HYDERABAD: In a move aimed at beefing up India’s leadership in cutting-edge biotherapeutics such as cell and gene therapy (CGT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has signed a strategic letter of intent (LOI) with Miltenyi Biotec India Private Limited to boost India’s capabilities in CGT through capacity building, advancing clinical research and solving unmet medical needs by local manufacturing of cell therapies.The LOI was signed at the BIO International Convention 2025 that kicked off in Boston this week. Through the partnership, Miltenyi Biotec and BIRAC plan to build national capabilities and upskill scientific talent through structured training and capacity-building programmes for clinicians, researchers, and technicians in CGT manufacturing, analytics, and quality control.The collaboration also aims to expand translational research efforts through co-development of academic and multi-center studies, focusing on next-generation therapies to solve India’s unmet medical needs in malignancies, autoimmune diseases and rare diseases.It will also establish point-of-care (PoC) CAR-T centers across India using automated manufacturing platforms such as Miltenyi’s CliniMACS Prodigy system to enable cost-effective and scalable access to personalised CGT treatments.The initiative will also promote targeted cell therapy research and support local innovation through the identification and mentoring of Indian startups in line with the ‘Make in India’ mission by enhancing domestic production of critical and manufacturing components, and supporting the development of national CGT centers of excellence.Commenting on the partnership. Priya Kapoor-Hingorani, managing director, MiltenyiBiotec India, said, “The potential of India draws us. Our partnership with BIRAC focuses on updating and upskilling scientists to strengthen the country’s scientific capabilities and infrastructure. Together, we’re exploring how to address current unmet needs in medical science, particularly in areas like autoimmune and rare diseases by enhancing access through innovative mechanisms such as point-of-care CAR-T and graft engineering.”BIRAC managing director Dr Jitendra Kumar said the LOI was inked with Miltenyi, an MNC that is known for its expertise in CGT, as India is aspiring to become a global leader in this space and to achieve that goal it requires a strong foundation of skilled manpower.