Constituted by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and hosted, led by C-CAMP, the Consortium - NBRIC is emerging as an exciting new convergence platform to fuel Made-in-India biomedical technologies and innovations.
Formed in early May as an urgent response to the emergency arising out of COVID-19 pandemic, NBRIC is one of the major platforms driving Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat in biotech domain. Envisioned as a collaborative Public Private Partnership to push for indigenous innovations its initial focus is on developing reagents, diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for COVID19 and thereafter, expanding to all biologics and biopharmaceuticals. NBRIC is supported by National Bio Pharma Mission and includes Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE, India) as industry partners.
Till date, the consortium has seen active engagement from more than 40 major stakeholders from the Indian biomedical resources innovation community. Companies big, medium and small and academic/research institutes have come on board with the common goal of furthering the boundaries of India’s present capabilities in biomedical resources. The goal is greater self-reliance and greater influence as a key player in global bioeconomy.
NBRIC has launched calls to map developers/manufacturers of RT-PCR and antibody-based serological COVID-19 testing kits along with kit components to enhance India’s testing capacity and reduce dependence on imported biomedical resources.
As of now, 9 NBRIC members have either developed or inked strategic partnerships with public and private organizations to leverage complementary strengths and have been pivotal to India becoming self-reliant in COVID-19 testing capacity. They are CoSara Diagnostics, DNA Xperts, Genei Laboratories, Huwel Life Sciences, MyLab, Richcore Life Sciences, Syngene International, J Mitra & Co and Krishgen Biosystems.
8 of them have developed, manufactured and deployed novel, low-cost, gold standard RT-PCR test kits, ELISA rapid antibody testing kits and enzymes/reagents key to running these test kits. While another company has developed serology-based antibody screening ELISA kits for vaccine developers and drug manufacturers.
Development of indigenous biomedical resources to curb the pandemic is the need of the hour in times of global sequestration of vital resources. With NBRIC, India can now opt for world class technologies developed by its own innovation ecosystem.
Media coverage on NBRIC:
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bengaluru-hosts-national-body-to-drive-biomedical-innovation/articleshow/75747110.cms?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIDesktop
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/30-firms-institutes-join-n-bric-on-local-innovation/articleshow/76290397.cms
- https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/dbt-floats-n-bric-to-drive-ppp-in-innovation-to-fight-covid-19/article31583666.ece
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/bengaluru-based-firm-produces-two-key-enzymes-for-covid-19-testing/story-lrSWnaHuBY909I6vArH7lJ.html
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/genie-labs-to-make-iit-delhis-pcr-diagnostic-assay-kit-for-covid-19/articleshow/76181565.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/syngene-pitches-in-with-indigenous-antibody-test-kits/article31746752.ece
- https://www.biovoicenews.com/nbric-elated-as-j-mitras-indigenous-covid-19-antibody-test-kit-gets-icmr-nod/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fkY2LTPUEA&feature=youtu.be
The current NBRIC call is for serological test kit & kit consumables manufacturers/developers.
