Big Boost for Biotech: Govt Launches ₹2,000 Crore BIRAC Fund Under ₹1 Lakh Crore RDI Initiative

New Delhi, February 13, 2026: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the first national call for the BIRAC–RDI Fund, a ₹2,000 crore initiative under the Government of India’s ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) program. The fund aims to accelerate high-impact biotechnology innovations and bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale manufacturing.

The launch event was attended by Dr. Vinod Paul (NITI Aayog), Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale (Secretary, Department of Biotechnology), Dr. Jitendra Kumar (Managing Director, BIRAC), senior DST and ANRF officials, industry leaders, and venture capital representatives.

Dr. Singh highlighted India’s rapid growth in biotechnology, noting the ecosystem’s expansion from around 50 startups in 2014 to over 11,000 today, with the bioeconomy rising from $8 billion in 2014 to $165.7 billion in 2024. The government targets a $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030 and $1 trillion by 2047.

The BIRAC–RDI Fund is structured to support long-gestation, high-risk projects across biopharma, bio-industrial manufacturing, bioenergy, blue economy, and biocomputation, enabling technologies from TRL-4 to TRL-9. Funding will be deployed via equity, convertible instruments, and long-term debt over five years, with BIRAC acting as the second-level fund manager.

Eligible startups, SMEs, and industry partners can now apply through the portal https://biracrdif.org, with Phase 1 submissions closing on March 31, 2026.

Dr. Singh emphasized that India is no longer a late entrant but an early mover in biotechnology, positioning the country to lead the next global industrial revolution through scientific innovation and entrepreneurial scale-up.