The Union Budget 2026-27 announced the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over 5 years. Its core objective is to develop India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub. The scheme includes establishing 3 new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research and upgrading 7 existing ones. Since these institutes are linked with pharmaceutical education and research, the initiative is not limited to production capacity alone; it also strengthens research capacity and the institutional base needed for a deeper biopharma ecosystem.
The scheme matters from both the economy and science-and-technology angles. Its scope is national, so it should not be read as a government initiative limited to one state. India’s pharmaceutical sector exports to over 200 countries, so stronger biopharma manufacturing connects with exports, industrial growth and critical drug-ingredient supply capacity. The stated goals are to boost domestic pharmaceutical production capacity, reduce import dependence for critical drug ingredients and create a robust biopharma ecosystem. The target of increasing domestic API production by 40% by 2030 links the scheme with supply chain resilience and reduced import dependence.
For exams, this should be connected with government science-and-technology programmes, industrial growth, economic reforms and the pharmaceutical industry. In RAS and UPSC-style prelims, likely facts include the scheme name, outlay, duration, NIPER expansion and the API production target. For mains, it can support answers on India’s manufacturing capacity, reducing import dependence, export competitiveness and the role of science-and-technology institutions in economic development.