The Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai and India’s Translational Research Initiative (ITRI) signed a formal Expression of Interest (EOI) to jointly catalyse the construction of the Mumbai Biocluster – an eight-storey facility dedicated to advancing translational biopharmaceutical research, training, and manufacturing in India. The Indian Translational Research Institute (ITRI) was established as a collaborative philanthropic initiative to bridge the valley of death in India’s research and innovation ecosystem.
The signing was held at the Aarti Industries Research and Technology Centre (ARTC), Navi Mumbai, during a gathering commemorating Prof. M. M. Sharma, India’s foremost chemical technologist and mentor to generations. The event also marked the relaunch of Divine Scientist -Prof. Sharma’s official biography – underlining ICT Mumbai’s continued mission to build on his visionary legacy.
The Mumbai Biocluster is a response to one of the most critical challenges in Indian innovation – bridging the “valley of death” between early-stage discovery and scalable clinical and commercial translation. This initiative, along with the catalytic support of ITRI, seeks to deliver a multiplier effect on national R&D output by accelerating innovations to the clinic and market through:
- A GMP-ready biologics pilot plant
- Dedicated centres for rare diseases, process development, synthetic biology, and AI-powered drug development
- Shared platforms for analytical sciences, formulation, and quality systems
- Advanced training and upskilling zones for India’s biopharma workforce
Governed by the ICT Mumbai Research Foundation, a not-for-profit Section 8 company, the Biocluster has already received award under DST-SATHI and is actively securing resources through Government Grants, philanthropic, industrial, and public-private partnerships.
Dr Ratnesh Jain, Principal Investigator and Founder of the Mumbai Biocluster project, stated, “Both ITRI and Mumbai Biocluster share a singular mission—converting scientific innovation into clinical-stage success. This facility will serve as a national enabler to tackle rare diseases, build indigenous biomanufacturing capacity, and shape the next generation of therapeutic development powered by synthetic biology and AI.”
B. Pandit, Vice Chancellor, ICT Mumbai, said: “On this historic day, as we honour Prof. M. M. Sharma, we also affirm our institutional commitment to take Indian science beyond the lab. This Biocluster exemplifies the ICT spirit—deep science, translational excellence, and societal impact.”
Dr Abdur Rub, CEO, ITRI, added, “Our collaboration with ICT Mumbai is driven by the urgency to de-risk Indian innovation and turn research into reality. Together, we aim to create infrastructure that ensures India is not just an innovator—but a global leader in delivering real-world solutions in healthcare.”
The Mumbai Biocluster will offer:
- High-end shared instrumentation to reduce capital burden using a service-driven business model
- Accelerated technology validation and scale-up infrastructure
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration platforms between departments and institutions.
- Workforce development programs and entrepreneurship pathways for students and researchers