Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) has received a ₹75 crore grant from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to establish a 100 TPA PLA Co-Polymer R&D Facility under the BioE3 initiative. The grant will support the development of advanced bio-based materials and strengthen domestic capabilities in biomanufacturing. The facility will be set up at BCML’s integrated manufacturing complex in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh, where the company is also developing an integrated commercial PLA manufacturing facility.
The proposed R&D centre will focus on developing new grades of Polylactic Acid (PLA) and PLA co-polymers for high-value applications. It will serve as a pilot-scale facility for product development, technology development, customer validation and preparation for commercial production.
Avantika Saraogi, Executive Director, Balrampur Chini Mills Limited, said, “The Government of India’s support through this ₹75 crore BioE3 grant is a strong endorsement of the strategic role that advanced biomanufacturing will play in India’s future. 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.”
The facility will develop specialised PLA grades and advanced PLA co-polymers, while generating technical and economic data required for commercial-scale production. It will also help develop process know-how and train skilled professionals for India’s growing biomanufacturing sector.
The R&D facility is designed to connect laboratory research with commercial manufacturing. It will support the complete product development process, from understanding customer requirements and developing formulations to producing pilot samples, testing product performance and preparing technologies for commercial-scale production.
BCML also plans to work with academic institutions and research organisations through a limited-service model. These collaborations are expected to provide opportunities for research and development in sustainable materials and strengthen the wider biotechnology ecosystem.
The facility comes as industries globally increase their use of bio-based materials and adopt more circular manufacturing practices. BCML expects the new R&D platform to support the development and commercialisation of advanced biopolymers and contribute to India’s growing bioeconomy.
BCML is also setting up India’s first integrated commercial PLA manufacturing facility, with a planned capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum. The company’s broader operations include sugar manufacturing, distillery and power cogeneration. Balrampur Chini Mills currently operates 10 sugar factories in Uttar Pradesh, with an aggregate sugarcane crushing capacity of 80,000 tonnes crushed per day (TCD). Its distillery operations have a capacity of 1,050 KLPD, while its saleable power cogeneration capacity stands at 175.7 MW. The ₹75 crore BioE3 grant is expected to support BCML’s plans to develop domestic expertise in PLA and other bio-based materials while creating a platform for future commercial applications.
