Gandhinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the BSL-4 facility at the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre in Gandhinagar, calling it a major step towards strengthening India’s bio-safety and national health security.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the BSL-4 facility would end India’s dependence on foreign countries for testing samples of dangerous viruses and significantly speed up the process. He said the project reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making science and technology a core pillar of national development.
Shah said the high-containment laboratory would serve as a protective shield for the country’s health sector. He noted that after the National Institute of Virology in Pune, this would be India’s second BSL-4 laboratory and the first such facility built by a state government. He credited Gujarat for taking the lead in creating world-class bio-security infrastructure.
The Home Minister said the ₹362 crore facility, spread across 11,000 square metres, would provide scientists with a safe platform to research highly infectious and deadly viruses. He added that the lab would also enable advanced studies on diseases transmitted from animals to humans, which account for a majority of emerging infections.
BSL-4 facility to boost bio-economy and scientific self-reliance
Shah said the BSL-4 facility was designed after studying similar laboratories across the world. He stressed that the lab would support the One Health Mission by protecting both human and animal health through advanced research and early detection.
Highlighting growth in the biotechnology sector, Shah said India’s bio-economy had expanded from USD 10 billion in 2014 to USD 166 billion by 2024. He added that the number of biotech startups had grown from fewer than 500 to over 10,000, while patent filings rose from 125 to 1,300 during the same period.
He said India now manufactures 60% of the world’s vaccines and has developed key breakthroughs, including the indigenous cervical cancer vaccine and the world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. According to Shah, such achievements showed that India’s youth were job creators, not job seekers.
The Home Minister also flagged antimicrobial resistance as a “silent disaster”. He said tackling AMR required a clear roadmap, timely treatment and public awareness to protect future generations.
Referring to heritage, Shah said science and tradition could progress together. He pointed to the inauguration of the Somnath Swabhimaan Parv and the BSL-4 facility as examples of how heritage and modern science complemented each other.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi were present at the event.
