About the Fund
BIRAC-RDI is a ₹1 lakh crore government initiative driving deep tech and biotechnology innovation to achieve Viksit Bharat 2047.
Overview
Launched under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), BIRAC-RDI aims to boost private sector R&D. It focuses on deep tech and sunrise sectors, positioning India as a global innovation hub.
It supports financing of transformative projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above, facilitating acquisition of critical technologies and providing patient capital.
Role of BIRAC
BIRAC serves as one of the implementation agencies for BIRAC-RDI, leveraging its experience in nurturing high-risk, high-impact biotechnology innovations and enabling translation from research to deployment.
Strategic Pillars
Reprogramming Biology for Extreme Performance & Resilience
Reprogramming Biology
- AI-engineered designer enzymes (≥10× performance)
- Proteins stable under extreme conditions
- Recombinant proteins exceeding global benchmarks
Foundational Bio-Platforms
- Platform technologies creating industries
- Architectures enabling multiple applications/IPs
- Establishing global gold standards
High Value IP Generation
- Platform- and architecture-level IP
- India as primary architect of global standards
- Globally relevant, defensible IP
Indigenous Manufacturing
- Breaking import dependency trap
- Advanced manufacturing of high-value reagents
- 10× supply-chain resilience
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.