Table of Contents
Context
The government announced the first national call for the ₹2,000 Crore BIRAC-RDI Fund.
Key Features of The BIRAC-RDI Fund
- Inception: Launched in November 2025 under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
- Institutional Framework: It is anchored by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and managed by BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council).
- Primary Objective: To bridge the “Valley of Death”—the gap between laboratory-scale research and commercial industrial manufacturing.
- Target Maturity: Specifically supports technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above (moving from validation in a lab to a real-world environment).
- Financial Instruments: Funding is provided through a strategic mix of equity, convertible instruments, and long-term debt, rather than simple grants.
About RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) Scheme
- Parent Body: Functioning under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Department of Science and Technology
- Financial Outlay:₹1 Lakh Crore corpus spread over six years.
- Fiscal 2025-26 Allocation: ₹20,000 crore has been earmarked for the current financial year.
- Strategic Vision: To incentivize Private Sector investment in R&D.
- To focus on Strategic Technologies: Deep tech, Biotech, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- To ensure Atmanirbharta (Self-reliance) and national economic security.
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Other initiatives |
| ● BioE3 Policy: (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) Focuses on high-performance biomanufacturing.
● National Biopharma Mission (NBM): An industry-academia collaborative mission to accelerate the discovery of vaccines, biosimilars, and medical devices. ● Biotech-KISAN: A scientist-farmer partnership scheme bringing agricultural innovation directly to the fields. |
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