has been set-up, supporting nearly 300 companies and 100 young entrepreneurs for innovation, research and product development. Further, the Biotechnology Translational research and industry academia partnership has promoted through 3 Biotech clusters, 8 Biotech Parks and 13 Bioincubators. Also, 25 Centers of Excellences have been created as a flexible model of longterm support for highly innovative, basic and translational research to create high quality state-of-the-art facilities for R & D. In addition over 60 programme support is being implemented to various outstanding research activities across the country.
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council
• The biotech startup scenario in
India was transformed by one of BIRAC’ s flagship scheme called BIG( Biotechnology Ignition Grant). BIG has supported 195 entrepreneurial ideas. 22 new startups were created( in 18 months) and the total number of employment generated is 231.
• Providing access to high end infrastructural requirement to the biotech community in India. BIRAC through its bioincubation scheme( Bionest) has supported 15 bioincubation centres across the nation and has created 175,000sq. ft of incubation space. Within these incubators, around 199 biotech startups are being provided support. In each of the bioincubator, BIRAC has supported a common pool of high end instrumentation that is being used by incubate and other SMEs for R & D.
• 50 New Products, 30 early stage technologies and 125 IP generated.
• 350 Start-Ups, SME, and Entrepreneurs Supported.
• BIRAC Ace Fund – An Equity Fund for Accelerating Entrepreneurs was announced by Hon’ ble Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences during BIRAC Foundation Function.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Strategic S & T partnership with UK: During the visit of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to India for India-U. K Tech Summit held at New Delhi from November 7th-9th, 2016; A Joint Statement was issued( India-UK Strategic Partnership looking forward to a renewed engagement: Vision for the decade ahead). The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and India commended ongoing collaboration in biotechnology and made the following announcement for the Department of Biotechnology:
• Joint Strategic Group on Anti- Microbial Resistance( AMR) with joint investment of up to £ 13 million( with all research councils, UK and M / o S & T( DBT and DST), ICMR, ICAR, MoEF, PHFI from India led by DBT.
• Joint research programme for innovative biotechnologies for cleaning and processing industrial waste with joint investment of £ 16 million.
• Joint projects to address postharvest losses benefiting farmers for £ 10 million( this was approved and the projects were announced).
• The two sides announced the launch of the second phase of joint research in women’ s and children’ s health in low-income settings for £ 12.6million.
• The two sides looked forward to engaging on India’ s efforts to develop a Bio-bank that will draw on UK Bio-Bank’ s scientific expertise.
India is a Partner country for the ' Mission Innovation '( MI) which is an effort of 23 participating countries towards accelerating global clean energy innovation. This was launched on 30thNovember, 2015 during COP- 21 in the presence of the Prime Minister. The Department of Biotechnology is the nodal agency for spearheading the mission ' s objectives innIndia. A delegation led by Dr Harsh Vardhan participated in the first ministerial meeting in San Francisco in June, 2016. The country’ s R & D investment doubling plan was presented. Seven Innovation Challenges were announced during the COP-22 in Marrakech in November, 2016.
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