Why in news?
With global concern over fossil‑fuel dependence, governments and industries are turning towards bio‑based chemicals. These are chemicals produced from renewable biological feedstocks rather than petroleum. India is crafting a bio‑manufacturing policy that includes support for bio‑based chemicals and industrial enzymes, positioning itself to meet domestic demand and reduce imports.
Background
Bio‑based chemicals are derived from agricultural feedstocks such as sugarcane, corn, agricultural waste or even carbon dioxide. Through fermentation and biotechnological processes, microbes convert these feedstocks into basic chemicals like ethanol, lactic acid, succinic acid and butanol. Industrial enzymes—proteins that catalyse chemical reactions—are essential to make these processes efficient.
India’s potential
- India has a large agricultural base and expertise in fermentation from its sugar and distillery industries. This makes it well‑suited to supply feedstock and operate bio‑manufacturing facilities.
- The Department of Biotechnology’s “BioE3” policy (biotechnology for energy, environment and economy) aims to foster bio‑based businesses. It includes incentives for research, shared pilot‑scale facilities and procurement guidelines.
- Several Indian companies such as Praj Industries, Godavari Biorefineries, Godrej Agrovet and start‑ups like String Bio are developing bio‑based chemicals and enzymes. They hope to cater to domestic markets for biodegradable plastics, solvents and animal feed additives.
Global context and challenges
- Countries in the European Union, United States, China and Japan have already invested heavily in bio‑manufacturing. Shared pilot facilities and public procurement standards help new technologies scale. Without similar support, Indian start‑ups may struggle with high capital costs and uncertain markets.
- Feedstock availability is a concern. Competing uses for crops (food vs. fuel), seasonal variability and logistics can raise costs. Developing second‑generation technologies that use agricultural residues could mitigate this issue.
- Consumers and industries must adopt bio‑based products for the market to grow. Education and clear sustainability standards will be necessary to build trust.
Source: The Hindu