In a significant push to India’s BioE3 (Biotechnology, Environment, Economy and Employment) programme, Germany-based GLATT and Hyderabad-headquartered PreferCo on Thursday announced the launch of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Bioprocess Scale-Up at Genome Valley in Hyderabad.
The initiative comes at a pivotal moment for India’s bioeconomy, as the country seeks to convert laboratory innovation into globally competitive biomanufacturing capabilities.
Strengthening Scale-Up Infrastructure
The newly established Centre of Excellence has been designed to accelerate microbial precision fermentation processes from laboratory research to pilot-scale and pre-commercial manufacturing.
Industry stakeholders have long flagged the lack of reliable, globally benchmarked scale-up infrastructure as a bottleneck for innovators across startups, research institutions and established biotech companies. The CoE seeks to address this gap by providing advanced scale-up capabilities under one integrated platform.
According to the two companies, the facility will support scale-up to a 1,500-litre bioreactor capacity, integrating automation, advanced instrumentation and artificial intelligence-enabled process intelligence. The digital systems are intended to enhance reproducibility, deepen process understanding and reduce technical risks typically associated with scaling up fermentation processes.
“The digital-first architecture is aimed at speeding up decision-making and shortening timelines from proof of concept to commercial readiness,” PreferCo and GLATT said in a joint statement.
Beyond Biopharma: Expanding Industrial Biotechnology
While biopharmaceutical applications will be a core focus, the CoE will also cater to a broad spectrum of industrial biotechnology segments. These include personal care, wellness and longevity products, sustainable materials, functional foods and bio-based chemicals.
By enabling faster and more reliable scale-up, the platform is expected to support innovators seeking to commercialise next-generation bio-based solutions across multiple sectors.
Aligning with India’s Growing Bioeconomy
Glatt Systems Pvt Ltd Managing Director Rajiv Bhide highlighted the rapid expansion of India’s bioeconomy over the past decade.
“India’s bioeconomy grew from $10 billion in 2014 to $166 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $300 billion by 2030,” Bhide said, stressing the urgent need for scaling infrastructure aligned with the government’s BioE3 vision.
The launch of the CoE in Genome Valley — one of India’s leading life sciences clusters — is seen as a strategic step in strengthening domestic capabilities at a time when global demand for sustainable, bio-based manufacturing solutions is rising.
Understanding India’s BioE3 Programme
India’s BioE3 initiative focuses on advancing biomanufacturing through a framework that promotes the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and aligns research with industrial production.
The BioE3 Policy outlines guiding principles for “Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing” across diverse sectors. It aims to transform the country’s biomanufacturing processes by enhancing efficiency, sustainability and quality, while accelerating the development of high-value bio-based products.
The GLATT-PreferCo Centre of Excellence is positioned as a tangible step toward operationalising this vision by bridging the critical gap between innovation and industrial-scale production.
