BIRAC-RDI FUND
BIRAC-Research, Development & Innovation Fund
(Government of India's initiative driving high-impact R&D and transformative indigenous manufacturing)
Areas of Support
Strategic Pillars for transformative impact
Reprogramming Biology for Extreme Performance
- AI-engineered designer enzymes delivering ≥10× catalytic performance
- Proteins stable under extreme industrial and environmental conditions
- Recombinant therapeutic and nutritional proteins exceeding global benchmarks
- AI-engineered designer enzymes delivering ≥10× catalytic performance
- Proteins stable under extreme industrial and environmental conditions
- Recombinant therapeutic and nutritional proteins exceeding global benchmarks
Foundational Bio-Platforms That Create Industries
- Foundational Platform technologies (not single products)
- Architectures enabling multiple applications, companies, and IP families
- Global gold standards
- Foundational Platform technologies (not single products)
- Architectures enabling multiple applications, companies, and IP families
- Global gold standards
High Value IP Generation & Standard-Setting
- Platform- and architecture-level IP generation
- India positioned as a primary architect of global standards
- Creation of globally relevant, defensible intellectual property
- Platform- and architecture-level IP generation
- India positioned as a primary architect of global standards
- Creation of globally relevant, defensible intellectual property
Innovative Indigenous Manufacturing & Supply-Chain Resilience
- Breaking the import dependency trap
- Advanced manufacturing of high-value reagents, viral vectors, complex media, and sophisticated bioprocessing & laboratory equipment
- 10× supply-chain resilience
- Breaking the import dependency trap
- Advanced manufacturing of high-value reagents, viral vectors, complex media, and sophisticated bioprocessing & laboratory equipment
- 10× supply-chain resilience
Guiding Principles
Foundational values driving the initiative
Delta Change
Focus on transformative improvements over incremental ones.
Global Benchmark Reset
Setting new global standards rather than local optimization.
Indigenous Capability
Creating self-reliance and reducing import dependence.
Application Domains
Supports innovations across biotechnology and related areas aligned to national priorities
Healthcare & Biopharma
Agriculture & Food Systems
Environment & Climate Solutions
Industrial & Synthetic Biology
Bioenergy & Circular Bioeconomy
AI & Machine Learning
Emerging Interdisciplinary Fields
Import Substitution & Strategic Manufacturing
Applications may span diverse sectors; however, support is prioritised for innovations and platforms demonstrating non-linear impact and national relevance.
Scheme Overview
TRL Focus
Transformative projects at TRL 4 and above
Funding Philosophy
Patient capital with risk-mitigating support
Scope
R&D, scale-up, and innovative indigenous manufacturing
Purpose
Enable long-gestation, high-impact technologies
Application Toolkit
Resources to help applicants assess fit, prepare strong proposals, and navigate the application process.
Who Can Apply?
Check detailed eligibility criteria for Indian entities and project requirements.
Self Assessment
Evaluate your project's fit before applying with our quick assessment checklist.
Key Documents
Download Guidelines, Templates, and FAQs.