Hyderabad, Dec 12, 2025 — India must build strong biotech skills in computation and advanced science to lead future biological innovation, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Group, at the ETPharma Biotech Leadership Symposium. She said emerging technologies will shape medicine, research and industry growth.
Shaw stressed that biology will increasingly rely on computational methods. She pointed out that areas like Bio-IT, computational biology and quantum biology will be key drivers of new breakthroughs in biotech.
India’s Advantage and Cost Strength
Shaw told the symposium that India has a cost advantage in research and development. She said drug discovery and biotech R&D costs in India are about 50–60% lower than in Western markets. Hiring engineers for AI work is 60–70% cheaper compared to the US or Europe.
She also highlighted India’s large talent pool. According to her, the country has more than 22 lakh STEM graduates and over 3 lakh advanced degree holders in biological sciences.
Start-ups, AI and Funding Challenges
Shaw noted that the number of biotech startups has risen from around 50 in 2012 to more than 6,000 today. However, she said many of these companies struggle to scale because of a lack of capital. About 80–90% fail due to poor access to funding, she added.
On technology, she said artificial intelligence can provide deep insights leading to faster and larger innovation gains. Shaw cited investment figures showing generative AI funding reached $49 billion in the first half of 2025, surpassing full-year totals from earlier years. She also mentioned India’s Anushandhan National Research Foundation’s $12 billion corpus as a new support source for research.
Global Competition and Outlook
Shaw pointed to China’s growth in biotech licensing deals, rising from 4% to nearly 30% over the past decade, as evidence of what targeted national effort can achieve. She urged India to pair regulatory reform with skill development to speed innovation and entry to global markets.