The biotechnology industry is one of the fastest growing segments in India. Valued at 11 billion USD in 2018, the Indian biotechnology industry is expected to touch the 100 billion USD mark by 2025, according to the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE.) With more and more people choosing biotechnology as a career, there is ample chance of success in this field. We will be looking at the biotechnology startups which paved the way for the blooming biotechnology industry in India.
Best Biotechnology Startups In India
1)Biocon
This Bangalore based company is the largest biopharmaceutical company in India. Founded in 1978 with a budget of Rs. 10,000, Biocon started as a company selling the enzyme papain. In the 1990s, founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw decided to change the focus of the Company from selling enzymes to selling biopharmaceuticals. Subsequently, Shaw became one of the richest women in India. Today, Biocon sells insulin and monoclonal antibodies, among other products. The Company had an annual revenue of Rs. 4,709 crores in 2018.
2)Sea6 Energy
This startup was founded in 2010 by four IIT Madras graduates and works towards the development of scalable solutions to solve the problem of overconsumption of energy in India. The Company is developing techniques to convert photosynthetic biomass like plants and algae to fuels, in an effort to battle the increasing commercial use of energy in the Country. Incubated at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-Camp) and funded by the Department of Biotechnology, the startup has patented techniques to facilitate large scale cultivation of selected sea plants.
3)Bharat Biotech
Headquartered at Hyderabad, this Company was founded in 1996 by an Indian scientist, Krishna Ella. One of the leading biopharmaceutical companies in India, Bharat Biotech was the first to develop and patent vaccines for the Zika virus, Zikavac, in the world. It is the first pharmaceutical company to develop a generic drug in India.
4)GANIT Labs
Founded in 2010 in Bangalore by Dr. Vinay Panda and Dr. Vijaya Chandru, Genomics Application and Information Technology Labs (GANIT Labs) is an independent government funded startup. GANIT Labs studies genomes related to oral cancer and helps in mapping their genes. It is also involved in creating analytical tools which effectively analyse and manage large scale genome data, mainly from genome sequencing of disease tissues like cancer.
5)MedGenomes
Founded by Sam Santosh in 2013, MedGenomes provides personalised genetic tests and medicines for a range of ailments like cancer, diabetes and neurological ailments. The Company has headquarters in the U.S.A., and India and claims to operate the largest next gen sequencing lab in southeast Asia. In 2017, the Company secured a whopping Rs. 192 crores in funding. In 2018, MedGenomes was given the MedTech Breakthrough Award for Biomedical Research.
With the growth of the biotechnology industry and a renewed interest of investors in it, the success story of these biotechnology startups will inspire many biotechnology entrepreneurs out there who are aspiring to start their own company one day.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.
Fractal, a leading SaaS unicorn, has announced a strategic investment of $20 million in Asper.ai, an AI-driven platform focused on the consumer goods and manufacturing sectors. This funding, revealed on March 19, 2025, aims to accelerate Asper’s growth by enhancing product development and expanding its enterprise customer base.
Investment Highlights
Pranay Agrawal, Co-Founder and CEO of Fractal, expressed excitement about the partnership, noting Asper’s impressive growth over the past three years. He stated that this investment will unlock new opportunities for enterprise customers and drive further innovation within Asper.
Asper.ai’s Objectives
Mohit Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Asper.ai, emphasized the need for consumer goods leaders to have a strategic ally that can adapt to their operations and transform data into actionable insights. The investment will support Asper in building its autonomous growth AI platform and attracting top talent.
Future Plans
Anuj Kaushik, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Asper.ai, highlighted the positive market response to their offerings. With Fractal’s investment, Asper.ai plans to enhance its AI capabilities across key areas like demand forecasting and revenue growth management.
Conclusion
Fractal’s $20 million investment marks a significant step in advancing AI solutions within the consumer goods sector. The collaboration between Fractal and Asper.ai is set to redefine how businesses leverage AI for growth and efficiency in a competitive landscape.