopharma SHAKTI, PLI, Bulk Drug Parks.
• High-value Manufacturing & Exports: Target 5% global share.
• Import Substitution: Reduced biologics/API dependence.

GS III — Science & Technology

• Biotech Innovation: Genome India, NBM, BIRAC ecosystem.
• R&D & Startups: Bio-incubators, tech transfers.
• IPR Issues: TRIPS vs affordability.

Basics — Understanding Biopharma

What is Biopharma?

• Biopharmaceuticals are medicines produced using living cells, microbes, or biological systems, including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, gene therapies, recombinant proteins, modern insulin for targeted treatment of complex diseases.
• Unlike small-molecule drugs, biologics are structurally complex, R&D-intensive, temperature-sensitive, needing advanced bioprocessing, cold-chain logistics, and strict regulatory validation, creating high entry barriers but ensuring superior value addition.

Global Context

• Global pharma industry valued around $1.1 trillion, with biologics as fastest-growing segment due to ageing populations, NCD rise, precision medicine demand, and vaccine innovations after COVID-19.
• Expiry of patents on blockbuster biologics fuels biosimilars market expansion; countries with regulatory credibility, scale manufacturing, and clinical ecosystems capture larger shares of global pharmaceutical value chains.

Constitutional / Legal Dimensions

• Article 47 mandates State to improve public health; affordable biologics support access to advanced therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune and rare diseases, aligning with Directive Principles.
• TRIPS-compliant IPR regime balances innovation incentives with public health; compulsory licensing remains legal safeguard ensuring affordability of life-saving biologics and vaccines during emergencies.

Governance / Administrative Dimensions

• Proposal for 1,000+ accredited clinical trial sites expands ethical, quality-compliant research capacity, shortens trial timelines, and strengthens India’s position as global clinical research destination.
• Strengthening CDSCO with specialised scientific staff improves biologics evaluation, aligns approval timelines with global norms, and enhances regulatory credibility in export markets.
• Establishing 3 new NIPERs and upgrading 7 existing NIPERs addresses skilled manpower gaps in bioprocess engineering, regulatory science, and translational research.

Economic Dimensions

• India ranks 3rd in pharma production by volume but 14th by value; biopharma push aims shifting toward high-margin, innovation-driven segments, boosting export earnings and technological depth.
• Domestic biologics manufacturing reduces import dependence on high-value therapies and APIs, improving supply-chain resilience, trade balance, and healthcare sovereignty.
• PLI, Bulk Drug Parks, and SPI schemes create ecosystem for scale manufacturing, common infrastructure, and WHO-GMP compliance, enabling MSME participation in complex biologics.

Social / Ethical Dimensions

• Rising non-communicable diseases—diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders—raise biologics demand; domestic biosimilars improve affordability, equity, and financial risk protection in healthcare.
• Strong ethics oversight in trials ensures informed consent, patient safety, and data integrity, addressing past concerns and building international trust.

Science–Tech / Innovation Dimensions

• National Biopharma Mission (₹1,500 crore) supports 101 projects, 150+ organisations, 30 MSMEs, generating 1,000+ jobs across vaccines, biosimilars, diagnostics, and devices.
• Genome India Programme sequencing 10,000 genomes enables precision medicine, predictive healthcare, and population-specific therapies, strengthening genomics-driven innovation.
• BioE3 Policy promotes biomanufacturing, Bio-AI hubs, and biofoundries across smart proteins, precision biotherapeutics, and climate-linked biotech.

Data & Evidence

• BIRAC established 95 bio-incubation centres and supported nearly 1,000 innovators under BIG, strengthening startup pipeline from discovery to commercialisation.
• 7,000+ professionals trained in regulatory/IPR, 850+ IP filings, ~120 tech transfers reflect maturing innovation-commercialisation ecosystem.
• Clinical trials backed by 8 lakh volunteer database enable large-scale studies in oncology, diabetes, and rheumatology.

Challenges / Criticisms

• High capital intensity and long gestation periods deter private investment; startups face funding gaps between research and commercialisation stages.
• Regulatory capacity constraints and coordination gaps risk approval delays and reputational issues in global markets.
• Continued reliance on imported high-end equipment and reagents limits true self-reliance.
• Persistent shortage of experts in bioprocessing and regulatory science shows academia–industry skill mismatch.

Way Forward

• Create mission-mode biomanufacturing clusters integrating R&D, pilot plants, testing, and logistics to reduce entry barriers and accelerate scale-up.
• Implement single-window digital regulatory systems and harmonise with USFDA/EMA standards for predictability.
• Expand blended finance and sovereign biotech funds to bridge late-stage funding gaps.
• Promote global collaborations and vaccine diplomacy aligned with SDGs and health equity.

