Founders & Investors Forum 2025 bridges gap between science & business

Experts carve out prediction for the Indian biotech startups landscape by 2030

India's bioeconomy is projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, and the role of the startup community, supported by the bioincubators, is particularly instrumental. While early-stage investors are willing to fund and nurture the biotech startups, the lack of growth-stage capital in India is a major hurdle. Without larger funding pools, we risk losing promising companies to overseas markets through acquisitions or relocations.

At the same time, as new technologies are emerging, regulatory frameworks must evolve to strike a balance between innovation and safety. Thus, policymakers have a crucial role in anticipating these changes.

With biotech startups often facing complex challenges at the intersection of science and business that can hinder progress, the second edition of the BioStartUps event- Founders & Investors Forum 2025, held on 1st August 2025 at the CIDCO Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai, brought together biotech industry experts to discuss how founders and their teams can combine scientific expertise with business acumen to navigate hurdles and drive growth.

 The panelists included Dr Vishal Warke- Director - R&D (Cell Biology & Hydroponics), HiMedia Laboratories; Chandrashekaran Siddamadappa- Chairman & Managing Director, Vipragen Biosciences; Dr Giridharan Periyasamy- Chief Scientific Officer, 4baseCare; Shrey Agarwal- CEO & Director, Abdos LifeScience; Sachin Joshi- Founder & Managing Director, PharmNXT; and Dr Vishal Gandhi- CEO & Founder, BioRx Venture Advisors. The session was moderated by Ruplekha Choudhurie- Research Manager, Everest Group.

The experts deliberated upon critical aspects such as- Is there a disconnect between science and business within the biotech startup ecosystem and how can that be addressed; Do all startups need equal experience in science & business to ensure success; Should we bring science into business schools or vice-versa to prepare tomorrow’s entrepreneurs; Should investors also be equipped with both scientific and business acumen to fully understand biotech innovations and what are the gaps here; What role can the government play here in order to upskill the biotech workforce; and how is the gap between science and business being bridged globally, and can India learn any lessons from the global examples?

Published on : 04th August, 2025