The Government of India has awarded ₹75 crore in BioE3 grant assistance to Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) to establish a 100 TPA PLA Co-Polymer R&D Facility in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh.

Highlights

• -₹75 crore BioE3 grant awarded to Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML).
• -Facility will have a 100 TPA pilot-scale PLA Co-Polymer R&D capacity.
• -The facility will be established at BCML’s integrated manufacturing complex in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh.
• -BCML is also developing India’s first integrated commercial PLA manufacturing facility with 80,000 TPA capacity.

The Government of India, through BIRAC under the Department of Biotechnology, has awarded the grant under the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment) initiative. The funding is intended to accelerate development of advanced bio-based materials and strengthen domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.

The pilot-scale facility will be located at BCML’s integrated manufacturing complex in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh. The company is simultaneously setting up what it describes as India’s first integrated commercial PLA manufacturing facility at the site.

The R&D centre is designed to develop next-generation PLA grades and co-polymers, generate techno-economic data and process know-how, validate products with customers and prepare successful technologies for commercial-scale production. It will also support collaboration with industry, academia and research institutions.

Commenting on the grant, Avantika Saraogi, Executive Director of Balrampur Chini Mills Limited, said the ₹75 crore BioE3 grant represents government support for advanced biomanufacturing.

“This facility will help build indigenous technology, develop next-generation bio-based materials and create the scientific and technical capabilities required for India to lead the global transition towards sustainable manufacturing.”

Saraogi also said BCML looks forward to contributing to India’s development as a global bioeconomy hub. 

The grant links BCML’s planned commercial PLA manufacturing capacity with a dedicated R&D platform for product development and process scale-up. With the company also reporting 1,050 KLPD of distillery capacity and 175.7 MW of saleable cogeneration capacity across its operations, the PLA project adds a new bio-based materials dimension to an existing sugar-and-distillery business.

For India’s emerging biomanufacturing industry, the significance of the facility will depend on its ability to convert pilot-scale R&D into commercially viable PLA grades and co-polymers. The company says the centre will cover the development cycle from customer requirements and formulation through pilot samples, performance validation and preparation for commercial-scale manufacturing.