DBT-BIRAC has announced 75 Amrit Grants for biotech initiatives involving startups, industry, academia, and research bodies in an integrated collaboration, says Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.

The Minister said DBT-BIRAC 75 Amrit Team Grant Initiative will give a big boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Jai Anusandhan.

Singh said 75 inter-disciplinary, multi-institutional grants would be supported for high-risk, ambitious research ideas, milestones-driven collaborative research in all domain areas of the biotech sector.

Singh said, "Startups, industries, academia, and research bodies can form Team Science Grant in a Public-Private Partnership mode to avail grant of Rs. 10-15 crore over a period of two to three years for inter-disciplinary and high-quality research.

The Minister said in order to address national priorities to propel India as a global leader in biotechnology, the grants would be broadly provided in the areas of health, agribiotech, climate change, synthetic biology, and sustainable bioresource management.

The Minister said, "The overall goal would be achieved through this initiative - Knowledge-based discovery solutions for societal needs, transformational advances of scientific value and impact; and also contributing towards India’s emergence as an equal global partner."

He added that spin outs and venture creation will be a key component of this initiative."

Singh said, "This initiative builds on the deep foundation of partnerships, to support new and innovative research programs, which aims to propel India to a position of global leadership."

Singh said, India’s Bioeconomy will grow from US $70 billion to US $150 billion by 2025 and this can only be achieved with active participation of all the stakeholders in the biotechnology sector.

The Biotechnology sector has been recognized as one of the key drivers growing exponentially and it will be the main torch bearer of India’s developed economic status in the Amrit Kaal period of next 25 years, added Dr. Singh.