Survey on Migration 2026–27

Why in News? 

• NSO under MoSPI will conduct Survey on Migration (July 2026–June 2027) to generate updated, nationwide evidence on rural–urban, inter-state, seasonal, and return migration for policy design.
• Latest comprehensive migration data currently rely on PLFS 2020–21; new survey fills post-pandemic data gaps amid rapid urbanisation, labour mobility, and informal sector shifts.

Relevance

GS I — Indian Society

• Urbanisation: Migration-led city expansion.
• Women & Society: 86.8% female marriage migration.
• Demographic shifts: Population redistribution.

GS II — Polity & Governance / Social Justice

• Fundamental Rights: Article 19 mobility.
• Welfare Delivery: ONORC, portability gaps.
• Data Governance: NSO evidence-based policy.

Basics — Migration in India

What is Migration?

• Migration refers to movement of persons across regions for employment, marriage, education, displacement, or livelihood security, shaping labour markets, demographic patterns, and urbanisation trajectories.
• Includes intra-district, inter-district, and inter-state migration; may be temporary, seasonal, circular, or permanent, each having distinct socio-economic and policy implications.

Current Statistical Picture

• PLFS 2020–21 estimated India’s overall migration rate at 28.9%, indicating that nearly one in three Indians is a migrant by last-residence criteria.
• Migration rate among males: 10.7% and females: 47.9%, showing strong gender asymmetry rooted in social norms, marriage systems, and labour participation differences.

Constitutional / Legal Dimensions

• Article 19(1)(d) & (e) guarantee freedom to move and reside anywhere in India, forming constitutional basis for internal migration and labour mobility.
• Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 and Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2020 aim to protect migrant workers’ wages, safety, and welfare.
• Migration-linked welfare portability aligns with One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) ensuring food security for mobile populations.

Governance / Administrative Dimensions

• New survey will capture data on reasons for migration, employment profiles, remittances, and return migration, enabling evidence-based urban planning and labour market policies.
• Reliable migration data improve targeting in housing, transportation, social security, and skill development, reducing exclusion errors in welfare delivery.
• Strengthens data-driven governance under Digital India and DBT ecosystem by mapping migrant vulnerabilities and service access gaps.

Economic Dimensions

• Male migration largely employment-driven; 22.8% of male migrants move for jobs, supporting construction, manufacturing, and urban informal sectors critical to GDP growth.
• Migrant remittances sustain rural consumption, reduce poverty, and smooth income shocks, acting as informal social security for origin households.
• Labour mobility enhances factor reallocation efficiency, shifting surplus labour from low-productivity agriculture to higher-productivity urban sectors.

Social / Ethical Dimensions

• 86.8% of female migration due to marriage reflects patriarchy-driven mobility rather than economic agency, masking true female labour migration in statistics.
• Migrants face vulnerabilities—informal housing, job insecurity, lack of identity portability, and social discrimination—raising concerns of dignity and urban inclusion.
• Seasonal and circular migrants often excluded from PDS, healthcare, and education benefits due to documentation and domicile barriers.

Demographic / Urbanisation Link

• Migration accelerates urbanisation, with cities acting as growth poles; unmanaged influx leads to slums, congestion, and pressure on civic amenities.
• Young migrant workforce contributes to demographic dividend utilisation but requires skilling, housing, and social protection frameworks.

Data & Evidence

• 28.9% migration rate (PLFS 2020–21) indicates scale of internal mobility in India’s development process.
• Gender gap—47.9% female vs 10.7% male—highlights social drivers dominating female mobility statistics.
• Employment-driven migration share among males at 22.8% underscores labour-market pull factors.

Challenges / Criticisms

• Migration data historically underreported due to definitional issues, short reference periods, and invisibility of circular migrants.
• Policy fragmentation between Centre–States leads to weak portability of welfare and social security benefits.
• Urban governance often treats migrants as temporary, leading to exclusion from housing, healthcare, and political representation.
• Gender-blind data classification underestimates women’s economic migration and workforce participation.

Way Forward

• Institutionalise periodic migration surveys synchronized with Census and PLFS for real-time labour mobility insights.
• Ensure universal portability of welfare—PDS, health insurance, social security—through national migrant databases and digital IDs.
• Promote migrant-inclusive urban planning with rental housing, hostels, and transit-oriented development.
• Recognise women’s economic migration explicitly to design gender-responsive skilling and employment policies.