Biology to steer tech revolution, says Dr Alka Sharma
Environment and Employment organised by Press Information Bureau, Chennai, on Friday, she said the Union cabinet on August 24 approved the policy which would enable bio-based processes for clean, green and prosperous India and set a bio-revolution in the next 30 years
CHENNAI: Dr Alka Sharma, Scientist and Senior Adviser Department of Biotechnology has said that Biology will steer the next technology revolution in the world similar to the IT revolution.
Speaking at a workshop for journalists on BioE3 Policy: Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment organised by Press Information Bureau, Chennai, on Friday, she said the Union cabinet on August 24 approved the policy which would enable bio-based processes for clean, green and prosperous India and set a bio-revolution in the next 30 years.
Stating that the policy was formulated after a wide-ranging consultation with all stakeholders, Dr Alka Sharma said it is aligned with the Union Budget 2023-2024 emphasis on green growth and the Prime Minister’s vision of net zero carbon emission. Prof Guhan Jayaraman, IIT- Madras spoke about the science behind bioprocess engineering and biomanufacturing.
He said apart from nurturing employment, and creating a sustainable environment, the BiOE3 policy would also create employment opportunities for a skilled workforce.
Listing challenges, Prof Guhan said the transition towards green fuels is a major challenge of biomanufacturing. The key bottleneck is lignocellulose; several biotechnology-based methods are being tried to break lignocellulosic bonds to produce sustainable high-value molecules as well as fuels.