BioRRAP portal: Union Minister launches Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Start-Ups

What is the News?

The Minister of Science and Technology(IC) has launched a Single National Portal,  named Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal “BioRRAP” for Biotech researchers and Startups.

About the “BioRRAP” portal

Aim: The portal will serve as a gateway and will help researcher to see stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances and to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher and/or organization.

Launched by: Department of Biotechnology.

Note: The portal is dedicated only for research related activities and not for product development.

What is the need for developing “BioRRAP” portal?

Over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies working at present in the country. The research in the various biological fields is continuously expanding in India.

Many of these research falls under the purview of one or more regulatory agencies which first approve the research proposal after which the researcher undertakes that specific research.

At present, there is no mechanism to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal. Hence, to provide more credibility and recognition to biological research the portal has been developed.

What is the significance of the portal?

1) The portal allows stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through a unique BioRRAP ID, 2) The portal will strengthen interdepartmental synergies and bring accountability, transparency and efficacy in functioning of agencies regulating various aspect of biological research and issuing permits. 3) The repository of the research undertaken by researchers in public and private sector will not only help in understanding India’s scientific strength and expertise but also in formulation of enabling policies to incentivise scientific research.

About the biotechnology sector in India

At present, India is among the top 12 destinations for biotechnology globally and 3rd largest biotechnology destination in the Asia Pacific region. It is expected that by 2025, the contribution of the Indian biotechnology industry in the global biotechnology market is expected to grow to 19% from a mere 3% in 2017.

Bio Economy’s contribution to the national GDP has also grown steadily in the past years to 2.7% in 2020 from 1.7% in 2017.

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister launches Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Start-Ups” published in PIB on 21st May 2022.