Keralam needs to bridge research-market gap to unlock life sciences potential: Panellists at Bio Connect 4.0

Trivandrum / October 9, 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9: Keralam can strengthen its life sciences sector by improving research commercialisation, expanding domestic manufacturing and investing in biotechnology, medical devices and the blue economy, speakers pointed out at Bio Connect 4.0, the International Life Sciences Industries Expo and Conclave organised by KSIDC, on Friday.

At a panel session on “Make in India: Transforming Innovation into Manufacturing, Markets and Economic Growth”, moderated by Dr Raj Shirumalla, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Prof. TP Singh of All India Institute of Medical Sciences highlighted protein structure research as a tool for advancing drug discovery.

He urged Keralam to pay greater attention to structural biology, saying the field remained relatively underdeveloped in the state.

Shri Harkaran Dhingra, CEO of NeoDx, said clinical validation, access to samples and regulatory requirements remained major hurdles for India’s in-vitro diagnostics and medical technology industries. Citing Molbio Diagnostics, he said Indian firms could develop affordable diagnostic technologies for diseases such as tuberculosis that are relevant to developing economies and have potential markets overseas.

Dr Aniruddha Bhati, Principal Scientist and Business Lead at DSS Takara Biosciences, said India’s main challenge is translating prototypes into commercially viable products. Funding often prioritises early-stage innovation, leaving gaps in validation, manufacturing scale-up and market entry. The Covid-19 pandemic, he said, highlighted the importance of domestic manufacturing as laboratories increasingly adopted locally made reagents and products.

At another session on “Keralam’s bioeconomy: Building a Sustainable Future through Innovation and Investment,” speakers called for stronger links between research institutions, startups, industry and government. The session was anchored by Shri CN Ramchand, CEO of MedScape Pharma and MagGenome Technologies

Shri Bijoy Nair, Co-founder, President and CEO of Nord Metallics, and Co-founder, Director and Chief Strategy Officer of Bharat Biome/Indus Biome Life Sciences, said commercialisation remained a major constraint. He proposed milestone-based funding for validation and scale-up, shared facilities such as clean rooms and fermentation units, and a regulatory facilitation desk for startups. Government-backed pilot projects in healthcare and agriculture could help startups secure their first customers and attract private investment, he said. Success should be measured by revenue, investment, products developed from patents and access to global markets, rather than grants or incubated startups alone.

Shri Balasubramanya S, Consultant, Strategy and Business Development at ABLE, said India’s bioeconomy was estimated at $195 billion in 2025, spanning biopharma, bioindustry, bioservices and bioagriculture.

Keralam’s contribution to biopharma was estimated at around $8 billion, with cell and gene therapy offering further growth potential. A roadmap developed with NITI Aayog targets a $300-billion bioeconomy by 2030, $650 billion by 2035 and $2.6 trillion by 2047. Achieving these goals would require collaboration, advanced technologies and regulatory reforms, he said.

Shri Ramjee Pallela, Director at EY, urged Keralam to explore the blue economy, including marine biotechnology and innovations that support coastal livelihoods. Marine organisms such as sponges could yield high-value molecules for medical and industrial uses, while research and related enterprises could create opportunities for coastal communities and women’s self-help groups, he said.

Dr Ambady, CEO of KRIBS and BioNest, called for investment in the supply chain supporting biotechnology research. Many laboratory reagents and consumables are imported, he said, adding that domestic manufacturing and logistics could create businesses while supporting researchers developing new therapies and precision-medicine technologies.

Dr Rijesh Krishna, COO of IPTIF, urged the state to establish a regulatory sandbox programme to help startups test innovations in a structured environment and overcome barriers to market entry.

ENDS