In a recent address at Startup Mahakumbh 2025, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal posed a provocative question: Are Indian startups overly concentrated on consumer services like rapid food delivery, while the fertile territories of deep-tech innovations—artificial intelligence, robotics, and semiconductors—remain insufficiently explored?
This timely reflection resonates particularly within India’s burgeoning biopolymer industry, where materials such as Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT), and Polylactic Acid (PLA) represent the vanguard of sustainable material science. Globally, these biodegradable polymers have transcended theoretical promise to become practical reality; advanced PBAT-based blends now exhibit enhanced mechanical and barrier properties that position them as formidable alternatives to conventional plastics.
Yet India’s narrative in this transformative sector has been predominantly that of technology adoption rather than origination. Consider Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML), which has embarked on establishing India’s first industrial-scale PLA manufacturing facility with a substantial ₹2,000 crore investment. The cornerstone technology for this ambitious venture, however, is being imported from global entities like Sulzer AG. This technological dependence evokes a penetrating question: Why has India not cultivated indigenous capabilities in monomer technologies and production methodologies?
Indian research institutions have certainly demonstrated intellectual prowess—witness the innovative bioplastics developed by the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B). Nevertheless, these academic achievements have yet to navigate the challenging journey to industrial scalability. Moreover, an examination of India’s patent landscape in biopolymers reveals an abundance of incremental improvements rather than foundational breakthroughs—suggesting an innovation ecosystem yet to realize its full potential.
Ukhi: Pioneering Indigenous Biopolymer Solutions
Against this backdrop of technological adoption, Ukhi emerges as a catalyst for indigenous innovation. Established in 2019, Ukhi distinguishes itself as a material science enterprise dedicated to transforming agricultural residues—hemp, nettle, and rice husk—into sophisticated biopolymers. Their flagship product, EcoGran, represents not merely an alternative to conventional plastics but a reimagination of materials science: delivering performance without environmental compromise while advancing circular economy principles.
Ukhi’s approach transcends technological innovation alone; it orchestrates an elegant synthesis between environmental stewardship and socioeconomic advancement. By establishing supply chains with self-help groups and independent farmers practicing sustainable agriculture, Ukhi demonstrates how deep-tech innovation can serve as a vehicle for multidimensional development—creating ecological and economic value simultaneously.
Bridging the Innovation Gap
Minister Goyal’s observations function as both diagnosis and prescription—compelling Indian startups to cultivate innovations with profound technological and societal ramifications. While pioneering entities like Ukhi are forging impressive pathways in biopolymer science, national competitiveness demands broader participation across the innovation ecosystem. The development of proprietary technologies, acquisition of substantive intellectual property, and scaled manufacturing capacities constitute essential milestones on India’s journey toward establishing sovereign leadership in sustainable materials.
By cultivating an ecosystem that privileges research excellence, facilitates cross-sectoral collaboration, and channels strategic investment into deep-tech domains, India can orchestrate its metamorphosis from technology importer to global innovator. This transformation promises not only to elevate India’s competitive position in global markets but also to contribute meaningfully to worldwide sustainability imperatives—positioning the nation as an architectural force in addressing humanity’s most pressing environmental challenges.
