Balrampur Chini Receives ₹75 Crore BioE3 Grant for PLA Co-Polymer R&D Facility in Kumbhi, UP
Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) has received a ₹75 crore grant from the Government of India to develop a 100 TPA (tonnes per annum) pilot-scale research and development facility for bio-plastic poly lactic acid (PLA) and co-polymers.
The grant has been sanctioned by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), as part of the government's BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment) initiative aimed at building indigenous capabilities in advanced biomanufacturing.
The facility will be set up at BCML's integrated manufacturing complex in Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh, alongside the company's planned commercial-scale PLA manufacturing facility, which BCML describes as the first of its kind in India.
The pilot facility is intended to serve as an innovation hub for developing next-generation PLA grades and advanced co-polymers for high-value applications, generating the techno-economic data and process know-how needed to move from laboratory research to commercial-scale manufacturing. It will also support collaboration between industry, academia and research institutions, and BCML plans to offer limited-service access for academic and research use.
