BIRAC

BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) is a not-for-profit, Section 8, Schedule B Public Sector Enterprise established in 2012 by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. It functions as an industry-academia interface agency, supporting emerging biotech enterprises in pursuing strategic research and innovation that address nationally relevant product development needs.

The organisation administers a range of funding instruments. The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) offers up to ₹50 lakh as grant-in-aid over 18 months for early-stage startups to reach Proof of Concept, with calls issued twice yearly (1 January and 1 July) and managed through 8 BIG Partner institutions. BioNEST comprises 94 bio-incubation and pre-incubation centres providing over 10,34,470 sq. ft. of incubation space across India. Additional programmes include SITARE and E-YUVA for student and young innovator-led ideas, SBIRI and BIPP for late-stage product development and industry partnerships, PACE for translation research bridging lab-to-clinic gaps, and equity schemes such as SEED Fund, LEAP Fund, BioAngels Program, and AcE Fund of Funds (₹174.5 crore corpus deployed across 16 daughter funds, with ₹349 crore+ committed to 102+ biotech startups).

BIRAC has deployed ₹4,200 crore in direct funding and catalysed ₹7,000 crore in total investment. BIG grants have funded Proof-of-Concept for hundreds of biotech innovations. Equity schemes have supported 159 startups, generating ₹737 crore in follow-on funding from 98 startups, with combined portfolio valuation exceeding ₹75,000 crore. Overall, BIRAC has supported 5,000+ startups, generated 1,350+ IPs, supported 900+ products, and created 35,000+ jobs. It serves any Indian biotech, biopharma, medtech, or agri-biotech startup, from students with early concepts to growth-stage companies seeking equity. Applications for BIG must be submitted through BIRAC-empanelled BIG Partner institutions, and startups must be incorporated as private limited companies, LLPs, or Section 8 entities in India.