Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)
Funds biotechnology innovation in India through public programmes for start-ups and translational research.
BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) is India's flagship biotech industry R&D and start-up funding agency. It is a Public Sector Enterprise set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
BIRAC operates a portfolio of grant schemes targeting biotech start-ups, SMEs, and industry-academia partnerships at different stages of the technology development pipeline:
1. **BIG (Biotechnology Ignition Grant)** — flagship early-stage grant. INR 50 Lakhs (₹5 million) for 18-month proof-of-concept projects. Two calls per year (1 January and 1 July). Managed through 8 BIG Partners across India.
2. **SBIRI (Small Business Innovation Research Initiative)** — PPP scheme launched 2005 for early-stage pre-PoC biotech R&D in Indian companies/LLPs with at least 51% Indian-citizen shareholding. Two calls per year (April and September). Cumulative impact through January 2024: 337 projects, ₹576 Crore committed, 429 beneficiaries.
3. **BIPP (Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme)** — government-industry cost-sharing PPP for path-breaking research in frontier futuristic technology areas. Up to INR 25 Crores (₹250 million) per project.
4. **SEED Fund** — post-PoC support for biotech start-ups crossing the first valley of death, enabling angel investment readiness.
5. **CRS (Contract Research Scheme)** — contract research support.
6. **NBM (National Biopharma Mission)** — DBT/BIRAC umbrella initiative for biopharma development.
Aggregate cumulative funding support since BIRAC's inception: more than ₹4,200 crore (~₹4.2 billion INR ≈ USD 500 million) across more than 1.5 lakh (150,000) startups, entrepreneurs, and companies.
Annual budget approximately ₹500 crore (₹5 billion INR ≈ USD 60 million at ~84 INR/USD) deployed across the various schemes. Currency: INR. BIRAC documents use Indian numerical conventions of lakh (₹100,000) and crore (₹10,000,000); all stored values are in INR converted from lakh/crore where applicable.