India urged to accelerate regulatory process for biotech sector

Increasing access to capital has resulted in a surge of Indian biopharmaceutical companies focusing on research and development. A think-tank has advised the government that it is imperative to streamline regulatory approval procedures for the biotechnology industry and eliminate redundant steps so as to expedite the approval process, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

A number of departments and subcommittees under three ministries are responsible for regulatory oversight of the biotechnology industry in India, and lack of coordination between the ministries and some expendable steps tend to contribute to delays, the industry body has said.

Noting that biosimilars are projected to grow by over 30% by 2047, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has said governmental reforms are necessary to enable them to thrive.