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Expert says India needs patient biotech capital
The Hindu··11 Sept
India has more than 2,500 biotech startups, but long-term capital without quick-return pressure remains scarce, HealthKois co-founder Ajay Mahipal said. At Biotech Conclave 2026 at VIT Chennai, he said India is shifting from manufacturing toward innovation. Patents have risen four-fold in a decade, he said. He also urged early intellectual property planning and careful commercialisation.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Founders seeking cheques face investor focus on clear problems, large markets and monetisation paths, Mahipal said.
- Cell and gene therapy, precision medicine, genomics and AI-enabled drug discovery are drawing investor interest.
- University-hospital-startup collaboration is improving but remains unfinished, he said.
What's Happening
- Mahipal spoke with The Hindu at Biotech Conclave 2026 presented by VIT Chennai with The Hindu.
- He said India has moved beyond being mainly a manufacturing base and is emerging as an innovation hub.
- He told young entrepreneurs to keep a commercial lens while pursuing research ideas.
Where Investors Are Looking
- India’s biotech startup count exceeds 2,500 in the figure he cited.
- Patents in India increased four-fold over the past decade, per his remarks.
- He listed microbiome and immunology-driven therapeutics among areas attracting capital.
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