Celebrating youth-led biotechnology innovation aligned with India’s BioE3 vision for a sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy
ICGEB New Delhi recently hosted the first edition of the Felicitation Ceremony for the winners of the DESIGN for BioE3 Challenge, celebrating innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in the domains of bio-based energy, environment, and economy (BioE3).
The ceremony was presided over by the Chief Guest, Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT); Director General, BRIC; and Chairman, BIRAC. In his address, Dr. Gokhale congratulated the winners and described the occasion as the beginning of a larger national milestone under BioE3. He emphasised that BioE3 is not merely a vision for biotechnology, but a mission to deliver environmentally responsible, economically viable, and scalable solutions towards a Viksit Bharat, encouraging innovators to share, scale, and connect their ideas with society for greater impact.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Ramesh Sonti, Director, ICGEB New Delhi, expressed enthusiasm over the overwhelming response from innovators across the country. He noted that the proposals reviewed by the panel were diverse, exciting, and impactful, reflecting the growing strength of India’s biotechnology ecosystem, with a clear focus on environmental sustainability, real-world relevance, and future-ready solutions. The evaluation of applications and selection of final winners for the November 2025 edition were carried out by ICGEB New Delhi through a rigorous review process based on innovation, feasibility, societal relevance, and real-world application potential.
Conceived by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT),Government of India, the ‘D.E.S.I.G.N for BioE3 Challenge’ encourages participants to apply design thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, and scientific rigour to address real-world challenges. The initiative promotes independent and interdisciplinary thinking to create a net-positive societal impact—aligned with India’s BioE3 goals of economy, environment, and employment.
Celebrating innovation in action, ten winners from the November 2025 window of the D.E.S.I.G.N. for BioE3 Challenge presented their solutions and were felicitated with a ₹1 lakh recognition award each, honouring ideas poised to advance India’s growing bioeconomy.
The event also featured addresses by Dr. Anamika Gambhir, Advisor & Scientist ‘G’, DBT, and Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Managing Director, BIRAC. Dr. Kumar highlighted the role of mentorship, incubation, and early-stage funding in converting youth-led ideas into scalable and sustainable biomanufacturing enterprises, encouraging innovators to move decisively from ideas to impact.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Vamsi Krishna, Scientist ‘F’, DBT. The event was moderated by Rayies Altaf, Public Relations Incharge, ICGEB New Delhi.
