India, Sept. 25 -- Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has formally launched the commercial use of bio-based biodegradable plastic made from Polylactic Acid (PLA), marking a step towards sustainable manufacturing and the expansion of India's bioeconomy.
The initiative is being led by Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) under the government's BioE3 framework — Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment. A Rs 75 crore grant from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), is supporting a 100-tonne-per-annum pilot-scale R&D facility for PLA and its co-polymers.
The facility will be established at BCML's integrated manufacturing com...