The Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has extended financial assistance to M/s K. N. Biosciences (India) Private Limited, Hyderabad, for commercializing indigenous technology for producing C-phycocyanin from Spirulina. The project titled "Production of C-Phycocyanin using Spirulina sp. as a Cell Factory" aims to reduce India's dependence on imported natural colorants while creating applications across food, nutraceutical, agriculture, aquaculture, poultry feed, and biostimulant sectors.
The technology was developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati using an indigenous Spirulina strain (NCIM 5143) and has been formally transferred to the company through a Transfer of Technology agreement. The production process integrates optimized upstream cultivation with environmentally sustainable downstream extraction and purification technology. Using controlled photoautotrophic cultivation under optimized light and nutrient conditions, the process generates high-density Spirulina biomass rich in phycocyanin, followed by a green, solvent-free extraction and single-step purification process.
This indigenous process minimizes chemical use while delivering high product purity suitable for diverse industrial applications, producing a stable, water-soluble blue powder benchmarked against international standards. The project will establish commercial-scale production capabilities in India, creating an indigenous value chain for natural pigments and specialty bioproducts. It is expected to support import substitution, promote value addition to algal biotechnology, strengthen India's bio-manufacturing ecosystem, and enhance global competitiveness in natural ingredients and nutraceuticals.
Shri Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB, emphasized that such technologies demonstrate how scientific innovation can create sustainable alternatives to imported specialty ingredients while promoting green manufacturing. The leadership of K. N. Biosciences expressed that TDB's support will enable establishment of commercial-scale production facilities and accelerate market deployment of high-quality indigenous C-phycocyanin, addressing growing domestic and international demand.