Overview
- The Department of Biotechnology issued a Letter of Intent to designate the GBRC site as the National Centre for High Containment Pathogen Research Facility under the BioE3 policy.
- The project creates India’s second BSL-4 capability after NIV Pune and the first such laboratory to be built by a state government.
- The ₹362 crore facility is designed for work on highly infectious pathogens and will include an animal biosafety unit with a stated emphasis on zoonotic diseases.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the foundation ceremony with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in attendance.
- Reporting on the site’s size conflicts between 14 acres and 11,000 square meters, and no construction schedule or operational timeline has been provided.